Rory O'Brien bike

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'Smokin Joe' , this frame is currently for sale on Ebay - with Columbus 'Air' tubing - is that steel or aluminium ? I've never heard of that tubing before.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rory-OBrien-Lo-Pro-Aero-Frame-53cm-/180632821441?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2a0e8e1ec1

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I wonder which company would have made this frame ?
Columbus Air Tubing is steel, introduced in the early nineties when the aero craze first hit. Note the shifters on top of the tube away from the wind. That would be a typical time trial frame from that period, all the fast men went for a forward sloping top tube then.
 

raindog

er.....
Location
France
How do you run the cable from that central lever? Does it just drop down the side of the down tube? You'd think it would touch somewhere.
 

Firestorm

Veteran
Location
Southend on Sea
I don't recall anybody of that name. Are you talking about a member of the Essex Roads? I knew only a couple of them , the Carr brothers , Lee and Bill. Bill spent a lot of time racing in Belgium with a string of good placings to his credit, and this at a time when competion was fierce to put it mildly. Keith Butler was
also riding as an amateur there and after several wins signed a contract with St. Raphael-Geminiani.

Practically all Essex Roaders used frames made by J.T.Braysher of Walthamstow although I seem to think Bill Carr used a Belgian frame when racing there, as british frames tended to shake themselves apart on the cobbles and generally rougher roads found in Belgium in the sixties. Ted Hookins was another Essex Roads star of that era, although I didn't know him but as a star-struck junior would admire him from a distance.

Getting back to Rory O'Brien, as has been mentioned in an earlier post, he was a keen yachtsman, especially on the Essex estuaries and coastal inlets.

He was also known to drive at high speed down to the South of France for short stays, whether he did any sailing there I don't know but there must be lots of people out there who knew him well and could fill in a lot of the spaces.

He was also a lifetime member of the Easterley Road Club. Perhaps that rings a bell for a few people?

Dad was in the Penguin and the Buccaneers along with Mum

My Brother was in Shaftesbury and Essex Roads

I got the pictures, just have to scan them, Dad really enjoyed looking at the pics on the British lightweights site. He seemed to have raced against quite a few of them too.

He is slowly struggling with his memory (Early stage Alzeheimers was the last diagnosis) but looking at the comments on this thread, the pics and seeing his name on the Eastern Counties website (5 mile track champion 1954) put a real spring in him
 
OP
OP
pubrunner

pubrunner

Legendary Member
A Rory O'Brien is currently for sale here :-

My link

Anyone any idea of how old it might be, or what tubing ?

Looks a small frame.
 
OP
OP
pubrunner

pubrunner

Legendary Member
Good old Rory O'Brien - there have now been over 20,000 viewings of this topic !!!
 

biggs682

Itching to get back on my bike's
Location
Northamptonshire
i found thris thread whilst searching for info regarding a P & A Kenistons bike i have just brought but not picked up yet once i get it i will post some pics , be warned it wont be shiny !
 

topher1

New Member
As someone further back up this thread observed... "amazing what you find when you tap into Google."

I have two Rory O'Brien cycles built I believe in the late 1960's. I was hoping someone could date them a little better than that. One was ordered for me by my father and I have no memory of when the other one appeared. Unfortunately the one I received appeared to not be clear coated so the transfers floated away after a couple of years. Was hoping I could get a pointer to replacements. The downtube transfer was in script and the head and seat tube transfers were different than those available from H Lloyd today.

The attached photo shows the Rory I am riding. The transfer photos come from the second Rory still waiting a bit of attention.

Regards and thanks in advance for any information.

Chris Edmonds
Batavia, IL USA
 

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  • Rory O\'Brien head transfer.jpg
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  • Rory O\'Brien down tube transfer.jpg
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topher1

New Member
A bit of history is attached. This shop is referenced elsewhere in this forum but I thought some folks might care to see this. Note the "true to .01" statement. I have a couple pairs of wheels from Rory's shop. 40+ years later they still spin fairly true.

Chris Edmonds
Batavia IL USA
 

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raindog

er.....
Location
France
The downtube transfer was in script and the head and seat tube transfers were different than those available from H Lloyd today.
If you look back in the thread, you'll see I have a Rory track frame from the sixties, and I remember the down tube name being in script too, more like a signature - nothing like the transfers available now. I've been looking for ages, so if you find a solution, let me know.

These guys have some Rory stuff that might be OK for you?

http://www.hlloydcycles.com/index.htm

edit
nice to know there's a Rory being ridden in the States!
 

topher1

New Member
...I remember the down tube name being in script too, more like a signature - nothing like the transfers available now. I've been looking for ages, so if you find a solution, let me know.

Thanks raindog...

I actually fired off an email a few days ago to Nick at H Lloyd with copies of the photos of the Rory marques I have. If anything turns up I'll respond to this thread.

Chris
 
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