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Runwell Cycle Company

T

thom

Guest
Hello good people, I'm wondering if anyone can provide any information about the Runwell Cycle Company, which operated in Birmingham from the early 20th c. (late 19th?) until the 1960s. I have a pre-WWII Runwell bicycle with a very unusual geometry and only the rod brake in the front, instead of both front and rear. I'm trying to figure out when it was made and what model it is, and to try to account for its particularities. Also, I'm generally interested in the Runwell Company, since there seems to be very little information on the internet. More specifically, I'm trying to find the Runwell logo from the 1920s or 1930s in order to try to reproduce the old faded head badge. But even if you can't help with the logo, if you worked at Runwell or know someone who did, I'd love to hear from you!

You can see pictures of my bicycle, including the head badge here:

https://oldbikeblog.blogspot.com/

and here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23511493@N08/

I'll likely be posting much the same query in other forums here, so don't be surprised if I crop up in other sections! Thanks!
 
thom said:
Hello good people, I'm wondering if anyone can provide any information about the Runwell Cycle Company, which operated in Birmingham from the early 20th c. (late 19th?) until the 1960s. I have a pre-WWII Runwell bicycle with a very unusual geometry and only the rod brake in the front, instead of both front and rear. I'm trying to figure out when it was made and what model it is, and to try to account for its particularities. Also, I'm generally interested in the Runwell Company, since there seems to be very little information on the internet. More specifically, I'm trying to find the Runwell logo from the 1920s or 1930s in order to try to reproduce the old faded head badge. But even if you can't help with the logo, if you worked at Runwell or know someone who did, I'd love to hear from you!

You can see pictures of my bicycle, including the head badge here:

https://oldbikeblog.blogspot.com/

and here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23511493@N08/

I'll likely be posting much the same query in other forums here, so don't be surprised if I crop up in other sections! Thanks!
Click to expand...


My Great Uncle Harold Crooks was a director of Runwell cycles. He was a very good engineer, and a very nice man. I inherited an old Runwell on which I had a wonderful time treating it very much like what later became known as a BMX. When my late brother wanted a new bike he insisted on a Raleigh, and my Uncle was horrified. My cousin and I subsequently had to have new Runwells (very early 1960s) but I was more than happy with that because they were nice solid bikes, of course very heavy and old fashioned by standards even then. I was so proud of the bike I put Vaseline on all the Chrome parts to protect from corrosion should I get caught in the rain. I wouldn’t take the bike out in any rain, and would use the old Runwell in those ‘nightmare’ conditions. I cannot remember the badge but I’ll see if my cousin can remember anything more.
Tom Shenton
 
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Myself, my sister and my Dad all had Runwell cycles in the early 60s.
They were all a little old fashioned looking but well made. Dad bought them from the old Halfords building in Aston opposite the fire station by the now flyover.
They were all the same colour green. I seem to think the badge was of a runner carrying an olympic torch, but I may be wrong.
 
Elmdon Boy said:
Myself, my sister and my Dad all had Runwell cycles in the early 60s.
They were all a little old fashioned looking but well made. Dad bought them from the old Halfords building in Aston opposite the fire station by the now flyover.
They were all the same colour green. I seem to think the badge was of a runner carrying an olympic torch, but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

My early 1960s Runwell was a lovely red, so they offered more than one colour choice! . Your description of the badge certainly rings bells with me now.
Tom
 
Perhaps my Dad bought them direct from the factory. That one picture Radiorails looks very like the building by the flyover which became Halfords.
 
thom said:
Hello good people, I'm wondering if anyone can provide any information about the Runwell Cycle Company, which operated in Birmingham from the early 20th c. (late 19th?) until the 1960s. I have a pre-WWII Runwell bicycle with a very unusual geometry and only the rod brake in the front, instead of both front and rear. I'm trying to figure out when it was made and what model it is, and to try to account for its particularities. Also, I'm generally interested in the Runwell Company, since there seems to be very little information on the internet. More specifically, I'm trying to find the Runwell logo from the 1920s or 1930s in order to try to reproduce the old faded head badge. But even if you can't help with the logo, if you worked at Runwell or know someone who did, I'd love to hear from you!

You can see pictures of my bicycle, including the head badge here:

https://oldbikeblog.blogspot.com/

and here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23511493@N08/

I'll likely be posting much the same query in other forums here, so don't be surprised if I crop up in other sections! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Hi,
My Grandfather was the manager of the Runwell in Norwich from before WW2 until he retired in 1958. The premises were in the Rose Lane area, but can't be sure exactly where as I can find no other information. I actually bought my grandparents bungalow in 1983 and found a few cycle parts there. Also I have a few brown parcel labels printed with the company name. If there's ever any more information about the Norwich site in the central records I would be very interested.
 
For anyone with the interest to follow this up, I have found that there is a quantity of archive material on the Runwell Cycle Co. (1911-1961] at the Modern Record Centre, University of Warwick:

archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk


Web results
Runwell Cycle Company - Archives Hub
This collection was deposited in the Centre by the donor (who bought the records with the remains of the Runwell collection of bicycles about 1988), via the National Cycle Archive, 3 June 2001.
 
An image of a Runwell badge (which may be just an early version) is available on the front of a 1936 catalogue (the last one listed) in the Graces Guide at:

Runwell Cycle Co - Graces Guide

www.gracesguide.co.uk www.gracesguide.co.uk

It shows an image of an athlete runner, with the wording ‘Runwell Cycle Co Birmingham’ underneath.

It seems that they also made motorcycles at one early stage.
 
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