Original Message: ----------------- From: dgranger@comcast.net Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 16:31:48 +0000 To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]help with a Hobbs (Duncan Granger)
"Despite some moderate surface rust, it's beautifully made, with the trademark Hobbs lugs. In addition to frame and forks, it also came with a Bayliss Wiley bottom bracket (which turns freely and feels smooth!), a Lytaloy headset, Stratalite tour de france bars, an aluminum seatpost and a very servicable (but not pristine) Brooks B17 narrow. All of this for the low, low price of 70 pounds on Ebay UK. "
You got a bargain indeed, sir! Stratalite bars are very nice. I've found this to be case as well... e-mail UK sellers and ask if they will post to the USA. Many will. And you simply NEVER find this stuff in the USA, certainly not at these prices.
"A history question: Hobbs used two types of tubing: Reynolds 531 and Accles and Pollock Kromo. Accles and Pollock was apparently a TI company. I guess they started as competitors? When did Raleigh buy TI? I've never heard of Accles and Pollock Kromo tubing before, but apparently it was thought to be as nice as 531... Wonder what ever became of it?"
Hilary Stone can answer the A&P tubing question... I think they were gone by the mid 50s. Raleigh never bought out TI. It was the other way around. This was in 1960 when the British cycle industry was in a serious slump. TI already owned British Cycles Corp (which in turn owned Phillips, Hercules, Sun, Norman et. al.) and they bought Raleigh for two main reasons: 1) they had a modern consolidated plant in Nottingham with excess capacity whereas BCC plants were scattered all over the place, centred on Birmingham, and 2) Raleigh had better marketing savvy and brand recognition especially in the USA. BCC never recovered from the end of the Empire with Hercules and Phillips always biggest cycle exporters to Africa, India etc. whereas Raleigh were much better positioned in the USA, Canada, Europe etc.
So, in effect, TI bought out Raleigh but consigned the whole of the consolidated cycle manufacture and marketing to existing Raleigh management, staff and plant. Since cycles were a minor part of the TI empire (and these people made EVERYTHING from pots and pans to industrial steel to washing machines incl. Creda), they didn't care if their own BCC brands were downgraded in favour of Raleigh which is what happened. Even once proud Sunbeam was branded as a kiddy bike product in the end. So it just seems that that mean 'ol Raleigh gobbled up everything and ruined it!
Enjoy the Hobbs!
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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