# New old bike



## rich p (10 Dec 2009)

My son (and hence my garage) has acquired this steel bike from a recently passed away relative of his girlfriend.
Anyone know anything about Nelson Cycles of West Wickham or J&E Holland?


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## RecordAceFromNew (10 Dec 2009)

Perhaps worth trying to make contact with the David Evans mentioned in

http://www.nelsoncycles.co.uk/about_us.htm

and 

http://www.cyclebasket.com/contact.php


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## rich p (10 Dec 2009)

Yes thanks RAFN, I had seen that link but it seems he was a mechanical engineer from Cardiff Uni who made frames for a shop in Slough. I assumed that was a cul de sac as it's a fair step to West Wickham but I'll give it a try.


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## threebikesmcginty (10 Dec 2009)

There's still a Nelsons Cycles but in Crickhowell, Powys - probably unrelated. 

http://www.nelsoncycles.co.uk

edit: just noticed same as above, sorry!


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## kimbersimon (9 Mar 2012)

Hi there, this is a very old thread, but what would you like to know about Nelson Cycles ? Do you still own the bike ? My Mother in laws parents owned the shop in West Wickham. She grew up there. My Wife worked there before its close.


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## biggs682 (20 Mar 2012)

nice looking old bike there


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## Robin Sr (4 Jun 2012)

And I've just acquired a tandem, also from Nelson Cycles, by J&E Holland with the same badges. Any info. about them would be much appreciated. The tandem is all in bits so I've some work to do!


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## sophie (16 Jul 2013)

wow what a beautiful bike


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## NickJ (30 Jul 2018)

kimbersimon said:


> Hi there, this is a very old thread, but what would you like to know about Nelson Cycles ? Do you still own the bike ? My Mother in laws parents owned the shop in West Wickham. She grew up there. My Wife worked there before its close.



Hi there, I came across this thread whilst Googling for more info on Nelson Cycles in West Wickham. I realise this is now a super old thread :| but wondered if you might see this message and could share any info?

I inherited my dad's bike a couple of years ago and it has sat in my shed for a while but I would love to modernise it a bit so I can get some use out of it (the shifter is on the down tube and has no detents so is a bit of a nightmare to use on the road). I'd love to just know a bit of history on where it came from as to me it's a pretty beautiful classic bike...

The link below is all the useful info I've found which is great but doesn't lead me anywhere further...
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/nelson-clarke-builders.html

Any further info hugely appreciated! Thanks


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## raleighnut (30 Jul 2018)

NickJ said:


> Hi there, I came across this thread whilst Googling for more info on Nelson Cycles in West Wickham. I realise this is now a super old thread :| but wondered if you might see this message and could share any info?
> 
> I inherited my dad's bike a couple of years ago and it has sat in my shed for a while but I would love to modernise it a bit so I can get some use out of it (the shifter is on the down tube and has no detents so is a bit of a nightmare to use on the road). I'd love to just know a bit of history on where it came from as to me it's a pretty beautiful classic bike...
> 
> ...


Nice.


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## TheCyclingRooster (30 Jul 2018)

kimbersimon said:


> Hi there, this is a very old thread, but what would you like to know about Nelson Cycles ? Do you still own the bike ? My Mother in laws parents owned the shop in West Wickham. She grew up there. My Wife worked there before its close.



Hi kimbersimon. An interest blast into the not so distant pass (as far as cycling goes).
The cycle that is shown using the link :--- http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/nelson-clarke-builders.html actually shows a straight-bar (of the day) variant to what was probably also available as a dropped bar version of the same bike.
Indeed the flat-bar variant reminds me very very much of a Coventry Eagle ( Flyer - I believe) that I owned new in the late 50's/very early 60's albeit I recall mine being on a three speed Sturmey Archer hub gear. 

My late father had converted a Raleigh race bike into a Flatbar variant in the late 50's as a more comfortable 15 miles ride to work and back,this was his mode of daily transport - rain,hail,winds that would have him doing involuntary track stands on route and blessed by the occassional periods of the sun cracking the flags. 

The reason for mentioning Coventry Eagle was that during that period there were a number of small cycle dealers that would have framesets manufactured by the likes of Raleigh Industries and badged up as there own and then they would be built-up into complete cycles to either a standardised spec or entirely to customer choice.

The attached image is my own interpritation (on a 50 cm Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Alu Carbon) of a road race bike that I created into a Flat-bar Hybrid from a naked frame. Note the very short/compact wheelbase of 975mm as opposed to the 1092mm (43"0 of the cycle depicted in the link;which makes the bike a comfortable;very frisky and responsive ride for a veteran that is pushing the door of 73 years young.


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## biggs682 (30 Jul 2018)

@NickJ thats a very nice looking bike you have there , you can get indexed down tube shifters or you could fit some bar end shifters so loads of options


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