The Rake Visits: Freddie Grubb

The name ‘Frederick Grubb’ nearly went into general obscurity. The British Olympian would be familiar to a generation of cyclists for his competitive successes as well as the manufacture of fine bicycles that earned popularity for their design. And then, gone—existing only on the vintage market and as part of the nostalgia for the faded British cycling industry.
Malcolm Harding, founder of Freddie Grubb.

Until Malcolm Harding brought him back again, that is. The furniture supplier and avid cyclist was the proud owner of his own Frederick Grubb, and when beginning his eponymous brand of bicycles, sought to pay tribute. “I wanted to create something that would make him proud while keeping the name alive,” Malcolm tells The Rake, “...I had a vintage Grubb, and we modelled our basic design loosely on his bikes.” Their venture began at a Milan design fair when they bumped into the owners of a Japanese bicycle brand. “They were keen to distribute their bikes in London, and after we helped them, we thought: why don’t we do it?” The result had a retro but contemporary look, made in Britain with the highest quality materials, and after taking a shop in Islington, North London, they found that visitors were keen to own a Freddie Grubb bicycle. “Some even visited with their own vintage Grubbs!”

Published

May 2023

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