Author Topic: A magical area  (Read 25373 times)

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #66 on: November 18, 2006, 04:51:53 PM »
bostingayeit, Thanks for the link. I remember those lads very well, didn't they all join up with me into Tommy's Birmingham Racing Cyclists Club? I know Trevor Bull came across with me from the Solihull CC, I'm sure the Cox's came along too. Tommy could have been the most famous coach in the world if he had put all his eggs into my basket, but he found people like Derrick Harrison more interesting, guess I just wasn't pretty enough  ::). Photo is of the Birmingham RCC 1966 badge.

Of course I remember Wilson's Cycles, I think that I bought my first lightweight equipment there. Had to save up for a pair of hubs, then save for the rims, then save to have them built, found a frame in a shed! How did I ever become world champ?

It's been many moons since I saw Eileen, that was at a dinner in London when I handed over the original artist's plaster bust of Tom Simpson to the BCF. In 2004 I handed it over again at Manchester from the BCF to the Tom Simpson museum at Harworth.

P.S. To compleat this story, last year I got the bronze cast of Tom Simpson's plaster bust moved from the indoor cycle track in Ghent to a better location. It now stands in the 'Tour of Flanders' museum at Oudenaarde, Belgium. Tom is still the only Brit to have ever won the 'Tour of Flanders' ("the greatest one day cycle race on earth" my words and repeated by Lance Armstrong only last year) in 1961. I also got Dave Marsh, of Maltby, to donate the cycle that Tom won on that day in 61.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #67 on: November 18, 2006, 05:01:55 PM »
I think that the 'made in Birmingham' would be good on the Castle Bromwich thread.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #68 on: November 19, 2006, 09:22:37 PM »
Bostigayeit, I have found a photo of me, doing what I did best, winning a race at Small Heath park in 1963. The man with his back to me, ushering a boy off the road, is the father of Roy Cox. Can you recognize him? In the photo I'm wearing a Czech national jersey because I liked the colours.

Graham.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #69 on: December 08, 2006, 08:22:02 PM »
Just surfing the net I came across this fella that had a cycle shop in the area, Joe Cooke founder of Imperial Petrel Cycles, Alfred Street, Sparkbrook. A bit before my time.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/joecooke.html

Anyone that that knows or knew off his existence?

Graham.

Langstraat

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #70 on: December 08, 2006, 09:49:39 PM »
What a tremendous find that 'link' brought back many memories of my cycling days.
I had a right mixture of fittings on my bikes determined by cost. And availability of spares from scrap yards. I rode at Salford park with a bike stripped of all its standard brakes and gears. I rode with a bunch of lads that Tommy Simpson gave us a lap head start before thrashing us to the line. I remember a guy called Durlacker who had an expoliceman Raleigh frame he gave Tommy a ride for his money.
The website from the link mentioned many names which were popular during the 60's I eventually had a Claud Butler, Gnutti cotterless with William's chainrings, mafac, campag, brooks.
Our local top cycle maker was Major Nicholls, West Bromwich. He made frames to measure with Reynolds 531. You could choose from a catalogue which Peugeot lugs were used. He did his own spraying. You could look through his front window and watch him build wheels. A wonderful period. I did the 100-8 while at school I think I was 13 we rode from West Bromwich out to Ludlow and back and conquered many steep hills along the way.
Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and try to beat you with experience.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #71 on: December 08, 2006, 11:15:03 PM »
Langstraat, pleased that the link brought back some of your (old?) memories.

I didn't know that you had done some cycling at Salford Park. Here are a pair of photos from my memories at Salford Park. Sorry for the quality but they are getting old, like me.

One of me at Salford in 1966 during my British 10 mile, 25 mile and 1 hour records. Done on a Monday evening track league event after being on my legs and working all day. At 10 miles Tommy Godwin shouted at me to slow down, he thought that no one could last an hour at that speed! I took no notice and sliced a quarter of a mile off the old record. Top notch gear on this bike (for it's day) 20 spoke wheels and 3 ounce silk tyres! I think that this record stood for more than 10 years when disc wheels were introduced. This bike now stands fully restored in Dave Marsh's museum in Maltby.

