Rory O'Brien bike

[Shandoom]

I too have recently bought a Rory O Brien which I've fixed and put Campagnolo headset, seatpost, BB and cranks. Phil Wood cog with Fuji feather wheels ( that don't go )
I've stripped the crap re spray and have the original blue/light blue paint. The lugs are Nervex with extra cuts? It has an oil filler cap over the BB. I'm wondering who made it and a poss date?
Thanks

 

[midlife]

Just acquired a frame decalled as an O'Brien, Painted white, shot in stays and nice fork rake, over BB cable to the rear mech so who could resist.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-R...2hUIAzY1S0XghWW73nYyk%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Not sure who made it as it's just stamped 901 on the forks and BB. Neatly made, nice geometry, good shore lines, Portacatena dropout, rear mech over the BB cable, front mech under the BB so late 70's to early 80's. It has a couple of issues not visible in the pics but all in all a surprisingly well built frame.

Shaun

 

[Keith Eagland]

Hi,

I have a Rory O'Brien bike, but so far, I've not managed to find anything about either the bike or Rory O'Brien.

I believe that the bike dates back to the early 1960s. It has a nice Brooks Colt saddle and the original Bluemels mudguards. The headset is Campagnolo. It has 26" wheels.

It has no badge on the headset, though it looks as if one may have been there many years ago.

It has nice curved lugwork on the headset; by the seat post & on the bottom bracket. These are shaped a bit like a Fleur De Lis. (There is probably a name for this, but I don't know it).

I can't see any serial numbers, but under the bottom bracket is stamped the letter 'M' or possibly 'E'; it looks rather like two overlapping semicircles. Should I look elsewhere for identification marks ?

The only identification it carries is the name 'Rory O'Brien' on the downtube.

I would be greatful if anyone could tell me anything about the bike. Who is/was Rory O'Brien ? Did he make the frame or was it a model name for another manufacturer ? Will it have Reynolds tubing ? What sort of quality are these bikes ?

Thank you for any information.

 

[Keith Eagland]

Hi. Rory Obrien did have the two shops mentioned by many of your other reporters, and yes the fist shop was in Romford Road Manor Park London E12 the other shop was in North Street Romford Essex.
I was advised that Rory was involved in preparing the British Cycling Team for the 1948 Olympics held in London.
He was extremely well known in cycling circles in East London, and very popular with the club that I was a member of - The Roamer Club of East Ham.
The Manor Park shop was open as early as 1954 and as a schoolboy i frequently went window shopping there and simply drooled at the fantastic bikes and accessories on display.
In 1957 I was working and had some income. The first thing that i did was to go to the Manor Park shop and buy a Rory Obrien frame in Flame red with the brilliant Lug Work picked out in Gold. I then proceeded to purchase all the items to build my own road bike, these included GB Brakes and Handlebars, 26" Alloy Wheels with Quick Release Hubs. French Huret Deraillier Gear Set ( I went for Huret Gearing because Louison Bobet had just won the Tour De France using Huret gearing ). I did Time Trials on that bike until 1961 when I got married.
I would dearly love to at least aquire a Rory Obrien Frame and mount it on the wall of my garage as an everlasting memory of brilliant years gone by.

 

[brinorl]

I also used to work in Rory O'Briens - for Roy Hodges daughter Mandy and her husband Mick "Bert" Black. I knew Rory in the late 60s and early 70s - he was a rum character, and quite intimidating for young sprogs just starting out. He once told me that the only way to become a real bike rider was to "put a brick in your saddlebag" and "wear wellington boots". Looking back I expect I was just the sort of nervous little kid he loved to tease! Rory sold the business to Roy Hodges about 1977 - Roy was by then in the Elite CC, and still racing. Rory himself retired to Bicknacre. I worked in the shop for just a couple of years, 1978-1980 if I remember correctly. Dear old Ken Kirby was still there and he taught me to build wheels and swear properly.

Re frames - a word of caution. By the 1970s Rory's frames were not really considered the best - respectable yes, but not the best. In 1970s Essex, probably the two most reckoned frames were Hetchins and Condor - built by Jack Denny and Vic Edwards respectively. However the name "Rory O'Brien" still had a certain cachet about it - probably on the basis that in the 50s and 60s the frames had once been top notch. The shop always remained a mecca for bikies.

I had 3 Rory O'Brien frames. I bought the first in 1968 for £14, and I only later learnt that it was a "Fiorelli" - a gaspipe tubing job. At the time, a real Rory 531 frame cost about £30-35 which was more than I could afford. I now realise that like many bike shops, Rory stocked a range of "off the peg" frames in addition to the pukka frames customers would have custom built. That continued right into the 1980s. I also had an off the peg Rory frame which had been built by Holdsworth in South London. The third "Rory" I bought was built by Hobbs to my spec and was 531 SL - the first time Hobbs built with SL and they reported it had been very tricky.

