Olympic Cycles Nottingham...any memories..
- Thread starter vcballbat
- Start date
vcballbat
Senior Retro Guru
I think that this is the same image, pretty early as horse and cart can be seen..This is another item I bought, a heavy print plate a bit bigger than a postcard, view it in a mirror and all becomes clear..
View attachment 664953
vcballbat
Senior Retro Guru
The plate is the New Raleigh Factory on Faraday Road Lenton opening in 1898. The only King Street I can find is in the centre of Nottingham so is it reference to a Raleigh shop or office...
jim haseltine
Senior Retro Guru
When my daughter studied at Trent Uni she lived in a flat on Raleigh Street. Somewhere on the street was the workshop where the originating Woodhead and Angois partnership first started trading. Other than on old maps there's little chance of finding the actual location as the whole area had been rebuilt since then - probably more than once judging from the building she lived in.
vcballbat
Senior Retro Guru
Managed to have a good chat with Granville on Tuesday and he confirmed that he retired from the shop when he was 65 in 2004 and that his mechanic Nigel Vickers continued to run the shop for three years closing in 2007. Olympic Cycles did build their own frames though more of a sideline with Paul Coupe who was a Reynolds 753 approved builder. As a member of Beauvale CC Granville said a some of the club members had Olympic frames built. Granville acquired the Raleigh 753 Dynaflite in the mid 80's and had it repainted in the red, white and green which were the Beauvale CC club colours. The frame was painted by Phil Insley a former Raleigh SBDU painter who set up Skill Enamelers.
Many thanks to 3wheeler7 for putting me in contact with Granville, hopefully he will be sending me a picture of him riding a time trial on the Dynaflite..
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The plate is the New Raleigh Factory on Faraday Road Lenton opening in 1898. The only King Street I can find is in the centre of Nottingham so is it reference to a Raleigh shop or office...
Checked the Trade Directory for 1913. The depot was at Albion Chambers, 32 King Street. Which is indeed right in the centre of Nottingham.
It’s now a pizza parlour.
Old Ned
Old School Grand Master
Here's a photo of Cliff Smith riding one of his RRA's in the Mersey RC 24 hr time trial around 1965 when it was the National Championship event. A bit out of focus I'm afraid but it was a rather basic cheap camera. I've left the two spectators in the shot as they add a bit of period 'colour' along with the bikes behind. I always went to watch races dressed in my suit and tie (and flat cap) - NOT!!
