[CR] Constrictor & BSA

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

From: "Mick Butler" <pariscyclesuk@hotmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR] Constrictor & BSA
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 10:00:45 +0000


Leon Meredith ( or Jack as he was mostly known) was a brilliant World Class cyclists and a good roller skater. Through his roller skating he got involved with the Constrictor Tyre Co. Jack Meredith's roller skating coach was the brother of Joseph Bain who was at Constrictors, through this connection he was approached for financial aid. Not long after Jack was installed as managing director in place of Mr.Hubbard, the inventor of the original Constrictor tyre. Joe Bain remained in charge of production. Soon after his promotion he turned his attention to cycles, and imported Bastide machines although French made these were fitted with BSA fittings. The rear hub was a standard small flange hub or to use your terminology lo flange. This did not suit Constrictor's needs so they removed the flange on the opposite side to the cog and fitted another one at the end of the hub. This built a much stiffer wheel. Another French maker, Caminade, just knocked the flange outwards, which was cheap rather crude and not so good. Meredith found that to re-import these BSA hubs and then have the expense of converting them was just not practical. He approached the BSA company to make them after lengthy and protracted negotiations they eventually came to terms. Jack gave them an initial order for 1000 rear hubs which were stamped "Constrictor". This move by Jack Meredith made the wide flange (Hi Flange) widely available to the public. Because of this initial involvement their began a long partnership with Constrictor and BSA. Pedals and hubs certainly made by the later and stamped up Constrictor. I was told this is where Ron Kithching got his idea for his Milremo bossiness. These were not the first wide flange hubs to be made in this country, as Rudge Whitworth fitted them to their standard racing machines and tandems. Schilles & Auffray (France) won the Olympic Tandem Championship in 1908 on a Rudge Whitworth tandem fitted with a wide flange hub. You might not know that the original Constrictor tubular tyre was not "sewn up". You got at the tube through two sets of threads crossing each other diagonally, but not stuck together, at the base of the tyre. Many crack riders both professional and amateur insisted on their mounts being fitted with "Constrictor Tubs" Especially on the front because they knew it would never burst. Really important when your doing the last 200 metres on a tandem in 10.8 sec!

Best wishes and be lucky. Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.