ROY Swinnerton, patriarch of the Potteries cycling dynasty, has died at the age of 87.
The "Mr Cycling of Stoke-on-Trent" was once acknowledged as Britain's fastest cyclist on grass during the 1950s, and was crowned national half-mile champion at Michelin Sports in 1956.
He was also the driving force behind Swinnerton Cycles in Fenton for several decades after the business was originally established at its current address in Victoria Road by his parents in 1915.
Roy and wife Doris took on the shop when his father retired in 1954. Buying the stock for £100, they eventually moved in above the shop in 1958.
At this time, Doris was in charge full-time while Roy still worked as general manager for a local engineering firm.
But he gave that up in 1970 to focus on the family business, which had expanded into Numbers 71, 67 and 73 Victoria Road before Roy retired in 1990.
The business was then left in the capable hands of many of his seven children, 22 grand children and seven great-grand children.
His talent in the saddle was also passed down to his children, all of whom competed either nationally or internationally on road and track.
Paul Swinnerton was at his pinnacle in the 1970s and 80s when he won countless track and road events.
Highlights include the 1979 national kilo title and the 1981 national sprint title. He was national half-mile and national five-mile grass track champion.
Mark Swinnerton was the highest placed British rider in the 1980 Milk Race, and also won the Pernod Star Trophy and the Essex Grand Prix.
Daughter Catherine Earley rode in seven British national road race championships, winning the title in 1977 and 1984.
Bernadette Swinnerton won silver at the 1969 World Championship road race in Czechoslovakia, plus a selection of British national road and track titles.
Margaret Swinnerton represented Great Britain at three world road race championships between 1979 and 1983, while Bernard Swinnerton was a renowned schoolboy sprint and pursuit champion. Frances Mayer also competed on the track and road.
And last year, Roy's feat of winning the White Hope Trophy in South London was emulated 35 years later by his grandson, Barney.
Roy, whose 86-year-old widow was also a keen cyclist, began his career in 1939 with St Christopher's Catholic Cycling Club.
In 1950 they enjoyed a double celebration after tying the knot and seeing Doris elected club president.
The couple's devotion to cycling saw them organise the popular but now defunct weekly track league in Newcastle on Thursday evenings.
Roy's success in the saddle can still be seen to this day as the likes of the Michelin Perpetual Trophy, the Brooks Bowl and they BSA Trophy still require plenty of polish on show in the family shop.
Roy and Doris would help organise numerous cycling events across Staffordshire in the 50s, 60s and 70s, while in 1970 they helped form a hugely successful cycling section within the City of Stoke Athletic Club.
Roy also passed on his wisdom after retiring from competitive racing by becoming British team manager at the 1974 world championships in Montreal.
He also took the team to the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand that same year.
Two years earlier he further demonstrated his all-round skills by being employed as the British team mechanic at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Brian Rourke, himself the owner of a popular cycling shop in the Potteries and a renowned cycling champion, said: "He was a legend in these parts and will always be 'Mr Cycling of Stoke-on-Trent'.
"I worked with him at Swinnerton Cycles in the 60s and got to know him really well then.
"In my early days in cycling he was someone for me to look up to and learn from because he was at the back end of his career when I was just starting out.
"He taught me a lot about track racing, and when he retired I took his sprint title, which was nice for me and I know he was chuffed as well."
Roy was also a great mentor to Olympian and double Milk Race winner Les West, the Potteries greatest cycling legend."
