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The job of a bicycle mechanic in a sense parallels that of a surgeon: assess what’s wrong, find a way to fix the problem, or decide what no longer functions and needs to be replaced. And like any good surgeon knows, if the spine fails, so, too, does the rest of the body. In the bicycle world, the frame is a bicycle’s spine; without a healthy frame to hold the parts together, the bike will only function to the best ability of the hobbled frame. And so when Albert Hobbs claimed in an ad, “A cycle is only as good as its frame,” it served as a fine indication that the founder of Hobbs of Barbican bicycles understood his craft the way a surgeon does the human body. With that credibility to his name, Hobbs began manufacturing well-crafted bicycles with frames that were not only functional, but also strong and refined.

This article references information graciously made available at Bruce Robbins’ Hobbs of Barbican

Hobbs supposedly started his business in 1930 in the barbican in the center of London, though the earliest-dated model, a Raceweight, was made in February of 1933. The barbican was an outwork -— not a gateway or military outpost, as is the definition commonly associated with the term. As was the case with so many manufacturers of the era, Hobbs made a name for himself by crafting his frames to stress durability and punctuated them with ornate, hand-filed lugs.

Photos courtesy of Duncan Granger

The business started in an era conducive to bicycle business, as the boom of the 1920’s carried over into the early thirties with a thriving industry that would fizzle a few years later around the time of the war; before the war, however, Hobbs’ business took off quickly and gained steam through the 30’s and into the 40’s.

But once the war hit, Hobbs suffered. The city of London faced severe casualties, as well as physical damage, and Hobbs was forced to move his operation out of the barbican and into Sterling Works at Dagenham. The business once again thrived after the war had taken its toll on the city, but Hobbs’ hardships did not end there.

He had chosen to house his frame building business in the same factory that housed the construction of Sterling machine guns, as well as Owen machine guns, and eventually the bicycle business was forced out of the factory. Hobbs continued his business as a retailer, but the company itself faced extinction and eventually succumbed in the late 1950’s after it had existed as a retail business -— the frame building side of the company long gone -— for several years.

There was a brief resurgence of the brand in the 1970’s, but it was short-lived. It consisted of a limited run of Hobbs’ most popular model, the Blue Riband, but several collectors have speculated the new production was simply an effort to use up extra lugs that had been sitting around for years. Otherwise, the Hobbs of Barbican brand died with an epitaph so common among companies of its era: beautiful bicycles sacrificed to war and technology.

The desire for his models never faded, however, as vintage collectors began to seek out frames with the signature ornate lug work, high-flange hubs, raked forks with double crowns, and all-around craftsmanship that indicates hand-built prowess. Hobbs of Barbican covered all the bases in that regard.

Throughout its existence as a frame building entity, Hobbs of Barbican supplemented itself with a foray into components manufacturing. They were sold under the name Lytaloy, and the well-crafted components were available only in a very limited selection. They were beautiful components, many featuring highly polished finishes and meticulous craftsmanship, but many believe the components were made by subcontractors and merely sold with the Hobbs of Barbican/Lytaloy name. Either way, it showed Hobbs’ desire to present the highest quality products to the public, which was certainly reflected not only in his components, but also in his well-crafted and popular frames.

The Lytaloy line included headsets (which boasted a micrometer adjustment using a serrated cone and lockring), pedals, brakes, mudguards, bottom brackets, and light brackets. It also included an alloy chain, but this met with less success than the other components due to a lack of durability that allowed the chains to break frequently. As was the case with his frames, Hobbs marketed his components effectively and with gusto, as evinced in the catalog that describes his pedals as, “a refinement that will find an immediate appeal among all enthusiastic cyclists whether they ride for business, pleasure, or sport and the price is reasonable for such a high grade component (Source).”

The Chainwheel set was marketed as a light, yet strong set-up, with a finer focus on the strength aspect of the component. Touting the sturdy, fluted crank arms made from an aluminum alloy that had recently hit the market, Hobbs stressed the importance of strength over weight savings. In addition, the chainring replacements were lauded as an easy endeavor, due to the fact that neither the crank arm nor pedal needed to be removed for the process. This is no great feat nowadays, but in the thirties and forties when the product hit the market, it was a relatively new concept and certainly worth mention in the ads.

Hobbs presented several models for distribution throughout its relatively brief history. With ever-changing production methods as well as constantly changing market stability, the models varied drastically in style and pricing throughout the nearly three decades that the company sold its product. The most popular model, the Blue Riband, was hand-built by the company’s best frame builders and featured ornate lugs and Hobbs components such as pedals. Though much of the information regarding certain models has disappeared throughout the years, remaining catalogues feature such models as the Continental, Raceweight, and Criterium. Most models were available in either a lugged or fillet-brazed version.

