The 164 year old overnight success story.
In the modern world of Dragon’s Den entrepreneurship-as-entertainment, everyone is searching for the next Unicorn. The whizbang new idea that this time next year Rodney, will make us millionaires. But the truth is, most great businesses don’t work like that. Most great businesses thrive on developing a fabulous product that customers love, pricing it fairly and building a customer base over a long period of time that is passionately loyal.
So, without further ado Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Pearson Cycles.
Based on Upper Richmond Road in East Sheen, south west London, Pearson is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest bicycle business.
It is now run by the fifth generation of the Pearson family – brothers William and Guy.
The time line is eye watering – starting out as Tom Pearson’s blacksmith’s shop in Sutton, where in 1860, the richly moustached Victorian entrepreneur started to hone his blacksmith’s metal working skills to capitalise on the new fangled craze of cycling. By 1889, Tom had been succeeded by his son Harry, who made the switch into full time bike manufacturing, the first model being the Endeavour. [Morse, eat your heart out].
1860 is soooo long ago. Just in case you didn’t know, in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. Charles Dickens published Great Expectations. And the first recorded Fish & Chip shops appeared in Britain.
VW brought out a brilliant advert in the early 2000’s for the VW Golf which by then was on its fifth iteration. The ad talked about how the Golf which had been launched in 1974 was by 2004, thirty years in the making. VW very eloquently articulated in this ad campaign that it was this process of continuous improvement and expertise honed over many decades which was why they were able to make a car as stupendously good as the Golf.
Well Pearson is 164 years in the making so IN YOUR FACE VW!!!
And the clobber that Pearson produce now is a million miles away from Great great great great Grandpa Tom’s Endeavor. There is no more high-tech a bike on the market for the true cycling aficionado. But because Pearson is British and Will and Guy are eminent British gents, it has always flown, or rather pedalled, under the radar. Known only by those in-the-know.
Pearson has survived world wars, recessions, pandemics and even the prime ministership of Liz Truss. In the 1970s when the Grifter and the Chopper dominated the kids’ bike market and then later in the 1980s when BMXs were ubiquitous, Pearson rose above it and just carried on doing its thing.
The Aubin connection with Pearson was spawned over a decade ago by our mutual involvement in supporting Duchenne UK. Pearson has been a sponsor of the Duchenne Dash since the outset 12 years ago and Will and our Founder Pete have ridden on every Dash since the start. Will claims to have to push Pete up all the hills en route to Paris but that isn’t true.
So we thought it was high time we gave them a big shout out. Because a.) they are great Friends of Aubin & we love them and b.) because they’ve been 164 years in R&D, the bikes are quite simply the best that money can buy.
Take a look for yourself and follower the guys journey on Instagram @ pearson_1860
