Ellis Briggs - History

History

Ellis Briggs Cycles was founded in 1936 by Mr. Leonard Ellis and Mr. Thomas Briggs hence the name Ellis-Briggs.

When the shop opened in 1936 there was already a bicycle shop in Shipley. That shop was a showroom for Baines, whose factory was based in Idle and were famous for producing the Baines Flying Gate.

The shop survived through the war by selling what ever was available which included children's clothing and enamel paints, as well as the usual cycling lines.

It was after the war when Ellis Briggs started building lightweight racing frames, which gained them much notoriety among racing cyclists.

Attention turned to the export markets of the USA and Canada and during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s hundreds of frames were exported to the other side of the Atlantic.

After Thomas Briggs died in 1953 his son Jack took over the business with his wife Nora.

In 1965 the shop and factory moved out of the old premises and moved across the road into a brand new building.

Jack and Nora Briggs retired in 1986. Their two sons John and Paul, had been working in the shop since the 1960s, Paul as a mechanic and John as Salesman. John and Paul took over and have run the business ever since.

Over the years Ellis Briggs sponsored many international riders, such as Bernard Burns, Brian Robinson, Arthur Metcalfe, Ken Russell, Doug Petty, Danny Horton and Dave Rayner.

The biggest success was in the 1950s when Ken Russell, riding for Ellis Briggs as an independent rider (semi professional), won the 1952 Tour of Britain despite not having any team support.