As any collector knows, innovation is what drives the market, thereby making outdated techniques rare and qualifying a bicycle made by those techniques as vintage. With the pursuit of innovation in mind, Hobbs dabbled in new frame production methods, models, and marketing ideas. He wasn’t afraid to try new frame materials, either. In an undated ad seen here, Hobbs himself advertised special Kromo tubing (known today as Cro-moly, or Chromium-molybdenum steel) and touted his desire for innovation by boldly proclaiming, “We are always looking for the latest improvements—and that goes for frames, too!” Claiming that brazing strengthens the tubing instead of weakening it, Hobbs displayed his knack for marketing and showed exactly why his bicycles were successful when others faltered: he related effectively to the public and marketed his product with a confidence that exuded quality.

Several Kromo tubing bicycles were featured in the 1952 catalogue, starting with the popular Clubweight model. The Sportsweight model was also featured in the catalogue; that same model, which was available in the Kromo tubing, was reviewed in 1949 in ‘Cycling.’ It was met with favor by the reviewer, who dubbed it, “A good, standard, lightweight bicycle at a moderate price.” Read the full review here. Again, Hobbs took his positive press to the bank, creating personalized messages to his consumers to assure them that his product was the pinnacle. The Kromo tubing became a staple in the Hobbs of Barbican line and most models either came stock with the tubing or came available with that as an option.

According to the 1937 catalogue, the Continental featured Reynolds 531 steel, Continental-type fork crown, Dunlop tires, and other various accoutrements such as an oil gun and air pump. The catalogue boasted that the specs and design were crafted to, “incorporate[s] many of the features developed abroad under the exacting test of continental massed start road racing, but it is important to note that the design has been expertly adapted to existing British conditions.” The Continental Superbe was also featured in the catalogue; it was a similar bicycle but came spec’d with slightly higher-quality components. For those riders with needs beyond the world of gears, framesets were available that accommodated either geared drivetrains or fixed single speeds.

By 1949, the Hobbs of Barbican line had expanded drastically. The Blue Riband found itself the centerpiece of the line, but quirkier models, such as the Blue Riband Tricycle and two different models of tandems, the Superbe and the Race Lite, added to the diversity of Hobbs’ offerings and gave various cyclists different options for their commuting or racing needs. Make no mistake, these models were not without practicality; with a 60 inch wheelbase and racing geometry, the Race Lite Tandem was a solid race bicycle aimed toward the criterium circuit.

The Continental model remained a staple in the Hobbs of Barbican catalogue, and race models such as the Championship rounded out the line to offer a wide spectrum of frames and cycles for all purposes. It featured brazed construction and “malleable cast lugs of the finest quality” and was marketed toward track riders as well as racers and “connoisseurs.” It came spec’d with Lytaloy components throughout. The Criterium, a track-specific model, was marketed as a solid frame with a reinforced head tube to enhance both strength and aesthetics. As stated in the catalogue, the frame was welded throughout and filed to minute perfection to improve both the looks and strength of the joints.

In 1952, The Blue Riband came in three different models: The Continental, The Professional, and The Championship. The Professional came built to the specifications of the customer, with a fancier lug design than the base model Continental. The Championship constituted the high-end, distinguishable by the scroll and spearpoint lug design. It, too, came customized for each buyer and rounded out the top-end of the Hobbs line. For the more budget-minded consumer, Hobbs offered the affordably priced Sportweight and Clubweight models, each with their own characteristics that made them practical for club racing, commuting, or general amusement riding. The Streamweight models came in framesets only and were built with Kromo tubing. They were touted as affordable frames at the same quality as higher-priced competitors.

Identifying a Hobbs of Barbican bicycle may not be as tricky as identifying other vintage bicycles, but they hold their own mystique. As was the case with so many bicycle companies that existed around Europe’s war-torn era—specifically the late 30’s and through the 40’s—most of the Hobbs records and paperwork no longer exist. But according to the Veteran Cycle Club, Hobbs of Barbican serial numbers do indicate manufacture dates, to a point. For example, “For the first two years of post-war production, frames were initially numbered with a six, seven or eight digit number, the first two of which indicate the year of build. This differed from later methods: “In 1947, Hobbs changed the numbering system to that used for the remainder of their time as a major frame-builder. Frame numbers were prefixed by a letter indicating the build month. The remainder of the number began with the digit indicating the year. Thus, the frame number B7500 was built in July 1947.”

The Hobbs of Barbican history doesn’t weave its way through as much lore as other storied companies, but consistency counts for a lot in the bicycle world: consistently strong frames that ride well, consistent workmanship and marketing, and consistent desire to produce a pinnacle product. Hobbs accomplished that much throughout its brief tenure in the bike world, leaving its mark in the lives of those who chose to ride in a time of war and automobiles, and those who recognize quality in the realm of vintage machines.

Certainly a sure sign that the Hobbs of Barbican name will live on, companies of today should take note: quality sells more bicycles than quantity, and customer relations count for more than just a solid return policy. Hobbs of Barbican proved this point and continues to do so today by remaining a highly sought-after vintage bicycle with a reliable name and solid reputation, even well after the company has disappeared.

Photos: Duncan Granger