[CR]Condor cycles and their gegraphical location

(Example: History)

From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 01:05:07 +0100
Subject: [CR]Condor cycles and their gegraphical location

Thanks Mike for pointing out the correct location, vis-vis the City of London, of the Condor Cycle shop, but any location within half a mile of a Tube station anywhere in London is near enough to the City for a northern country-bumkin like me!

Cunning little snippit of local information that, about the derivation of the name Condor. Having checked the entry on the Hetchins'.org site I 'm still not certain whether or not the "Conway" Condor shop was well-known for its frames, or whether that renown, together with Bill Hurlow's contribution, started after Monty Young became the owner.

Other members of the List have pointed out the comparative rarity of the condor species of bird, and I can only confirm that Condor frames, in the north of England in the 50/60s were as rare as the birds. The first reference I ever saw to the bike species was an article in the Sunday Times colour supplement, sometime in the mid 60s I think, showing the a typical bike that Monty was supplying to members of the British team for that year's Tour de France. I didn't actually see a frame in the "flesh" - it happened o be a Fleur de Lys model - until about 1980.

If you remember Mike, those were the days when northeners still wore woad and had to have their passports stamped at Potters Bar!

Norris Lockley.. wishing I had not sold the Hurlow Condor with the No 1 lugset...Settle, outer reaches of the UK.. and a lloonngg way from EC1.