Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
I first encountered 'Stif' when they were in the backstreets of Headingley (Leeds), on I think Granby Terrace*
Back then, they were more of a windsurfing shop, whose owner Paul Morphet* used to go windsurfing with the co-owner of Orange, Lester Noble*
(wind-surfers downstairs, MTBs upstairs, sharing space with rolls of sale material, & the sewing machines that they used
They used cycling, to keep fit, so.. when LN decided to promote his own brand, it seemed logical to use his pal, Paul
Back then, I'd just swapped/px'd my (89) Marin PIne Mountain, for a Pace Research RC100)
Stock grew, & MTBs took over from wind-surfers
After the early 90's increase in MTB awareness/brands, they moved into bigger premises, on Otley Road, opposite the Arndale Centre
(last time, I went past, it was a hairdressers)
More staff came, John King sticks out in the memory, as he was poached(?) from Chevin Cycles, in Otley (he was a good ;'Expert' level racer too, who could place well, in most races)
Then, as more custom came, particularly mail-order, they moved into North Yorkshire, can't remember where?)
https://off.road.cc/content/news/it...ountain-bike-brand-and-retailer-stif-mountain
https://www.stifmtb.com/
* names/locations, from memories of 30+ years ago (so might be wrong?)
The 3-storey stone building was theirs; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/141044
Back then, they were more of a windsurfing shop, whose owner Paul Morphet* used to go windsurfing with the co-owner of Orange, Lester Noble*
(wind-surfers downstairs, MTBs upstairs, sharing space with rolls of sale material, & the sewing machines that they used
They used cycling, to keep fit, so.. when LN decided to promote his own brand, it seemed logical to use his pal, Paul
Back then, I'd just swapped/px'd my (89) Marin PIne Mountain, for a Pace Research RC100)
Stock grew, & MTBs took over from wind-surfers
After the early 90's increase in MTB awareness/brands, they moved into bigger premises, on Otley Road, opposite the Arndale Centre
(last time, I went past, it was a hairdressers)
More staff came, John King sticks out in the memory, as he was poached(?) from Chevin Cycles, in Otley (he was a good ;'Expert' level racer too, who could place well, in most races)
Then, as more custom came, particularly mail-order, they moved into North Yorkshire, can't remember where?)
https://off.road.cc/content/news/it...ountain-bike-brand-and-retailer-stif-mountain
https://www.stifmtb.com/
* names/locations, from memories of 30+ years ago (so might be wrong?)
The 3-storey stone building was theirs; https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/141044
