Rob Orland Historic Coventry All posts by this member | 1 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 12:52pm Webmaster: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:1503 As the Highfield Road topic was changing focus onto something else - and just as interesting in its own right - I thought it would be worthwhile beginning a topic about James Starley and his bikes.
If nobody objects, I'll now move the relevant posts across to this one.... |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
dutchman Spon End All posts by this member | 2 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 2:33pm Member: Joined Mar 2010 Total posts:2839 John Kemp Starley developed the first recognisably modern bicycle in Coventry.
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Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
K Somewhere All posts by this member | 3 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 6:52pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:539 Wasn't there a relief of a Starley cycle on the monument erected to his memory near Greyfriars Green? |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Rob Orland Historic Coventry All posts by this member Thread starter | 4 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 8:09pm Webmaster: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:1503 Yep....
A 2009 photo:
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Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Rob Orland Historic Coventry All posts by this member Thread starter | 5 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 8:20pm Webmaster: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:1503 According to the super book "Wheels Within Wheels" by Geoffrey Williamson, James Starley and William Hillman took out a joint patent in 1870 for the Ariel, the first of the "Penny Farthing" style of bicycle.
As far as I know, they were made in Coventry, although many manufacturers soon sprung up with copies and variations of Starley's design in places like Wolverhapmton, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Brighton, Cheltenham and King's Lynn. |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
K Somewhere All posts by this member | 6 of 30 Fri 30th Dec 2011 10:08pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:539 I thought - and you can see it on the monument - the Ariel wasn't what we would recognise as a penny farthing - with a large driving wheel one side, and two small steering wheels the other, with one or two seats in between - a trike, really. However, this website says differently, so seemingly he did devise the penny farthing. |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 7 of 30 Sat 29th Dec 2012 7:23pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1688 The hate of the bicycle
and here is a Coventry bicycle club outside one of Coventry's pubs having a rest, picture off the net.
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Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Dreamtime Perth Western Australia All posts by this member | 8 of 30 Sun 30th Dec 2012 2:06am Member: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:2890 Hi Morgana,
At least they are cheap to run and they have proved their worth. Now someone must be able to come up with the name of the pub. I have zoomed in but can't make it out. ![]() |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 9 of 30 Mon 31st Dec 2012 9:23pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1688 Hi Dreamtime just found the cartoons so funny and connecting the saying being sent to Coventry with artist linking Coventry showing how we are perceived. Yes better for all our health too riding a bike. I suppose instead of us being known as being sent to Coventry we could always speak and say on your bike ![]() |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Foxcote Warwick All posts by this member | 10 of 30 Sat 9th Nov 2013 8:45pm Member: Joined Jan 2012 Total posts:837 This old photograph could be placed in a number of topics but here it is and it's a link to an interesting site for all things connected to the motor/cycle trade.
Meteor Works, Queen Victoria Road |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
dutchman Spon End All posts by this member | 11 of 30 Sat 9th Nov 2013 10:24pm Member: Joined Mar 2010 Total posts:2839 That's actually Garfield Road which was later renamed Rover Road but is better known as being the entrance to the market. ![]() |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Midland Red Cherwell All posts by this member | 12 of 30 Thu 5th Jun 2014 5:54pm Moderator: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:5176 Thousands of bicycles around Oxford today, but one "jumped out" at me during my perambulation around that city!
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Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
TonyS Coventry All posts by this member | 13 of 30 Thu 5th Jun 2014 7:13pm Member: Joined Jan 2011 Total posts:1407 Well spotted! I can read the "Coventry", what does the other text say? |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
Midland Red Cherwell All posts by this member | 14 of 30 Thu 5th Jun 2014 9:05pm Moderator: Joined Jan 2010 Total posts:5176 Apologies for the lack of quality in the photo ![]() ![]() |
Coventry's Cycle Industry | |
morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 15 of 30 Mon 22nd Jun 2015 10:51am Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1688 |
Coventry's Cycle Industry |