The other photo is also at Salford Park, our winning team, Solihull C.C. in the British team pursuit championships 1965. Trevor Bull, Graham Webb, Roy Cromack and Andy King. Cromack was the first man ever to ride more than 500 miles in 24 hours! 1969 he clocked 507 miles, this was my training partner in those days, a hard man.

P.S. Bull now has a heart pace maker, as does Cromack, I have a plastic aorta and titanium heart valve! Healthy ain't it doing top sport  ???

Langstraat

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #72 on: December 08, 2006, 11:25:57 PM »
I was cycling till I started work in 1966; I'm afraid a scooter replaced it. My brother borrowed the bike never to return it. I built my own wheels and Dad brazed where the spokes crossed for improved rigidity. I pushed a fixed wheel set-up 56/13 which gave me thighs like Hugh Porter's
I was briefly a member of Velo Central in Smethick but because I wouldn't accept team riding they soon turfed me out.
Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and try to beat you with experience.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #73 on: December 08, 2006, 11:50:07 PM »
I had a Lambretta LI 150, was a mod and welded a bike-rack on the back of my scooter. I could carry two track bikes, four wheels, sport bag and my girl friend to Salford Park in the evening for training. It was ideal for weaving in and out of the traffic jams, was never too late for a training session.

After the training going out, dancing, skating & folk clubbin', in my cycling clobber. Cycling jerseys with colored bands across soon became a trend with the mods, and I started it! Bike shops sold out of racing jerseys, to the mods.

Graham

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #74 on: December 09, 2006, 01:12:13 AM »
Langstraat, that chap you mentioned was 'LUTZ' Durlacher, a German Jew that had fled before the II war on Jews. He had a cycle clothing business in Brum and served in the evenings as a waiter in a posh nosh shop in the center of Brum, just off New Street. He was a real good bike rider and often raced with us on the road and track. That photo of me winning at Small Heath Park, well he crashed in that race when he touched my back wheel with his front wheel.

In 1968 he came over to Belgium to look after me and drive me down to the world pro cycling championships that were held that year at Imola in Italy.

Langstraat

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #75 on: December 09, 2006, 02:04:22 AM »
Isn't that amazing that I should remember Durlacker from over 40 years ago? I rode with a pal David Cartwright. He had all the right gear almost all campag. He left school before me and worked at GKN (Tucker Eyelets) at Perry Barr I think he went on to win many junior titles: Track, Road time trial and cyclo cross. I understand that his two lads have carried on the tradition. I also did athletics and was a member of Birchfield Harriers  for a while held several junior records and like they stood for many years before being eclipsed. I love to find a record of those achievements.
Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and try to beat you with experience.

brigader

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Re: A magical area
« Reply #76 on: November 22, 2016, 01:04:24 PM »
I was cycling till I started work in 1966; I'm afraid a scooter replaced it. My brother borrowed the bike never to return it. I built my own wheels and Dad brazed where the spokes crossed for improved rigidity. I pushed a fixed wheel set-up 56/13 which gave me thighs like Hugh Porter's
I was briefly a member of Velo Central in Smethick but because I wouldn't accept team riding they soon turfed me out.

WOW!,A 56x13 is a very big gear to start to roll & turn indeed!,when i used to ride at Salford Park i used to ride a 49x15 or sometimes 50x15 and anything bigger would certainly take some power to start it up so i hope 56x13  did not affect your knees in later life?.

I too was at Salford park when Tommy Simpson rode there and i was amongst the crew of young schoolboys that Tommy Godwin invited to come along to build up the Chrome Carlton Track Bikes he had got from Carlton for the pros to ride that Meet on!,we pumped the tyres up to the correct pressures for the pros and took them to the start line for them & and i looked after Tom Simpson a few times at that meet!.

I was also there on the Monday Evening that Graham Webb broke the British one hour record and was cheering hm on by banging on the boards!,i was a member of Velo Club Central from 1964-69 and rode the wednesday night track leagues as did my brother who won a National Championship and many other National medals plus Birmingham Division titles.


 

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