Charles,
I have an old CID badged frame that was made actually made
by MKM. I'm currently traveling on business but can send
photos when I get home. I actually bought this frame from
fellow list member Baird Webel, and I'm sure he had another CID
frame that was actually built by MKM.
There is nothing really special about the frame though.
It's very nicely constructed, with clean brazing, moderately
thinned lugs etc. But there aren't any features that
distinguish it from other nicely constructed frames of the era.
Considering that the frame was meant to be sold with with some
else's insignias on top of the the paint, it's no surprise that
it lacks special details.
Cheers,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> At one time I owned a very nice mkm built in England. A bit
> too big. So
> I sold it. It was only one I have seen on west coast of USA.
> I bought it
> off a struggling musican. Does any members have one they
> could send
> photos of. Or know of one for sale around 57cm center to
> center. I asked
> David Miller of Hetchins Cycles and he provided this,''
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: David Miller
> To: cnighbor
> Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2007 1:09 PM
> Subject: Re: MKM's
>
>
> Charles, you may recall my comments some time ago about
> frames looking
> identical and the reason builders started to put engraved
> parts on
> frames.
> The MKM was such a model, because they used all the frame
> parts common
> to most lightweight builders of the time.
> MKM was an amalgamation of 3 people, Mapplebeck, Kitchen,
> (of Ron
> Kitching fame) and the last M escapes me for the moment.
> Mapplebeck went
> on to be involved with the Pennine frames. The company didn't
> last long,
> I think there was too much ego at stake, but they did build
> fine frames
> at the time.
> So to answer your question, there are MKM frames out there,
> but unless
> they are engraved, or have original transfers, they're
> difficult to
> identify.
> If I ever stumble across any I'll let you know.
> Happy New Year,
> David Miller''
>
> There is a bit on CR web site.
> ''This marque was a premium frame, backed by Ron Kitching
> (RonKit) and
> built by two British cycling stars. The duration of the
> company was
> relatively short, spanning from 1972 into the late 1970s. MKM
> is said to
> have made certain RonKit and Anquetil models as well.
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------
>
> "Wes Mason learnt his frame building craft at Carlton
> Cycles for
> whom he rode for for a while. As a matter of interest, a well
> known
> British time trialist of the day, Ian White from York was the
> paint
> sprayer. The factory in Harrogate was called Chapel Works,
> being the
> premises of a former chapel which Ron Kitching purchased."
> Mike Mullett,
> Reading, UK
>
> "Steve Elsworth (was the) the foreman builder, at MKM, who
> built most if
> not all of these frames, Steve, who must have been one of the
> UK's top
> builders, particularly of lugless frames and tandems, never
> ever used
> any form of jig. Everything was done 'by eye', even the
> bending of fork
> blades." Norris Lockley, Settle UK
>
>
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------
>
> "I own a 1979 MKM Dominator which I ordered from MKM in
> August 1979. My
> frame was not delivered as the
> company had gone bust and my frameset and another were
> collected by my
> mother in October (I think it was)
> 1979 from Kirby Stephen from Mr Crabtree. I have read
> elsewhere of
> claims to have got the last frame from MKM
> but mine was definitely one of the last.
> I still have the MKM catalogue I ordered my frameset from.
> There were
> seven models offered:-
> 1.) Metcalfe "BAR"
> 2.) Wes Mason "Gold Medal"
> 3.) Metcalfe "Tour de France"
> 4.) Wes Mason "Professional"
> 5.) MKM "Dominator"
> 6.) MKM "Ace"
> 7.) MKM "Track"
> ...(snip)... The directors of the company are listed as W I
> Crabtree and
> B Crabtree. The letters appear to have
> been signed by a P D Broadbent. The company address is given
> as Chapel
> Works, Skipton Road, New Park,
> Harrogate.....My frame number was 6184, so if the frames were
> numbered
> consecutively MKM can't have built
> that many compared to other lightweight builders." Chris
> AspinwallArthur Metcalf Dies
> "Arthur Metcalfe, a top British rider in the
> 1960s, died of
> cancer December 11th at his home in England. Metcalfe won the
> Milk Race
> in 1964 and, in the same year, had back-to-back stage wins in
> Canada's
> classic Tour du St. Laurent. Two years later he won both the
> National
> Road Race championships and the Best All-Rounder competition
> in the time
> trial. In 1967 and 1968 he raced in the Tour de France, once
> winner the
> combativity prize after one of his signature long, solo
> breakaways.
>
> In 1972, after retiring from racing, he founded
> a frame
> building business with another road star of the day, Wesley
> Mason.
> Metcalfe and Mason- the two M's in MKM- produced their frames
> from
> Chapel Works in Harrogate, so named because it was a former
> chapel. The
> building was owned by Ron Kitching, the 'K' in MKM. The
> business
> operated until the late 1970s.
>
> Metcalfe remained a roadie and was often to be
> seen on his
> bike in the Yorkshire countryside he loved. He was a
> supporter of
> Michael Breckon's National Byway."
> cyclingnews.com 12/12/02
>
>
> ''
> Looking forward to more comments on mkm cycles.
> Charles Nighbor
> Walnut Creek, CA
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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