Cowans bike shop, Manchester

[YahudaMoon]

Anyone remember Cowans bike shop in Gorton

 

[YahudaMoon]

The bikes actually a Pennine from Yorkshire

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

 

[Merlin Racing Cycles]

I remember Cowans very well.

I grew up in Gorton in the 1950's and 60's. It was run by two (sometimes grumpy) grey haired brothers, they always wore brown long work coats, and the shop was very well run. They went to a lot of trouble with the presentation of the shop, which was a large double fronted premises on the right hand side of Hyde Road, going towards Hyde just past Belle Vue.

The window displays were always a work of art...Upstairs they had a large selection of lightweight frames from Dawes, Claude Butler Carlton, Bob Jackson, Merlin etc.

For my 12th Birthday they built up a Merlin bike to my specification with intricate lugwork including 10 Campag Grand Prix alloy rims with tied and soldered spokes, milremo seat pin and handlebars, Zeus Cotterless chainset.....cost £35.00.

Their main local competition was LH Brookes and of course, nearby Harry Hall's of Cathedral Street Manchester.

Hope this helps.

 

[YahudaMoon]

I remember Cowans very well.

I grew up in Gorton in the 1950's and 60's. It was run by two (sometimes grumpy) grey haired brothers, they always wore brown long work coats, and the shop was very well run. They went to a lot of trouble with the presentation of the shop, which was a large double fronted premises on the right hand side of Hyde Road, going towards Hyde just past Belle Vue.

The window displays were always a work of art...Upstairs they had a large selection of lightweight frames from Dawes, Claude Butler Carlton, Bob Jackson, Merlin etc.

For my 12th Birthday they built up a Merlin bike to my specification with intricate lugwork including 10 Campag Grand Prix alloy rims with tied and soldered spokes, milremo seat pin and handlebars, Zeus Cotterless chainset.....cost £35.00.

Their main local competition was LH Brookes and of course, nearby Harry Hall's of Cathedral Street Manchester.

Hope this helps.

Hi

Thanks for resurrecting a very old thread

I must have been about 12 years old when I last went in the shop, yeah the to guys that run it, reminded me of Ronnie Barker, Open All Hours

I heard the shop came to a very sad ending, could have been about 1988?, I wasn't cycling at this time, as I met my wife and was into pubs and clubs, I heard the shop got robbed in very violent circumstances and the two owners were in the shop working at the time, I think the effects of the robbery were so severe that one of the guys died not long after and so the shop was no more

I used to go audaxing with one of the shop owners son in-laws, about 1996-2005 who still had a Cowans bike shop musette and still married to the daughter can't remember his name though

 

[YahudaMoon]

Oh welcome onto Cyclechat by the way

 

[midlife]

Glorious looking Pennine you have there

Shaun

 

[YahudaMoon]

Glorious looking Pennine you have there

Shaun

Hi Shaun

Not my ride unfortunately, its a picture of the internet, the only picture I could find at the time for Cowans bike shop

 

[Merlin Racing Cycles]

Oh welcome onto Cyclechat by the way

Cheers.

Regarding Cowan's, if that's true about the "robbery" I'm very sorry to hear that.

String 'em up.

Yeah, "Arkwright" sums them up to a tee. I can picture them both even now.

 

[Jaques]

I too grew up in Gorton in the 50's and 60's and I also got my first racing bike there. It was a Merlin, wonderful bike, in Helyett green (like Jaques Anquetil), Stronglight/TA cotterless, Mafac centre pulls with Universal levers, 10 speed (5x2) Campag record with handlebar control, Campag record large flange qr hubs in Fiamme, Cinelli steel bars in Ambrosio stem, Brooks B17 oh, and a Pennine CO2 pump - pretty rare now. I loved that bike and rode for many years with Withington Wheelers in the 60's racing in time trials on Cheshire.

I really liked Cowans shop, I found the two brothers ok, Walt, I think it was, who usually did most of the serving was pretty friendly. The shop was a magnet, it felt special just going inside. The Manchester Velo cycling club were based there and at the time were a very strong road racing club, which added to the attraction of going there.
The window displays were awesome, all the latest kit.

Harry Hall's old shop was just down the road towards Manchester, on the left just after the old speedway track. We ended up going there and moving on to Harry's new shop near the cathedral. Happy days.