[CR]Charlie Gibb

Hello listees,

There’s considerable debate going on at the moment about Charlie Gibb’s place in cycling history and when exactly he started making frames at his Victoria Street shop.

I was speaking to Chris Beaton in Newport, a few weeks ago who said he remembered visiting Charlie’s shop regularly on Saturday mornings and standing watching the great man putting his frames together.

Chris, who used to own a Gibb but sold it to a chap in Friockheim in the 1950s, said Charlie started up post-war after he had packed in his job at the Caledon Shipyard. Not surprisingly, for someone who learned the welding trade sticking iron plates on a ship, Chris says his early frames were “agricultural”, to say the least. Perhaps “nautical” would have been nearer the mark.

However, the Dundee street directories show quite clearly that “Gibb Cycle Dealers” opened up in 1936 and there is some evidence to suggest that Charlie was operating an engineering firm before that. It’s possible he started making frames even earlier than this.

Whenever, there’s no doubt that his talents were well-honed over the years. His later frames were beautifully put together and quite delicate by comparison with the early stuff.

I have a "Gibb" that belonged to the father of a photographer at The Courier. At least, it was definitely bought in the Victoria Street outlet. The bike is certainly early 1930s at the latest and possibly even late 1920s. The original owner, if he were still alive, would be 99 by now and used to race in local time trials on it as well as competing in the Law race and some longer events in Strathmore.

It’s a small frame, fashionable at the time, with quite a long L-shaped seatpost and an adjustable stem with clip-type headset and Pelissier front brake but there is absolutely nothing on it to identify it as a Gibb. My cycling pal Vic Polanski, who has a lovely 1950s Gibb, is undecided but agrees that it might be a bit too basic to be one of Charlie’s.

I’d love to be able to confirm that this is one of Charlie’s bikes. If it is, it could be sufficiently important, at least in a local context, that it might be better on display in the McManus in the city centre. It would certainly be very sought after by Scottish collectors.

Any thoughts about its authenticity would be welcomed.

Bruce

P.S. First vintage ride of March at the weekend. Thought we would risk it in traffic instead of the Highlands. From the New Town, along Prince's Street on my fixed gear Claud Butler, the only fixed gear on the ride, up over The Mound and down the Royal Mile to the new parliament building without stopping at the traffic lights. No illegal moves, just good timing! We quenched our thirst at Deacon Brodie's-filled my bottle up with Guinness for the trip home!"

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