This coming soon after the descition by Holdsworth, to increase their range to seven models, saw demand for cycles drop off. If availability of parts proved the problem in the early post war years, the period from 1951-54 was hindered by the de-rationing of petrol and the cancelling of purchase tax, leading to increased sales and increased use of motor cycles and cars. Flamboyants were also available in Ruby red, Helyett green, or Brilliant blue, all on a silver base. Finish for these frames was, any colour enamel or, lustres in gold, copper, bronze, silver, mauve, maroon, light or dark green, blue or grey.
Frames were made from Renolds “531” tubing and had Stallard or Chater Lea ends. I have seen forks made with round-round, oval-round and, D-round with, cast fork crowns and, with Holdsworths own twin plate crowns. At £13.10.0 it soon became the most popular model, outselling the De-Luxe and, the third model, the La Quelda, a lugless frame, introduced to answer the increasing demand for a welded frame.ĭuring this period, parts and materials were difficult to obtain and changes were made to specifications dictated by availability. The Cyclone model came next using the same lugs but without the addition of the elongated spear. It was available as a Road frame or a Track model, at a price of £15.15.0 in 1949. The Cyclone-de-Luxe, topped the range, identified by its Gothic spear-head lugs, with added elongated spear, along the top and down tube, at the head tube and, the top tube at the seat cluster The immediate years, from 1946-50 saw, the production of only three models.
#Holdsworth bicycles serial numbers full#
He was second mechanic on the Nivea team Giro d'Italia under Faliero Masi in 1955, eventually being employed as head mechanic for the Molteni team of Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx in 1963.The Holdsworth post war years were full of ups and downs. While building frames, he remained much in demand as a racing mechanic. After a bad crash ended his racing career, he began subcontracting for Gloria, opened his own shop in 1954, building his first frames the same year. Instead of following his family's farming business, Ernesto Colnago chose to work in the cycle trade, apprenticing first with Gloria Bicycles at 13, subsequently taking up road racing. It remained a family-controlled firm until May 4, 2020, when it was announced that the UAE-based investment company, Chimera Investments LLC had acquired majority of the Colnago stakes from Ernesto Colnago, although the headquarter will remain located in Italy since the acquisition. or Colnago is a manufacturer of high-end road-racing bicycles founded by Ernesto Colnago near Milano in Cambiago, Italy. Mercian has recently commissioned frame colour schemes from designer Sir Paul Smith, who owns and rides several Mercian track bikes. In 2002, Mercian Cycles was acquired by Grant Mosely and Jane Mosely. It then passed to Mercian framebuilder Bill Betton.
įrom the original founders, the business passed to Ethel Crowther, ex-wife of founder Tom Crowther. Before steel was superseded by lighter materials, riders using Mercian won national and international competitions. Mercian frames were traditionally built using steel, originally Reynolds 531, though as of 2010, newer steels such as Reynolds 853 and Reynolds 953 and part- carbon construction were in use. įrames are generally custom-built to a rider's required dimensions, and may use hand-cut lugs. ContentsĪs of 2010, production was around 300 to 400 frames per year, with 20% being exported outside the United Kingdom in the same period, touring bicycles accounted for around 67% of Mercian's production, with track bicycles making up another 25%. Mercian Cycles operated a retail shop in Alvaston until early 2019, when it relocated back to its manufacturing unit within Derby. Early frames built by Mercian were known as "crowbars", a pun on the surnames of Crowther and Barker. The firm was founded by Tom Crowther and Lou Barker in 1946 and named after the ancient kingdom of Mercia. Mercian Cycles is a custom bicycle manufacturer based in Derby, England.
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