New Article Published: Rudge Racing Cycles & Record Breakers

[kohl57@yahoo.com]

I have published a new article in my blog Under the Drops:

Taking a Hand at... Racing & Records: Rudge Racing Cycles & Record Breakers 1936-1939

https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2018/ ... rudge.html

This aims to document the new range of quality lightweights designed (largely by Jack Lauterwasser) and built by Rudge-Whitworth just before the Second World War and the record breakers and professional racers-- Rene Menzies, Billie Dovey, Karel Kaers and Harry Hill-- who rode them to numerous records on road and tracking including the Year Records, Wembley Six-Day '39 etc. Truly a Golden Era for British Cycling and Cycle Sport and the last for Rudge as independent, they being acquired by Raleigh in 1943.

As usual, corrections, additions and suggestions welcomed.

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA

 

[Sand_Dune]

Re:

Peter,

What a fantastic read.
Thanks for posting this. An unbelievable amount of research and effort that went into this article.
Hat off to you!


...and to think I am in possession of HH Hill's bike too!

 

[kohl57@yahoo.com]

Love to a see a photo of that.....

One unexpected result of my work on this article was that I scored a 1939 Rudge-Whitworth "Olympic Road" model (and one originally sold in the U.S. by Hans Ohrt's well known cycle shop in Beverly Hills. Hope to have it back on the road in a few weeks. Racing Rudges of this era are... RARE.

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA

 

[Sand_Dune]

Love to a see a photo of that.....

One unexpected result of my work on this article was that I scored a 1939 Rudge-Whitworth "Olympic Road" model (and one originally sold in the U.S. by Hans Ohrt's well known cycle shop in Beverly Hills. Hope to have it back on the road in a few weeks. Racing Rudges of this era are... RARE.

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA

Here is the link (it's a drawn out thread as the bike was a "sort of" barn/container find...)
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... p;t=372988

you should start a reader's bikes thread on your Olympic Road model too. After reading your piece I'd be interesting in having a peek at the same RARE beast!!