This thread is interesting, as I came into cycling in the UK in the mid '50s. Just after the period in question. Most of us still looked to the British frame manufacturers for the basis of our bikes, but I don't remember any British/European issues with equipment. On my first "real" bike, an FH Grubb, it had a mish-mash of equipment on it. Harden hubs, GB bars and stem, Huret deraileurs, etc. When I upgraded to my first new frame (Hetchins) I bought Bayless Wyley hubs on Weinmann rims, Williams chainset, Weinmann brakes. I simply bought the best I couls afford on an apprentice's pay (2 GBP/week!). At that time, choices were limited. There were no English gear makers, so one was forced into "foreign" equipment. Wiiliams only made steel chainsets, but one could buy alloy stuff from TA, Stronglight etc. GB brakes were never considered "up to snuff". Weinmann, Mafac, and Universal were the items of choice. BH Airlight hubs were fantastice, but expensive, and so it goes......
Ramblings from an old memory.......
Tony Taylor Manchester, NH
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Sat, May 8, 2010 4:53:00 PM Subject: [CR] Post War Brits / Euro Parts
I have no first hand experience of cycling during this era and only know what I have read of the post war British cycling scene. I would also love to hear more first hand accounts.
It seems that European components had more cache with the riders from the BLRC (British League of Racing Cyclists AKA 'The League'). The BLRC were proponents of 'Massed start' races in a European style, as opposed to time trials (as sanctioned by the NCU National Cyclists Union 'the Union').
There was a lot of friction and enmity between these two organisations and that was reflected in equipment choice.
I'm not sure if a post war time trialist would have been infra dig http://www.phrases.org.uk/
More information needed please.
Simon Bird
London
England