[CR]Re: Ken Bird Frames

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli:Laser)

From: <GRIFFKS@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:30:29 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, pariscycles@yahoo.uk
Subject: [CR]Re: Ken Bird Frames

Mick, you're quite correct in your understanding that Bill Philbrook also built some of Birdy's finest, a friend who used to ride for Ken Bird's team (CC Orpington/Ken Bird) confirms that the machines he rode were Philbrook built. I read somewhere that one of the ways Bill signed his "commissioned" frames was to put a small punch mark under the right chain stay by the bottom bracket, not too sure how true that is! also Bill Philbrook I gather was Ken's immediate superior back in his Claud Butler days. Testimony to Ken's top of line frames and the respect that he gained for them was that he only used top notch framebuilders of the day........including Charlie Roberts Sr. who built the frame currently offered on eBay Ken was a fascinating and colourful character with a fund of anecdotes that would have you either absolutely incredulous with disbelief or rolling about the shop floor laughing, there must be an attempt one day to do a brief synopsis of his career for Dale's website, his involvement with Tom Simpson on the fateful '67 Tour (the theory of the mystic numbers!!), his time spent with that greatest British time trialist Alf Engers in his record breaking days and his involvement also with his brother Alec as joint partners at "BBC's" Welling Kent, the list goes on.................. regards Griff King-Spooner (London UK)