As an aside, I was in Condor Cycles today and they have a fully restored and very beautiful Condor frame and fork on the wall.
The price tag reads: PRICELESS.
Their new 2004 track frames are very nice. The sky blue paint work on this year's frames is lovely and the head badge is very fine, too. I don't rememeber it looking like that on last year's frame. Perhaps I'm mistaken.
Even the service was pleasant. Must be the sunshine we are having...
Joss Berkhamsted UK
On Sat, Jun 12, 2004 at 10:20:58AM -0400, Dennis Ryan wrote:
> "The Custom Bicycle" (Kolin & de la Rosa) has a chapter on Condor. They note
> that Monty Young "was 17 years old when he started manufacturing bicycle
> frames under the Condor label in 1946." Read one way, you could think it
> says that Young started the company, but read in the light of Mick's info,
> it looks more like a lad taking up a trade at an existing shop. Interesting;
> over the years I'd heard a couple of variations on attempted explanations
> for why the name "Condor," most having to do with the "rarity" of the bird
> (certainly they're rare enough over here, but they must be really hard to
> find in Britain* ;-). Mick's account makes much more sense to my ears.
>
> "The Custom Bicycle" makes mention of the marque's cachet, but I recall
> Condors being touted as among "the very best" British lightweights in the
> American press prior to its publication.
>
> Thanks again for the info, Mick!
>
> Dennis Ryan
> in warm and stormy
> Louisville, KY, USA
>
> *
> I was somewhat disconcerted by this curious affair
> For a single armadillo, you will own,
> On Salisbury Plain in summer
> Is comparatively rare,
> And a pair of them is practically unknown
>
> -The Armadillo, by Flanders & Swann
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org]On Behalf Of Mick Butler
> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 3:52 AM
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR] Condor Cycles
>
>
>
> I always thought that Condors was started by a man called ? Conway. The
> bikes didn't sell well under this brand name. Mr. Conway sorry I can't
> remember his christian name had a wife a called Dora and a friend of theirs
> suggested that they take Con and Dor to make up the name Condor. Monty Young
> worked for them in the shop as a wheel builder cum shop assistant he later
> acquired the business from Mr. Conway.
>
>
> Best wishes and be lucky. Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.