Having tried to understand the protocols for gaining entry to the CR LIst on a number of occasions, and failed,I made it my 2004 New Yera's Resolution to give it one last shot.. and made it. Although new on the list of members I am not new to the List having replied to quite a number of queries and points "off-list*, and having contributed an item to the French section of CR under the Vitus tab. Older than I'd like to admit, I started cycling in the late 40s, started frame-building in the mid-50s, and have pursued both activities with various degrees of enthusiasm and endeavour ever since. A Yorkshireman based in the eternally grey and very wet countryside of the Dales of northern England, I am the owner of the Bespoke Bicycle Company which I founded in 1976, and which does just what it says i.e. builds one-off bikes - never ever two the same. My frames use any combination of lugs, tubes or bronze-welding depending on the requirements of the particular frame. Retro designs, hand-cut lugs feature from time to time. I like to think that my frames have a distinctive look and that my road-racing frames bear little resemblance to my time-trial ones, most of which are lugless. A member of the Veteran Cycle Club for some years I know most of the English members of the List and most of those folk who sell on Ebay. I also had the great pleasure of meeting your Nelson Miller some two or three years ago and, if he's reading this, yes I still have that NIB Zeus2000 groupset. My interests are extremely catholic as my collection/stash/hoard would testify. The 150+ and rising bikes and frames come from all over Europe and date from around 1920 with the majority being 1950 onwards, including some dozen or so Hetchins, several Gillotts, Bates, Rotrax, Holdsworths, Paris/Rensch together with many "local" builders. Europe is represented by all the "greats" from Italy except for Bianchi, while I have quite a good selection of French material, but no Singers or Herses, although I have met both of these builders over the years. I like to think that the best of my "randonneuse" frames are the equal of Herse's!
I suppose that French bikes for all their tendency to be crudely buillt are my favourites but this could have something to do with the fact that I have spent some part of every year since 1952 , when I first saw Coppi and Bobet, in that country Having recently bought a house over there I hope to rake over the countryside unearthing lost treasures. Recently I bought four ex-Tour de France bikes - a 20s Automoto, a 30s Alcyon, an early 50s CNC Speciale, and a 1978 Peugeot Professional owned by one of the famous Danguillaume brothers.
I have never earned any celebrity status nationally in the UK as a frame-builder, but am well respected regionally and best known for sponsoring the only British woman rider to win stages in the Tour Feminin, and for convincing Chris Boardman that he should let me supply him with the Corima on which he broke the Hour Record at Bordeaux in 1993.
I have enjoyed reading the contributions to the LIst enormously for about two years now and sincerely hope that I will be able to make worhtwhile contributions myself , from hereon.
Norris Lockley