 | |
Maker Histories - Information on Early Cycles
courtesy of Ray Miller's History of Early Cycles
Starting with English patent
No.8274 of 26 April 1894, the first bamboo bicycles were shown at the London
Stanley Show of 1894 and caused a sensation.
With a London showroom at 59 Holborn Viaduct, and manufacturing works in
Petit Street, Wolverhampton, this company produced a large range of machines;
road racers, roadsters, ladies safeties and youths’ bicycles.
A company of the same name based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and producing a
‘Bamboo’ model in 1898 may have been connected.
Formed in Coventry with directors
Baron Rose, Thomas Inger Stevens, Thomas Bayliss, John Slaughter and John
Thomas. Bayliss was formerly the
foreman at Coventry
Machinists Company Ltd
.
Manufacturer of the ‘Duplex
Excelsior’, ‘Excelsior’, ‘Rudder Excelsior’ and ‘Victor’ high
wheelers from St Mary’s Works, Earl Street, Coventry from 1874 then from 78
Much Park Street, Coventry from 1875-77 and the Excelsior Works, Lower Ford
Street, Coventry from 1877-89. This was
one of the first companies to fit cone bearings to high wheelers and also hollow
drawn forks. It also made safety
bicycles, numerous tricycle models and from 1881 the company supplied carrier
tricycles to the Post Office.
| Originally a munitions
manufacturer the company was formed from a coalition of sixteen firms in 1861.
It was based at Small Heath, Birmingham. According to Charles Spencer the company was manufacturing
the ‘Delta’ bicycle in c1869. In
1880 the company was approached to manufacture the ‘Otto’ dicycle.
In October 1880 the company resolved to commence manufacture of bicycles
and tricycles and the first to their own specification were exhibited at the
1881 Stanley Show. In May 1881 the
company contracted to manufacture and supply 200 ‘Omnicycle’ tricycles to N
Salamon, a bicycle dealer on Holborn Viaduct, London.
In February 1882 the company installed its own plating plant and also
made 200 ‘Devon’ tricycles to order in that year. The same year saw the manufacture of a folding tricycle.
It appears that the first complete bicycle, an ‘Alpha’ high wheeler,
may have been produced as early as c1881-82.
In 1884, following the production of two prototypes of lady’s bicycle
for Lawson,
H. J.
, the company went on to design and produce its own safety (patent 15,342
of 24 November 1884) of which over 1500 were made at £9.9s.
A licence to manufacture ball bearings was obtained in 1885.
In 1888 it was decided to discontinue cycle production but a return was
made in 1893 with initially the manufacture of bicycle parts to utilise
redundant machinery. Components
such as hubs, brackets, cranks, chain wheels, and pedals were made from 1894.
By 1896 the factory had grown to cover ten acres.
A spring frame was exhibited at the Stanley Show in 1900.
This was invented by Dr. Mansell-Jones.
In 1908 it was decided to build complete bicycles again. |
Both of the directors, R H Lea
and G I Francis, had formerly worked at Singer
& Co.
The company first exhibited
at the Stanley Cycle Show in 1895 when it was known as producing the ‘Lea’
cycle. It opened its London depot
at the corner of Dover Street and Piccadilly as a means of advertising to the
wealthy. The company established a
reputation for producing very high quality machines.
The company was based at Lower Ford Street, Coventry.
It seems that bicycle production ceased c.1914.
|
