Post like this are what makes this list great. When the archives are back-are they?-perhaps all the post about Bill, and I know there are many, could be collected on one page as a lasting memorial to a great builder. Phil Brown Sad in Oakland, CA that one of the titans has passed.
On Mar 4, 2010, at 1:45 PM, barrie carter wrote:
> I was very very sorry to hear of Bill Hurlows passing ,though Id neard
> from his close friend, John Wild, that he was not well.
> I went to Condors as a mechanic in Balls Pond Road in 1956 as soon as
> I left school. 15 miles each way on my bike at 15, regardless of
> weather, and for 6 days a week for the princely sum of £2.50 a week.
> Bill worked in a shed at the back of the shop with his frame filer,
> Louis,{Iwonder what happened to Lou].
> Bill built frames for Condors and others with great speed and
> precision from orders given to Wally on an order form that stipulated
> the type of build.
> We had a pro rider at the time called Graham Vines. Tall, quiet and
> unnasuming, I never knew his successes and He is a mystery of Cycling
> history.
> Bill rode from his home on a single fixed bike, now known as a fixie
> ,and was a well known and quck TT rider.
> He took me under his wing and subjected me to a 40 mile ride home over
> Archway Hill each night to home, at 15. If I got out of the saddle, he
> would glare at me and say SIT DOWN, which I always did after the first
> time.
> At 17, I got the best improved rider award in an open 25 on the
> Farnham Alton course. I did a 1.7.12 ride to finish 12th to Harry
> Jackson, Portsmouth North \East. who did a 1.1min ride. A windy
> morning and I was very pleased to finsh 12th out of 120 riders, I also
> won the Young Rider award. Bill didnt believe it and made me get a
> comfirmation from the time keeper!
> Bill was my mentor and many of his instructions are still with me.
> We made contact on my return to bike riding 4 years ago and, as a
> freelance journalsit, I asked if I could write his story. But alas, he
> told me no one was capable of writing his story , and even his great
> friend, John Wild, didnt know the whole story.
> Now Bill has gone and his story with him. Any tail written will only
> be a collection of anecdotes and memories. But the true Bill Hurlow,
> few people knew. I only knew a smattering, but he left me always with
> a deep respect for him and his attitudes. I owe to him some of the
> success I had in my future racing history and he left me with a
> feeling that he was one of the few people that lived upto his own
> ambitions. It was with ease that he stood head and shoulders above all
> other frame builders. His designs, [no left or right hand bias in his
> head lugs] were individual as was his unique style. He was a
> siccessful in building welded frames and his lug work was not
> evident, but th frame was still a Hurlow and we knew it, that certain
> something.
> Bill built for many shops, and not all will be known, Mall Rees was
> one, Holdsworths, whos frames went down hill after Reg Collard built
> them in the 70s or maybe before.
> Whatever, Bill was an historical figure in the artistic skill of cycle
> frame building and to prove his skill and versatility, after his wife
> died in the 70s, at he age of 78 ish, Bill took a degree in Italian.
> A unique man. and I wish we knew more of him.
> Keep riding Bill, without you, I doubt I would have.
> Ill Miss you.
> As a poscript, Its rather a shame that the Amercan side of the pond
> are the ones who will have memorial to Bill.
> The Brits cant be bothered. If you want to ,Contact me.
> Barrie Carter. in a Hurlow less vacuum, Roundham, UK
>
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> ________________________________
> From: Peter Koskinen <prkbikes1@mac.com>
> To: hmsachs@verizon.net
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Thu, 4 March, 2010 4:07:25
> Subject: [CR] bill Hurlows passing/ bike shop in dc
>
> That shop would have been Georgetown Cycle Sport at 3310 M st NW,
> Washington DC, 20007.
>
> Mike Schwering and Danny Wagner were the owners. Mike was into
> importing all the great brit bikes large and small. The ones he didn't
> buy up, Mel Pinto and Clay Grubic did.
>
> At last count, Danny was still living in Montgomery Co. MD and Mike
> Schwering is pushing up daisy's in some cemetery somewhere...
>
> I see that my memory for old cycling history in DC hasn't left me yet
> despite my flight thru the sky....
>
>
> Peter Koskinen
> Chapel Hill, NC
> h/o: 919.960.5871
> http://www.prkbikes.com
> prkbikes1@mac.com