Kendell Cycle's

[Venod]

Was told today Kendell cycles Castleford is closing, Gary Proud the owner is retiring, he is a superb wheel builder with a good reputation for his wheels, he also built motorbike wheels.
It was the start for the Featherstone Road Club chain gang for a long time.
The shop was started by Ken Cowdell hence the name, Gary worked there and took on the shop over from Ken.
Ken is still riding and showing the youngsters how its done, he rode and won a lot of grass track as well as being a good road man.

http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=111379

 

[Badger_Boom]

Sad news. Kendell’s was our only proper LBS when I was a kid. I’m not sure if it would have been Ken or Gary who pronounced my attempt at truing a buckled wheel as the worst he’d ever seen. As well as getting stuff fixed I used to love ogling the selection of expensive components in the window.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I was surprised when I was told too!
I am a member, but lapsed (at the moment)... & have been since I started MTB/CX racing in the early 90s'
Heck!!, when I started running, I competed in the FRC colours, which really hacked off some of the members
(I'd have thought that 'spreading the word' would have been well-received?)

Ken was running it, along with Margaret, when I started going in
Gary, his brother, & 'Benny' (Andrew Bennison?) were the staff
I actually drove through Castleford today, to see for myself, that no-one was telling me fibs
Yes, the 'For Sale' sign is up

A long, happy, retirement to Tracey & Gary

'New' kit
(yellow sleeves/'hi-viz' woolly hat)


Old kit

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Was told today Kendell cycles Castleford is closing, Gary Proud the owner is retiring, he is a superb wheel builder with a good reputation for his wheels, he also built motorbike wheels.

Damned fine wheels, mine took some stick, when used for MTB/CX racing
They generally wore out the braking surface, before they went out of true

I'm given to understand that he'd even build spoked wheels for cars!!

 

[Venod]

Old kit

I still have 2 bits of FRC kit, I wear the old Jersey on occasions and have run in the striped wind top.

View attachment 598398

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

The solid colours were before my time!

When I joined. the (diagonal stripe) were Assos!!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

https://www.ernest-wilson.co.uk/Business-Details/585504/

 

[Milkfloat]

Weekly turnover £2650. That is pretty sad in this day and age, a shame to see them go.

 

[PaulSB]

Weekly turnover £2650. That is pretty sad in this day and age, a shame to see them go.

I don't know this business at all but this seems an astonishingly low turnover yet generates £46k net profit. As you say sad the turnover is so low, I would have expected a good LBS to be several times this.

Do they employ anyone? It would seem unlikely.

 

[Badger_Boom]

I don't know this business at all but this seems an astonishingly low turnover yet generates £46k net profit. As you say sad the turnover is so low, I would have expected a good LBS to be several times this.

Do they employ anyone? It would seem unlikely.

I think their problem is being located in a side street rather than the town centre, and competition from the likes of Halfords an Evans not that far way (and better publicised) plus the internet.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

 

[Venod]

https://www.pontefractandcastleford...rs-to-retire-after-more-than-40-years-3305870

 

[Venod]

Bumped into Gary today while out running, he was on his morning walk, the shop shut 2 weeks ago today, it hasn't been sold yet, he is looking forward to retirement, he is still riding regular, he did a hundred last week plus the chain gang and will be on the club run tommorow.

 

[Milzy]

I still have 2 bits of FRC kit, I wear the old Jersey on occasions and have run in the striped wind top.

View attachment 598399

View attachment 598398

I never ever see this club around even though I live close to it. Are they still going?

 

[pawl]

I know it’s well away from my neck of the woods but it is always sad when what I cal proper bike shops close Loughborough in my youger days didn’t have a bike shop Such mundane things as shoe plates necessitated a trip to Leicester Even those bike shops have gone Leedhams Cedric Clayson Sid Mottram had two shops all gone now The latter two were like club rooms Just call in for a natter and a cuppa and of course a pair of shoe plates Loughborough did have one shop but only sold basic cycling stuff.