Legendary South London framebuilder Chas Roberts is laying down his tools and closing his Croydon shop — but he says it's only a sabbatical, not a shut-down.

From the end of May, Roberts Cycles will be leaving its premises at 89 Gloucester Road, Croydon.

The firm says: "Chas Roberts will be taking a deserved break before setting up shop again – at this stage we don't have any details for where and when this might be, so for the immediate future, we'll be taking no more orders for bikes or frames."

Before the welding gear goes into mothballs, Roberts is selling off a selection of bikes and frames from the showroom. These "represent the finest work that we do" says Roberts, so they're a chance to own a piece of lovingly-crafted history.

Chas Roberts started welding when he was just 14, helping out in the business then run by his father Charles.

When Charles Roberts died in 1979, Chas inherited the business which continued to be a stalwart of the South-East's custom bike scene. For years Roberts was one of a handful of businesses literally carrying the torch for bespoke bikes when the mountain bike boom and the shift to aluminium frames cut into the traditional steel road frame market. 

In recent years, new and affluent cyclists looking for something craftsman-made and unique have driven a renaissance in custom framebuilding, and Roberts has been in the vanguard. In 2012 the Roberts Rough Stuff won Best Touring Bicycle at the first Bespoked Handmade Bike Show.