Friends, Recent posts concerning British builders have inspired an ex-CR list member to send me the message found below. This is great stuff about British builders I wish I had known about when I was cyclo-touring in England, so many years ago. Such a pity, really - all I knew about were B. Jackson, Claud Butler, Hetchins, Mercian, Witbomb and Condor. But there seem to have been hundreds of other skilled frame builders. Anyway, here goes...
"John Pratt opened his first shop in 1974 in Forest Hill. He then moved out in 1978 to Eastbourne leaving his son Stephen in charge. The Forest Hill shop built the Phoenix frames and the builder was Derek Bailey. They used Reynolds 531 double butted tubing and were either built to Phoenix design or here's that word again customer bespoke. They built tandems as well in either Reynolds or Ishiwata tubing. When Cinelli introduced their Record extension several years ago, Phoenix said it inspired them to adapt the idea to a seat bolt fixing. This is when a fastback seat cluster is used, with the seatpin held in place by a steel plate, and adjusted with an allen key between the seat stays. They call it the Bailey Bolt. They were also great ones for concealing rear brake and gear cables within the frame tubes. This applies to both racing and touring frames and on the later they even put the dynamo wires through the tubes. Circa 1981. The Phoenix shops were at 120 Stanstead Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 and 128 Seaside, Eastbourne Sussex. Cycling club chat today over tea and crumpets at the Classic cafe Ramsey Huntingdon."
Cheers, Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
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