Olympic Cycles Nottingham...any memories..

[3wheeler7]

I'm pleased to hear you had a chat with Granville and hope to see the pic of him riding it!
It's always good to gain some history of bikes that we become custodians of.

Below is a pic of the actual bike Cliff is riding in Old Neds photo, it was his "best" bike - a 1939 Raleigh Charles Holland Continental - currently in the keeping of his grandson who I met last year. In the background is my ex-Cliff RRA.

 

[vcballbat]

I wonder when that plate dates from, and whereabouts on King Street it was.


View attachment 664959

The year was there all the time staring me in the face... 1900-1910.., just fill in the day and month along the dotted line. I'm guessing that it's the original printers plate for headed paper such as bill of sale etc..

 

[vcballbat]

I'm pleased to hear you had a chat with Granville and hope to see the pic of him riding it!
It's always good to gain some history of bikes that we become custodians of.

Below is a pic of the actual bike Cliff is riding in Old Neds photo, it was his "best" bike - a 1939 Raleigh Charles Holland Continental - currently in the keeping of his grandson who I met last year. In the background is my ex-Cliff RRA.

View attachment 667372

Good to see the two bikes reunited and they still have the family connection. Did you manage to find any more information about the owner of the Manager Special Anthony Crump? I'm still wanting find out more about the the Chairman of Raleigh Ian Phillips, do you have any contacts who worked at Raleigh..?

 

[3wheeler7]

I keep putting the word out but the people I find mostly worked on the shop floor and it appears that the management were quite aloof from them, par for the course in those days I suppose.

 

[Theoldfm]

The frame builder at Olympic Cycles was Paul Coupe - he is still around and a keen runner now. I was in Beauvale CC in the mid 1980’s when I was a schoolboy and had a frame built for me by Paul.

I sold the frame to a friend who used it to commute on but I bought it back off him a few years ago, although it is in a bit of a state!

I used to spend my Saturday mornings watching Paul build frames when the shop was in the original location in Hyson Green Nottingham, before they moved to Sherwood.

The frames built by Paul were badged “Olympic” but the ones that were bought in and just resprayed were typically badged “Olympique”.

 

[Old Ned]

Great to see the bike in my photo is still around nearly 60 years later. I can still remember the 'tick-tick' of the SA hub gear as he passed.

 

[vcballbat]

I keep putting the word out but the people I find mostly worked on the shop floor and it appears that the management were quite aloof from them, par for the course in those days I suppose.

Love this old film.. definitely us and them..

https://www.macearchive.org/films/raleigh-fred-mitchell

 

[3wheeler7]

Great to see the bike in my photo is still around nearly 60 years later. I can still remember the 'tick-tick' of the SA hub gear as he passed.

Yes, I had a look at the hub model, it's an AR8 3 speed, I think the 8 means made in 1938. A very rare hub - presumably close ratio.

 

[3wheeler7]

Yes, I had a look at the hub model, it's an AR8 3 speed, I think the 8 means made in 1938. A very rare hub - presumably close ratio.

 

[3wheeler7]

Met up with Granville on his stall at Bakewell cycle jumble yesterday, he's a great guy to chat with and he confirmed that the blue and white Olympic is definitely one of their own builds (you probably already know this from your telecon with him).