Hill Special...Very Special Indeed

[rbreid]

Am fortunate indeed to be the current caretaker of this bicycle

Letter written by frame builder Billy Hill, published in CTC mag in 1974

Puts time of build circa 1954.
Features referred to, Fork ends

Flat plates

More pics to follow

 

[rbreid]

A tilt of my cap to the builder

 

[welsh dragon]

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A tilt of my cap to the builder
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You are very lucky to have bicycles like that. It is beautiful.

 

[rbreid]

 

[rbreid]

Billy himself in later life, sometime in the 1990's

Perhaps Britains most innovative framebuilder. Now sadly a font of knowledge lost to us but his frames live on

 

[welsh dragon]

Do you mind if I ask you how you came to have the bicycle. ?

 

[rbreid]

The big question remaining is where are the other three frames?????????????????????

 

[rbreid]

Do you mind if I ask you how you came to have the bicycle. ?

Believe it or not it was listed on Ebay of all places. Fotunately for me not well listed and attracted much less interest than it deserved

 

[rbreid]

Was fortunate enough to meet and ride with Billy on a few occasions in the early 80's. He was a pleasure to talk with, very knowledgable yet very humble.

 

[welsh dragon]

Was fortunate enough to meet and ride with Billy on a few occasions in the early 80's. He was a pleasure to talk with, very knowledgable yet very humble.

That must have been an experience talking to someone like that. So there are 3 more frames somewhere. ?

 

[rbreid]

That must have been an experience talking to someone like that. So there are 3 more frames somewhere. ?

Partly due to his influence that I later went on to open my own bike shop. Yes 3 others and I think it unlikely that such unique frames will have been discarded or scrapped. Would love to find them as each on is slightly different.

 

[welsh dragon]

Can you imagine finding all 3. ?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

What a thing of beauty

 

[rbreid]

Can you imagine finding all 3. ?

A man can dream....In fact most of us are quite good at dreaming

 

[welsh dragon]

A man can dream....In fact most of us are quite good at dreaming