Olympic Cycles Nottingham...any memories..

[vcballbat]

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..

 

[RobLoasby]

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

 

[vcballbat]

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

I think that this is the same image, pretty early as horse and cart can be seen..

 

[3wheeler7]

PM'd you.

 

[vcballbat]

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


View attachment 664959

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]

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]

Hi, I bought the RRA about 3 years ago in quite a sad state and built it up as a fixie, then I researched its history and got some photos of Cliff competing on it from his grandson (who now owns Cliffs best race bike), I then rebuilt it to the spec of when Cliff used it (rBotM November 2021).
If you're a VCC member Granville's contact details are in the 2022-2023 YearBook - if not I'll give him a call and ask if it's OK for you to contact him.

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..

 

[RobLoasby]

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]

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!!

 

[vcballbat]

Top of King Street, the building rounds the corner onto Upper Parliament Street.