June 2017| 101
N
ottingham may not be blessed with the
dramatic scenery our close neighbours in
Derbyshire or Yorkshire enjoy, but it hasn’t
revented a longstanding love affair with the
bicycle that continues to this day.
I am sure Woodhead and Angois are not well known
to people, but it was the business they started in 1885,
which was later sold to Frank Bowden in 1888, which
became Nottingham’s most famous cycling export. Frank
Bowden moved production to Raleigh Street and, by
1913, Raleigh Cycle Co was the largest manufacturer of
bicycles in the world, roducing five million bikes a year
at its peak from the Triumph Road Factory. It continued
to manufacture on various sites in the city until it finally
sold to a Dutch company. Raleigh still has its HQ in
Eastwood, which is worth a quick visit and they still put
money into the University for R&D purposes.
Tours (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders and Giro Di
ombardia , the first ritish rider to wear the Tour de
rance’s ellow ersey and our first owner of the Rainbow
Bands for winning the Road Race World Championships
in 1965. Tragically, it was the death of Tom Simpson on
the slopes of Mt Ventoux during a blisteringly hot Tour
de France in 1967 that was to cement his place in cycling
history. After appearing to falter, he got back on his bike
against protests by his team and quickly fell unconscious
still gripping his bars and ultimately succumbing to
exhaustion and heart failure.
For most people though, cycling in Nottinghamshire is
more closely associated to getting out there and riding.
From the excellent Sherwood Pines facilities in the north
of the county catering for every level of off-road ability,
with great facilities for a family day out, to the many
miles of dedicated bike paths and trails for those that like
the quiet safety and leisurely side of cycling. This year will see the 50 th anniversary of that day in July
and will also mark what would have been the year that
Tom Simpson turned 80 years old. The monument on Mt
Ventoux is likely to see even more pilgrimages and it’s
also a good time to visit the less well known one closer
to home, in the village of Harworth. From the memorial,
it is only a very short hop to the Harworth and Bircotes
sports and social club pavilion, for the chance to see his
winning Jerseys, bike and other memorabilia. These all
came from a time when very few British riders made it to
the professional ranks on the continent and even fewer
were able to take the scalp of Eddy Merckx, which Tom
Simpson did at the 1967 Paris-Nice race, on board the
Peugeot displayed at the museum.
For those in the know, it is the strong club and
competition scene on the roads of the county that is
where the modern heart of cycling lies. If you continue
past Sherwood Forest to the small village of Harworth
you can visit the small museum dedicated to perhaps
the most famous cyclist to have called the county home.
Moving to Harworth during his childhood, Tom Simpson
was to become one of the greatest cyclists this country
has ever produced, winning an Olympic bronze on the
track, three of the five monuments stages in orld The area around Harworth is still a hotbed for those that
like their cycling fast. The Donny Chain Gang thunders
through the lanes that straddle the south Yorkshire
border every week and you know that those in full
professional team kit aren’t eager fans, but the real deal.
We would run out of pages if you had to list the pros and
former-pros that often frequent this staple of the local
club scene, su ce to say that alumni of the C have
stood on the podium of the biggest races in the domestic
and world tour calendar.