Geoff Apps and Highpath

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Letter from Charlie Kelly asking Geoff Apps for more 650b tyres

A letter (circa 1982) from Charlie Kelly asking Geoff Apps for more 650b Nokia Hakkapeliitta tyres:

 

[mrkawasaki]

Did CK get the tyres/tires??!!

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Did CK get the tyres/tires??!!

I don't know for sure but if he did it probably took a while as there were constant problems with the supply of these tyres, especially early on before Apps became the UK distributor for Nokia bicycle tyres. The original UK importer was apparently only interested in supplying car and tractor tyres. It also appears that the production of these tyres was erratic, possibly due to their being batch produced once a year in readiness for the Finnish winter. Geoff says that he sent over hundreds of these tyres in a variety of sizes including 44x650b 54x650b and 47x700c. The later being the size that inspired the Ibis Hakkalugi bike and that Bruce Gordon copied to make his 'Rock 'n 'Road tyres in 1987.

I have seen a letter from Charlie Kelly that discusses payment for a batch of 34 tyres of varying size.

Geoff says that he ordered the tyres without knowing when they would arrive or which of the sizes would turn up. On hearing of their arrival in England he would contact Charlie and Gary to let them know they had become available again.

 

[mrkawasaki]

Coincidence - just fitted some Rock'n'Roads this week, didn't realise they were that old!

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re:

Nokia Hakkapeliitta



Bruce Gordon Rock'N'road



The strange thing is that all these years on you can still buy both of these tyres.
Rock'N'road-Left & Hakkapeliitta Right

 

[mrkawasaki]

Fascinating. Didn't know you could get the Gordon's on this island mind...

 

[Repack Rider]

Nice to see that Geoff held on to the correspondence. Too bad I didn't date it.

Unfortunately, when I left the business, I also left behind the files with Geoff's part of that conversation.

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Nice to see that Geoff held on to the correspondence. Too bad I didn't date it.

The year after the 6th placing at the "National Cyclo-cross" Championships which happened pre-March 1982 and probably before Tim Gartside and Pete Murphy's February 1983 Sahara expedition? So I Guess sometime 82?
Incidentally, the Ritchey's that you sent to Richard Ballantine were spotted at F.W. Evans bike shop in London by owner Gary Smith. Smith later approached bike manufacturers Saracen to have copies manufactured. Bikes that became the first British made 'mountain bikes', when they went on sale as the F.W. Evans ATB, and the Saracen ATB in May 1984.

Unfortunately, when I left the business, I also left behind the files with Geoff's part of that conversation.

Geoff does have some copies of the typed letters that he sent to you. Probably carbon copies? I will see what I can find and post them here with the dated ones in chronological order and undated ones where they best fit.

In the meantime, here is a picture of Geoff's first 700c Range-Rider, (The one whose picture appeared in your 1988 mountain bike book). I restored this bike about a year ago.