VETERAN CYCLE GUIDE traded as the Pedersen Cycle Frame Co. Ltd. and other manufacturers such as Humber and Co. Ltd. made them under licence. In 1899, with financial assistance from RA Lister and Co. Ltd. of Dursley in Gloucestershire, the Dursley-Pedersen Cycle Co. Ltd. was formed. Although only about 8,000 bicycles were made until just before the First World War, when production ceased, quite a large number survive and are very collectable, although original examples of the pre-1904 machines are rare. The machine entered this year dates from 1900 and is one of the earliest machines to be built by this company.
AW Gamage A. W. Gamage, was a prominent retailer in late 19th century Britain, opening his first shop in 1878. Gamages grew into an enormous department store, with sections for everything you could think of. That included bicycles when the store added a cycle business in 1891. The machines were made for them by wholesale manufacturers offering quality bicycles at affordable prices. The machine entered to this Run was made in 1898.
Humber and Co. Ltd. Thomas Humber was a pioneer of bicycle manufacture who started making velocipedes in the late 1860s in Nottingham and his company soon grew into one of the largest bicycle makers of the Victorian period. It had a reputation for high quality and innovation, with its Beeston models being regarded as the elite machines ridden by Royalty and titled classes during the 1890s‘ Society Boom’. The entries for this year are an 1884 Humber Ordinary bicycle made at the peak of the high bicycle era and an 1891 Model No. 2 Roadster Safety.
1886 Peugeot.
Metropole The Metropole Cycle Co. manufactured a shaftdrive machine from c1894 to the early 1900s, also marketed under the name“ Acatène” in the UK. It was one of a number of‘ chainless’ bicycles marketed( unsuccessfully) as a rival to the chain for transmission. The example of this rare machine on this Run dates from 1898.
Moss & Mitton Moss and Mitton were cycle makers trading from Alfred Road in Nottingham and were one of the smaller makers that grew up to service local demand when cycling began to grow as a recreational activity. Often the identity of their machines has been lost, as their output was so small and there are no surviving illustrations of them. In this instance, the makers applied a brass badge which enabled a positive identification. The example on this Run dates from c1884.
Peugeot Already established as a business engaged in foundry work in 1810, Peugeot became involved in bicycle manufacture from 1882 onwards. The company made good quality bicycles for the home market and export and grew to be one of France’ s major manufacturers of bicycles and, later, motor cars. The machine once again taking part in the Run this year dates from 1886 and exemplifies the quality of this maker at the high point of the era of the Ordinary bicycle.
Premier Cycle Co. Ltd. Premier bicycles were made by the firm of Hillman Herbert and Cooper from the 1870s. In the Premier Cycle Company was formed to purchase Hillman Herbert and Cooper, and enjoyed great success, producing over 40,000 machines a year by 1897. However, the downturn in bicycle prices led to the company struggling to maintain its market share and it was late, compared to other Coventry bicycle manufacturers, to diversify into the motor trade, which it finally did in 1907 with a motor car and a motorcycle the following year. The Premier company pioneered manufacturing techniques which increased bicycle output and influenced other cycle companies, particularly the Raleigh Cycle Co. Ltd. In this year’ s Run, the marque is well represented with an 1888 Ordinary bicycle and two late Victorian cycles- one a tricycle and the other a Gents Roadster bicycle.
Quadrant Cycle Co. Ltd. The company originated from Lloyd Brothers’( Walter and Arthur Lloyd) company. This was set up in Birmingham in 1880 to make safety pins and curtain
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