Bicycles - "Spinning Wheels"

[Zelley]

I did a piece on "Bicycle Bob of Beverley" - Robert CHERRY, but scattered about are othe names from agents to machinests -
Edward PILLEY of Essex, Richard WOODIER, the machinest and
in Wales, Davis SALATHIEL (c1920's - bicycle agent).

To keep the wheels spinning & the spokes greased, any cycle stories.

[runner]

hi Zelley

In the village of Kilbarchan there was, for many years, a cafe called the 'Cyclists Rest'. run by a local Italian family. It is (or was) right in the heart of the village and right up until 1959 there would be bikes stacked against the outside wall while the Johnstone Wheelers, the Clarion or one of the other cycling clubs popped in for a cuppa and a natter. It was a favourite place because one of the sons of the proprietor was an engineer and if a bike needed fixed he would fix it in his workshop out the back while its owner sat with his pals in the cafe.

When the matriarchal owner died the cafe was closed. Business was falling as everyone wanted four wheels  not two and the sons were involved in their own families and lives away from the village.
This marked the end of an era which is still remembered with nostalgia by the older fok in the village.

The interior of the cafe is almost untouched from that time and the workshops with their carefully hand-made drills, lathes and presses are just as they were left last time a bike was repaired. The ravages of time are working their worst on the old sheds.
Its sad to see a piece of cycling history crumble into nothing but half forgotten memories.

Russell

[Zelley]

hi Zelley

In the village of Kilbarchan there was, for many years, a cafe called the 'Cyclists Rest'. run by a local Italian family. It is (or was) right in the heart of the village and right up until 1959 there would be bikes stacked against the outside wall while the Johnstone Wheelers, the Clarion or one of the other cycling clubs popped in for a cuppa and a natter. It was a favourite place because one of the sons of the proprietor was an engineer and if a bike needed fixed he would fix it in his workshop out the back while its owner sat with his pals in the cafe.

This marked the end of an era which is still remembered with nostalgia by the older fok in the village.
Its sad to see a piece of cycling history crumble into nothing but half forgotten memories.

Russell

Great, thanks for the information.  In recognition, is it possible to name the family.
Also, where is the village located.

[Zelley]

Hunt End (near Redditch, Worcestershire).

Stepping back to 1851, there was one George TOWNSEND.  He went from needles to cycles.  By 1891. his operations changed
and along came Albert EADIE.

An name of extreme importance was
"Enfield" and "royal Enfield"

Between 1851 and 1901, is it possible to add the names of some of the cycle making folks of Hunt End to Redditch

[behindthefrogs]

Through our Edlin thread on the one name board there are a number of references to the Leicestershire family who were bicycle makers.  These started with Robert Edlin from Croxton Kerial and two of his sons George and Robert William.  The main item in the thread is the relatioinship with J B Dunlop

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,129116.60.html

The story is told in "The Story of Robert William Edlin and the Pneumatic Tyre" published in 1992 by Robert Wilfred Edlin

Robert Wilfred Edlin was the grandson of Robert William Edlin who built the first bicycle for J. B. Dunlop in 1888. The pneumatic tyre industry started in Edlin's small cycle business in Belfast, where Edlin, Finlay Sinclair and John B. Dunlop made the first pneumatic tyred bicycle, c. October 1888. This was followed by racing machines in 1889. By November 1889, Dunlop, Edlin and Sinclair had manufactured 20 bicycles, 6 tricycles, and fitted the new tyres to 24 machines bought in from Rudge.

A new company, the Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency Ltd, Dublin, was then set up in association with Booths [sic] Cycle Agency Ltd, Dublin, of which Harvey du Cros was chairman. A factory was established at Booth's premises, but in January 1891 the business moved to Coventry, where it was known as The Pneumatic Tyre Co.

In 1895, Edlin moved to Birmingham where he remained for the rest of his life, opening a factory there under the name of Robert William Edlin, Pneumatic Tyre Manufacturer. He died in May 1923

Robert William Edlin also made a patent application in 1909 for a carrier to be fitted to the steering column of a bicycle.

[Christopher]

In 1880 ithe Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd., established in 1861, commenced making bicycles, producing its own designs from 1881 www.madeinbirmingham.org/bsa.htm
The principal BSA archive is held at Solihull Library. Further BSA material can be found at Birmingham City Archives. Various deposits of Daimler Motor Co. Ltd.'s records are held by Coventry City Record Office. www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/bsa.html

Frank Bowden was the proprietor of a small cycle manufacturing shop at Raleigh Street, Nottingham in 1887 where he produced an average of three high-wheel bicycles each week. His business grew from thise small beginnings to become the biggest cycle factory in the world, employing 10,000 workers and making two million bikes every year. www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series2/raleigh_bikes_cycling.shtml
Nottinghamshire Archives hold a collection of Raleigh Industries records www.a2a.org.uk/search/records.asp?cat=157-ddrn&cid=0

I remember Rudge bicycles. Rudge Wedge & Co was obviously before my time. Harry Rudge was the eldest son of Daniel Rudge, who founded Rudge cycles. In 1891, he joined forces with Mr. C. Wedge to form Rudge Wedge & Co www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Transport/bicycles/RudgeWedge.htm
Nottinghamshire Archives hold the records of Rudge-Whitworth Ltd, bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=B6540

Martin's Bicycle page contains a few tips on "How to determine the approximate date of manufacture for your British bicycle!" http://genetics.mgh.harvard.edu/hanczyc/toppage.html

[martinpowell]

Does anybody know if there are any magazines or records relating to the Rudge works in Coventry. My great grandfather Egbert Powell worked there as a watchman before he was called up as a reservist in WW1. He died in 1916 at Falfemont and sadley we have no picture of him. I wondered as a long shot if the Rudge works printed any magazines or anything at the time that commemorated any workers that went to the front.

[Rhubarb 19]

Hiya

I came across your request for information on Rudge Workers.Im not sure if your interested still,but here goes.

Rudge do have a year book,I think it covers years 1908-1922( off the top of my head).

It does also have pictures of soldiers who served during the war and also letters from the front.

It is held in the Herbert Archive's, Coventry,in with their books,for general viewing.
Hope this helps.