In the period that I knew the shop, all the custom frames were built by Hobbs of Barbican. But that's where it gets more complicated, and I would very much like to learn more about this. I know that Ken Kirby had originally worked at Hobbs in the 50s, and recently I've learn that Vic Edwards also worked there. Can anybody supply more info about this? Did Les Ephgrave also work there? The few Ephgrave frames I've seen are beautiful things - but are definitely 50s-60s era.

I too have been trying to date my frame, G91747. It seems its not as old as I first thought. Interestingly I only live a couple of miles from Bicknacre, and had a mate there check on any O,Briens in the area. There are three, whether they are related should come to light soon, as questions have been posted in their local magazine which comes out this month. Unknowingly I built my bike up with 50,s/60,s components and transfers.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I too have been trying to date my frame, G91747. It seems its not as old as I first thought. Interestingly I only live a couple of miles from Bicknacre, and had a mate there check on any O,Briens in the area. There are three, whether they are related should come to light soon, as questions have been posted in their local magazine which comes out this month. Unknowingly I built my bike up with 50,s/60,s components and transfers.

At a guess I'd say 1960's. Nice looking bike.

 

[normgow]

I was advised that Rory was involved in preparing the British Cycling Team for the 1948 Olympics held in London

I believe this is correct. In 1953 the World Championships were held in Lugano in southern Switzerland and Dave Bedwell, then riding for Hercules Cycles, but for the Worlds, in the national team, finished 23rd behind an unstoppable Fausto Coppi. Rory O'Brien travelled to the race to look after Dave and whilst there took part in a discussion with Mac McLachlan of Hercules, journalists Peter Bryan and Bill Mills and others, about the possibility of fielding a British team in the Tour de France.

 

[Firestorm]

I believe this is correct. In 1953 the World Championships were held in Lugano in southern Switzerland and Dave Bedwell, then riding for Hercules Cycles, but for the Worlds, in the national team, finished 23rd behind an unstoppable Fausto Coppi. Rory O'Brien travelled to the race to look after Dave and whilst there took part in a discussion with Mac McLachlan of Hercules, journalists Peter Bryan and Bill Mills and others, about the possibility of fielding a British team in the Tour de France.

I read on the classic lightweights page that Rory supported Dave Bedwell on several occasions, in this case literally
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/davebedwell.jpg

 

[Smokin Joe]

A lovely example of a Rory here, kitted out with Universal brakes which were my stoppers of choice because of the comfortable hoods.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/rory-o-b-penfold-rb.html

 

[defreitus]

I read on the classic lightweights page that Rory supported Dave Bedwell on several occasions, in this case literally
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/davebedwell.jpg

Hi, As a junior in the early 1960's, I raced for Dave Bedwells club Romford Racing Club in company with Tony Culver with whom I went to school. We used to go on training rides with the seniors like Dave Bedwell, Dave Robinson, Clive Howells --- but not for long !!
Dave used to work for Rory O'brien whose shop was at North street Romford. I remember Sean Smith also worked there and we were members of Harold Wood Wheelers when we were quite young.
I saw on another post that someone was trying to remember the lightweight shops around East London and Essex and they were quite right about W.E.Burroughs (Wally to us tyros) - I also remember Stephens at Emerson Park who produced a good frame made as many were with nervex pro lugs, Campag ends and 531 tubes. I raced a Duckett then and what a good frame it was - Lime green with red transfers but I no longer have it unfortunately. I do,however, have a 1960 Harry Quinn which is almost identical. Campag equipped of course!

 

[Cycleops]

I had a Rory O'Brien, or so I thought. Bought it down here. It was in fact a Dawes restickered & resprayed. Very light so might have been a 531.

Should have kept the pics so you could have a good laugh.

 

[ocianbricles]

This is my 1977? [no777] Rory O'Brien which has had a respray with heart-shaped keyhole cut-out lugs.

 

[pubrunner]

This is my 1977? [no777] Rory O'Brien which has had a respray with heart-shaped keyhole cut-out lugs. View attachment 356165

That's a lovely looking bike !

Any chance of some more pics ? Curiously, I'd like to see a photo of the rear brake bridge and the head-tube - might give a clue as to the builder of the frame

 

[ocianbricles]

This is my 1977? [no777] Rory O'Brien which has had a respray with heart-shaped keyhole cut-out lugs. View attachment 356165

That's a lovely looking bike !

Any chance of some more pics ? Curiously, I'd like to see a photo of the rear brake bridge and the head-tube - might give a clue as to the builder of the frame

 

[ocianbricles]

Just back from powder-coating. . . an eightieth birthday present. the frame cost £99 in 1977 in Rory's, north Street, Romford. As a youngster in the early 'fifties I also had a Rory from Manor Park. We have also been very fortunate in that part of East London . . . Leach Marathon, Hawkes, Rivetts, Ducket, Bates of London, E G Bates, Hobbs of Barbican, to name a few . . . all within a few minutes of Stratford Broadway.