Our Tour de France Window - Showcasing Sinnett Bicycles
Our window has been attracting quite a different audience this week... a lot of men pausing, reading and getting really quite excited. We have teamed up with Mark from Sinnett Bicycles to create an homage to The Tour de France and showcase this brilliant Suffolk business.
Mark builds bespoke bicycles from his workshop in Bramfield. By day Mark is a nuclear regulator at Sizewell but his business Sinnett-Bicycles is a 'hobby that got out of hand'.
Mark builds just 5 bespoke frames a year to maintain absolute quality. His build process is centred on precision, communication and customer involvement. Traditional techniques using the finest Reynolds or Columbus steel, filletbrazed for strength, lightness, and clean aesthetics make each frame truly unique.
My favourite bicycle is the Black Shuck, paying homage to the legend of a spectral black dog said to roam the coastal paths, churchyards, and lonely lanes of Suffolk. In 1577 legend has it that Black Shuck tore through the churches of Blythburgh and Bungay leaving scorch marks on the doors that you can still see today... chilling but so cool.
Mark has even dug up a connection between the Tour de France and Southwold in the form of Victor Breyer. Born in Southwold Victor became a French journalist with a well documented rivalry with Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour. With Victor and Henri both chasing advertisers for their competing newspapers they needed to outshine each other. When Henri's promotional idea for a long distance cycling race around France gained favour the rest is history.
