I remember riding with Ian Cammish on the famous Tuesday night under the lights rides in Cambridge. Colin Chapman (not Lotus but of Barelli fame) rode a custom track bike that he modified for road use with a machined clamp on the seat stays for the brake. I do not recall who was making those frames before he signed with Viner. Ian and Colin would drop off older bikes every once in a while to the local shop and we would pitch in to purchase parts that otherwise we could not afford. Unfortunately their frames were always too tall for me. I think Colin Every built a frame for Bruce Bursford that was one of the wildest USWB frames I have ever seen. Bruce had exposed bearing 24 hole hubs and the most drilled out gold anodized Campag rear mech I have ever seen. No component was missing Bruce's complete treatment.
There was another builder in the late 70s in Ipswich that was making frames under the name Rondinella. He went for a more continental styling with road angles and stylized with a card motif in the lugs and fork crown. They seemed to be popular with the servicemen from RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall so some may have made it to the US. Hopefully some of the others will come to mind.
Gregory Townsend Monrovia Ca
Mick Butler <pariscyclesuk@hotmail.com> wrote:
Norris might be referring to Colin Every of Ely Cambridgeshire. He built some frames for Ian Cammish who won several of his B.B.A.R. titles on one. One of the lads on the list owns one and I did a piece on this make a couple of years back. Its probably in the CR archives. Cleminsons in Huntingdon were selling frames out of their St.Peters Road works in the early 80's. Not sure if they made these or if they were just badged up. They used the name Croysdale Cleminson and the 212 was their top racing frame. Also had Holcombe just up the road who built frames for the Team Chiltern lads. Steve Brooks finished quite high in the B.B.A.R two years running on one of these. Either tenth or twelfth. Whitfield also built locally to here. Marvelous frames all silver brazed and very popular with the testers. Especially his Columbus Teardrop frame. What ever happened to all these 1970 early 80's builders? Tony Oliver stopped building frames some time ago. I lost contact with him when he split up with his wife Christine. He made contact with me again about three years ago when we did our very successful Autism fund raising tandem trike rides. Told me he stopped building because "He was fed up getting f----d around by tight fisted pontificating cyclists". Seems a good enough reason. He was very bitter. Don't know about being high tech he just moved with the times and kept up with the modern trends. Combined the best of both worlds. Norris suggest you contact Hilary or one of your other many mates in the VCC to get you a copy of Tony's book. Your club the VCC runs loads of cycling jumbles and I thought the majority of these were in your part of Great Britain. I never go out of my way to attend cycle jumbles. In fact there are four of these held locally to me. Never been. Too busy riding myself or taking the handicapped or special needs, out on tandems when I can manage the spare time. I only write on the list when my handicapped son is home or when I can't sleep between night shifts. Keeps me sane.
Best wishes and be lucky. Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.
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