[CR]Was Sean Yates...now Emperor Sport frames

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2004)

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:38:34 -0800 (PST)
From: "Norris Lockley" <norris.lockley@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Was Sean Yates...now Emperor Sport frames

There are several contributions in the CR archives from about three years ago about Emperor Sport frames. The business, based in southern England near Slough, was owned by Mick Coward, with possibly some input from his mate Tony Mills. Both of these riders had been professional during the late 60s and early 70s, with Mick riding mainly for smaller teams such as Chris Barber-Sun-Huret, Geoffrey Butler, and also Witcombs. Mick built the frames and I read somewhere that he had learnt the trade with some company or other possibly even with Witcomb before setting up on his own. In the 70s he quickly became known for the "go-faster" look, along with builders such as Pongo Braithwaite of AENDE fame, in that most of his frames appeared to be time-trial machines, built with angles approaching 74 parallel..or on occasions slightly more. His workshop was not too far away form the training rides of amateur ace time-traillist and multiple national Champion, Sean Yates, and it was as builder of Sean's frames that Mick became best known. He was very catholic like many time-trial frame builders of that time in his choice of materials and his frames can be found built from very light tubes such as Ishiwata..a real favourite with "testers", Columbus..or Reynolds. Frames were sometimes lugged and sometimes lugless depending on the severity of the design. A well-known feature was his use of the "fast-back" seat stay configuration where the tops of the stays are brazed onto the seat bolt housing.

I recently had for sale...and may still be able to get my hands on it.. one of Yates lugged time-trial frames..a special one for hillier courses and equipped with brazings for handlebar controls. Anyone interested...I can provide photos?

Norris Lockley, Settle UK

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