Ted Etty working at Etty and Tyler in Forest Gate
83 Upton Lane · Forest Gate · East London

Mechanically
minded.

An independent, family-run workshop keeping London’s motorcycles and bicycles moving for more than sixty years.

Family run60+years in E7
1963Established
60+Years of experience
70+Years through Ted’s eyes
E7Proudly local
More than mechanics

A workshop at the heart of Forest Gate.

At 83 Upton Lane, Etty & Tyler became the kind of place a neighbourhood remembers: practical, straight-talking and rich with knowledge that cannot be learned from a manual. Local riders bring bicycles, scooters and motorcycles — and often stay for the conversation.

The workshop archive

A life on
two wheels.

Real photographs from Ted’s life and the Full Cycle heritage project show the person, place and cycling culture behind the workshop name.

Ted Etty at work inside the workshop
Ted at work, 2023 · Andrew Baker Photography
Ted aged 19 with his Raleigh Superb bicycle in 1947
Ted, aged 19, Field Road E7, 1947
Children with bicycles in Newham in 1984
Children with bikes, Newham, 1984
Our history

Built to keep moving.

A documented timeline from Ted’s first workshop to the family business, the Full Cycle archive and the shop today.

Ted and his Raleigh Superb

Aged 19 and on leave from the army, Ted is photographed with his bicycle in Field Road, E7 — the street remembered as the site of his first bike workshop.

Etty & Tyler is established

The family business takes its place on Upton Lane. Ted’s mechanical instinct, practical judgement and knowledge become the workshop’s foundation.

A shop people travel for

Customer Keith Hallam remembers travelling from Coventry and bringing his future brother-in-law’s bike here — the start of more than four decades as a customer.

An old firm in East London

Riders recommending mechanics online describe Etty & Tyler as an established East London business that knows its stuff — a reputation carried by word of mouth.

Full Cycle begins

At 95, Ted becomes the focus of a £44,400 National Lottery Heritage Fund project preserving his stories and Forest Gate’s cycling heritage.

Sixty years celebrated

Frames of Mind gathers photographs, objects and community memories for a documentary, archive and eight-stop heritage trail.

Remembering Ted

Ted dies aged 97. His stories, humour and unique view of Forest Gate live on through his family, the workshop and the Full Cycle archive.

The family carries it forward

Etty & Tyler remains in family hands, combining generations of experience with personal, straight-talking service.

Ted Etty outside the family shop on Upton Lane
Edward Ernest Etty · 1928–2025
In memory of Ted

A lifetime of know-how.

Ted lived and worked in Newham for most of his life. From the shop floor he watched more than seventy years of social, cultural and mechanical change. Customers remember a deep store of knowledge, a familiar face and an unmistakable sense of humour.

“I’ve always been mechanically minded… trends come and go, but the workings of the bicycle have basically stayed the same.”
97years of life8heritage trail stops£44.4kheritage funding
Explore the Full Cycle archive ↗
Precision motorcycle and bicycle components arranged on a workshop bench
03 / THE METHODEvery part matters.Good mechanics is applied intelligence: observe, measure, understand, then act. Decades of instinct, backed by careful hands.DIAGNOSE → EXPLAIN → REPAIR → TEST
The workshop today

Still getting London moving.

Independent advice, explained clearly. The team discusses the work, explains what follows and aims to return every bike in dependable condition.

Motorcycle repairs

Fault-finding, repairs and routine maintenance.

Bicycle repairs

Servicing and repairs for everyday and leisure riders.

MOT testing

Motorbike inspections and preparation.

Tyres & batteries

Supply, fitting, balancing and replacement.

Parts & accessories

Trusted components and workshop essentials.

Sales & servicing

Practical support from an experienced local team.