[CR] Bill Hurlow.

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Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 18:02:28 +0000
From: "barrie carter" <barriemgracer@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] Bill Hurlow.


I left schoo; at 14 and went to work for Condor Cycles in Balls Pond Road, Islington, N London in 1955. Bill built frames in a shed at the back alongside a lovely guy who owned a Berkley 3 wheeler,[thats another story], called Lou. Lou filed the frames at so much a frame and Bill built the frames for Wally Conway and Monty Young , his brother in law andfor a fee. Bill built for other shops too, including Mal Rees and a few others. There has been a lot of talk about who he built for and after Bill left Condors I visited him at his workshop in Hearn Bay where, at 87, he still lives. My memory is a bit faded on who he built for, but it was a lot of shops. Bill also built welded frames for some Kent based time trialists. These of course, are not readily identifiable, but Bill told me of theis when I had a welded lugless Condor about 4 years ago. As an opinion, and I stress, an opinion, British frames were artistic and prlific. This was largely a signature to identfy each frame for its originator as an artist would for a painting, and whilst I love Brit Bikes,and their tastefull lug and paint work, The simplicity of an ItalianĀ  designed and lugged bike, is the most pleasing to the eye, and for some reason, the best ride. I raced a Hurlow built Condor for a number of years, but never for got the stiffness of my Cinelli Corsa, which I still have, some how, Brit frames never quite felt the same, though all my results were on the Condor! Another great bike frame builder that is not often mentioned is a Stan Pike. Stans frames are listed highly in CR and he was a friend untik his untimely death in 1982. I still have a collestion of Stan Pikes and I cansay that my favourite is the closest I have ever had to and good quality Italian frame. But whats that? BArrie Carter, Roundham, Somerset.