Tag Criterium

Bicycle Makers, Hobbs of Barbican

Hobbs of Barbican History: A Timeline of Key Frame-Building and Product Events

Hobbs of Barbican built its reputation on Albert Hobbs’ conviction that “a cycle is as good as its frame,” and the timeline below traces the company from its 1930 founding through wartime relocation to a brief 1970s revival. Along the…

Eric Anschutz
July 5, 2026

Component Makers, Mafac

MAFAC Brake Company History: A Chronological Timeline of Events

1951 Mafac Racer Ad Le Cycliste Nov 1000px

MAFAC’s story is that of a specialist brake innovator facing the rise of integrated groupsets. For 20 prosperous years, MAFAC filled a crucial gap by creating brakes—like the pioneering Criterium cantilever and revolutionary Racer center-pull models—that were revolutionary in their…

Eric Anschutz
December 11, 2025

Bicycle Makers, Hobbs of Barbican

Hobbs of Barbican: The Strength is in the Spine

1949 Hobbs Barbican Blue Riband Road Path

The job of a bicycle designer parallels that of a surgeon in many senses: triage what’s wrong, decide what no longer functions, find a way to solve the problem and repair or replace whatever needs fixing. And like any good…

Daniel Cavallari
November 21, 2020
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