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Bicycle manufacturers in Birmingham

"Wheelocks", I remember this shop, the guy kept a petition on the counter to bring back hanging
 
silhouette53 said:
Bob I can remember the shop by the Beggars Bush - it was on Kings Road and it was called Wheelocks. Apart from cycles he sold airguns, darts, and all manner of other stuff. I remember taking a wheel there to be trued up - that would be about 1965
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Thank you, almost had the name right
Bob
 
I had an old frame sprayed in metallic green by H.V Powell when I was building up a bike in 1962. Quick release wheels, centre pull brakes and Campagnolia gear change which was the "Bees knees" at that time.Does anyone remember Cliff Peter's shop on the corner of Gerrard Street & Wilton Street? I also seem to remember a Claud Butler shop on Aston Road near the Midland Counties factory.
 
Post 63 by Vivienne reminded me of he song/rhyme 'Daisy Daisy'. If I were to have had a bicycle made for two I do think the one in Vivienne's post would be most suitable, more so that the contraption shown here. Curiously, which does show the pitfalls that can be encountered with internet searches and Wiki, is that both the picture below and a tandem have been interpreted as a 'bicycle made for two'.
Bicycle_two_1886%5B1%5D.jpg
 
Stitcher, there was, I believe, a pretty good chance that bicycles like the one you show, were made in Birmingham. They would have been to a government specification and after all Birmingham was not short on bicycle manufacturers. Even so, there were improvisations in that two bicycles were lashed together with a stretcher between them. Again, most likely some were Birmingham made.

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Recently purchased a fascinating book , remaindered from Postscript books, ,"Bad Teeth no Bar" by Colin Kirsch, which is described as a history of military bicycles in the Great War. Would recommend it to anyone interested in either of these subjects, as it is a mine of information, and also, in passing, gives some other information on cycle firms, many of them from the midlands
 
Banjo said:
I had an old frame sprayed in metallic green by H.V Powell when I was building up a bike in 1962. Quick release wheels, centre pull brakes and Campagnolia gear change which was the "Bees knees" at that time.Does anyone remember Cliff Peter's shop on the corner of Gerrard Street & Wilton Street? I also seem to remember a Claud Butler shop on Aston Road near the Midland Counties factory.
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Sure do remember Cliff Peters...…...used to hang or there. they used to let me buy parts a little at a time!
 
Bob Davis said:
Was H.Powell the man with the cycle shop either on Witton Road or on Birchfield Road, a Hercules agent, shop had a yellow frontage I think. Probably got it all wrong

Bob
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He was on Birchfield Rd, don't know about Hercules but he was a Viking dealer that's where I bought my Severn Valley from. took me two years almost to save for it! He also had a tyre pump at the front of his shop.
 
Richarddye said:
He was on Birchfield Rd, don't know about Hercules but he was a Viking dealer that's where I bought my Severn Valley from. took me two years almost to save for it! He also had a tyre pump at the front of his shop.
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Thanks, got my first new bike, a Hercules from him, took my prewar New Hudson back in part ex.

Bob
 
Billy Gameson in 1950 built me frame and forks that I rode and raced on for years. Even had it finished in the Midland C&AC club colours Light blue with dark blue bands wish I could find this bike again now
 

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Richarddye said:
Sure do remember Cliff Peters...…...used to hang or there. they used to let me buy parts a little at a time!
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I have just read this and see you mention Cliff Peters. Do you happen to know if he worked at Tubes Ltd in Rocky Lane ? I am asking because i'm sure i worked with a Cliff Peters in the Production Control office there back in the '60s.
 
Radiorails said:
Stitcher, there was, I believe, a pretty good chance that bicycles like the one you show, were made in Birmingham. They would have been to a government specification and after all Birmingham was not short on bicycle manufacturers. Even so, there were improvisations in that two bicycles were lashed together with a stretcher between them. Again, most likely some were Birmingham made.

images
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"Ambulances" like these were patented and made by Alldays & Onions about 1895, in fact four were supplied to the Birmingham Hospital Saturday Fund at a cost of £150.
Boomy
 
BazzM said:
I have just read this and see you mention Cliff Peters. Do you happen to know if he worked at Tubes Ltd in Rocky Lane ? I am asking because i'm sure i worked with a Cliff Peters in the Production Control office there back in the '60s.
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Bazz, I really don't know, this would be late 50's and early 60's......he had a bike shop with his Mom & Dad and he did work somewhere during the day. It might have been Tubes given the cycle connection but do not know for sure.
 
My hobby is restoring vintage bikes, my passion for bikes started at an early age, had my first one at 5. I started making up bikes from bits begged and borrowed from friends at school to "play " cycle speedway in the gully at the back of our house in Great Barr, my first "proper" bike was a Dawes racer when I was 16, that got me to work everyday for 3 years in all weathers. I just love the simplicity of the vintage bikes, very easy to work on and they look fantastic after a good sympathetic restoration. The new style bike has never interested me, with the made it China welded frames etc. The only problem is I can't let them go when I've finished them :) at the moment I have 11 in the garage with a few awaiting there fully deserved rebuild after years of abuse or just been left out in the rain for ever and a day. The one thing now is the vintage bikes are getting very collectable and people who have them are starting to realize the value of the rusty old bike frame sitting the in the shed or garage , and they are definitely getting harder to come by. Apart from putting a good proper bike back on the road it's actually very therapeutic when you start to reassemble all the bits and pieces on the bench. My only regret is getting rid of the Dawes when I got a car to pay my insurance , but I will find another one day, the search is still on.
 
Richarddye said:
Bazz, I really don't know, this would be late 50's and early 60's......he had a bike shop with his Mom & Dad and he did work somewhere during the day. It might have been Tubes given the cycle connection but do not know for sure.
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Richard, thanks for your reply. Apart from working with him in the same office, the other reason i asked was because the Cliff Peters i refer to also had something to do with the Tour Of Britain cycle race each year. I think it was called the milk race, or something like that. Just wondered, that's all. Thanks for answering.
 
BazzM said:
Richard, thanks for your reply. Apart from working with him in the same office, the other reason i asked was because the Cliff Peters i refer to also had something to do with the Tour Of Britain cycle race each year. I think it was called the milk race, or something like that. Just wondered, that's all. Thanks for answering.
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Bazz, I think you have the right Cliff Peters, I know he was involved with the CTC, cyclist touring club
 
One day in Parker, last year in June 2019 in Parker, Colorado. USA I saw this chap sleeping in a hammock at a rest stop on the bike path trails, that we have (I can ride on paths for over 100 miles from my house) when he awoke I talked to him he was riding across America on his bike. I looked at his bike and its wa a DUNELT made in the 1970s in BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND what a testimony to BRUM bike industry, his Dad purchased the bike new in BRUM in 1970 then gave it to him for college in Oregon said it rides 20045641_1105920576174644_4946243861819753691_o.jpggreat!!!!
 
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My grandad was a stamped on a cycle factory in 1911 census. They lived in Craddick road saltley.
Where and what name might the cycle factory be please?
Many thanks
Bernie
 
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