The subject of Woodrup frames reminds me of my own experiences visiting their framebuilding shop when I was learning to build at Ellis Briggs. I wanted to learn how to do a fluted seat stay top like what was on my Masi and Jack Briggs rang up Woodrup to see if one of them would be willing to show me how. What I vaguely remember Jack Briggs telling me was that somehow Jack's father helped Woodrup get started. The date around 1953 or 4 sticks in my mind from our conversation about it. Leeds is about 15 miles to the east from the much smaller town of Shipley where Ellis Briggs is located. The good size city of Bradford is about 3 miles to the south. In other words, these places are one big megalopolis. 15 British miles is not 15 American miles. The roads are not laid out on a square because of the shape of the land and going to Leeds seemed like a big trip. It was lots of stop and go city driving on winding roads in my old Morris Minor. This generosity (to help others when it wasn't to his own advantage) was part of Jack's character too and something I've been deeply grateful for (since he did the same for me).
I was a little shy going in the door and was glad Jack had asked permission for me. One of the sons (I don't remember which one) spent several hours of the afternoon showing me what to do. That day he was the only one there. I had some seat stays with me and he demonstrated how to miter the end and braze another piece of tubing in that place and then file off the excess. I looked around a bit and realized they did things a bit differently than Briggs. I also remember him suggesting to me that there wasn't much need now days (as in 1975) to pin frames together before brazing since hearth brazing was replaced with oxyacetylene brazing. As he explained, a spot isn't likely to break or move. All in all a valuable and pleasant afternoon. As a newbie, I was respectful of his advice and didn't try to argue how we did things a bit differently at Briggs. My impression was that Woodrup was a bit more production oriented - meaning that they concentrated on getting a certain number of frames made in a decent way in a week. It was the primary thing that brought in money for them. The frame shop at Briggs when I was there was a bit more of an extension of the bigger business. There was the regular retail sales on the ground floor with several sales people. There were the regular Raleigh and other bikes and another area had pro stuff. In the back was the repair shop with 2 workers. Upstairs in one room was Bill and Rodney the painters and in another, Andrew mostly made the frames one at a time to a particular person. The result of not having framebuilding be the center of the business was that it allowed a bit more individual attention to be paid to each frame being made. Jack never pressured Andrew to be more productive, he just wanted him to make them right. Jack himself also helped out in there but mostly he and his wife kept an eye on the entire business. When he was in the frame shop, it was primarily to teach me and share his considerable knowledge or finalize instructions about another frame for Andrew to build. Those circumstances really were a benefit to me which I have always deeply appreciated. Another advantage was the ability to wander into the paint room next door and observe all the steps in painting. Bill and Rodney always enjoyed company and Andrew and I also ate our lunch in there.
There are lots more memories of that time but not more time to write about them now. About the other framebuilders in West Yorkshire and the area itself.
Doug Fattic Niles, Michigan USA
Norris Lockley wrote:
As to Woodrup's...First of all I must explain that what follows is based on the opinions I have heard voiced by perhaps several hundred cyclists in and around the west Yorkshire area, in which Woodrup's are based..on Kirkstall Road, Leeds.. There will be some slight element of my own opinion also, as I have known the Woodrup shop..and the late Maurice Woodrup for about five decades..similarly I have known all the other Yorkshire builders for the same period of time.
Possibly because Bob Jackson's business seemed so much bigger than Maurice Woodrup's, because Bob had glossier catalogues and did everything in-house..even spraying, Bob's company's frames was perceived as being less..let us say ..bespoke..or custom-built. This last statement is of course far from true..but many club cyclists..the stock-in-trade of the UK lightweight trade, just perceived it as being so.
Bob always had more builders working on frames..I think five was the highest that I can recall..whereas I dont remember Maurice having more than two..and possibly a bit of part-time help when business was busy. Whatever the reason..Woodrup's was always perceived to produce the better quality frame, probably because their production was much smaller, and customers assumed that far more time was spent on each frame.
I have sold quite a lot of S/H Woodrups..and probably more Jacksons..and Pennine's, Briggs etc etc. My own impression was that Woodrups had the edge over Jacksons..perhaps just a little more attention to detail..more individualised treatment etc etc..but I have handled some excellent Jacksons too.
I have been inside both workshops when they were in full swing, and have been surprised by some of the "processes" that I have seen..things that I did not expect..slight heavy-handedness, but maybe that it a common feature of the majority of frame-shops.
Bob had a faster turn over of builders and, of course, had more novice builders...but there again his foreman builder spent his lifetime with Jackson. A commonly heard opinion anywhere where cyclists congregate in Yorkshire is that some Jacksons disappoint ,but that the best ones are the equal of the best hand-built frames regardless of country and company..an opinion giving the impression that there were different standards of build quality at Jacko's. On the other hand in the same congregations of cyclists..there is seldom an adverse criticism of Woodrup's quality. In fact in those five decades I have only met one cyclist who was disappointed with his Woodrup, but My My..was he disappointed..no half measures..and it was all down to dreadful threads in the bottom bracket and a badly aligned rear triangle.
It is interesting to read the two contris so far about Woodrup frames, both stating that the paintwork could have been better. As far as I recall...for a long long time all Woodrups were sprayed by Ellis-Briggs, but there was a period in the early 80s to mid-80s when some of them were sprayed elsewhere in Leeds, by a part-time sprayer, at a time when Briggs' turn-around times were far too long...so in fact Woodrups' were never totally in charge of that aspect of the quality of the finished frame.
Just for what it's worth...I never heard an adverse criticism of an Ellis-Briggs frame either..so the scenario in the Leeds-Bradford was that if you wanted the best,,clearly a very subjective word. you went to either one or the other of Woodrup or Briggs. Additionally for what it's worth...I think that the opinions also depended very largely on of which club you were a member. As as is the case even today..certain clubs were linked with certain builders...often due to geographical circumstances.
Norris Lockley...Settle UK