Rory O'Brien bike

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limey

Senior Member
Montpellier, France
New
Hello rche7k. I received your e-mail and although I havn't been active on Cycle Chat for a few years I think I can help with your search. I have an original Rory O'Brien catalogue from the early 1960s in good condition and with all the prices in £ s and p. I can scan it and send it to you if you send me your e-mail address. I can even send the original by post if you want. My e-mail address is alancross67@gmail .com. I also have a copy photo of Rory himself with Dave Bedwell from about 1947. I also have other items from the 60s which may be of interest to you, just dépends on what you are looking for.

Incidentally I lived in East Ham and had a Saturday job at Rory's Manor Park shop until late1966 when I went off to college. I knew a lot of the characters and places in these posts. I raced and rode Rory bikes for a number of years on both road and track (herne hill), won a number of races including the Essex Junior RR Chmps in 1964. I'm now 71 and still riding. I'm also the president of my local cycling club here in Southern France.
 

Old Roly

Regular
My wife suggested that I look to see if anybody had read my piece about working at Rory's in the mid 60s' Being a technophobe of the highest order I had to wait until she had turned the machine on and I was so pleased to read the response from Pennyjane. The last that I had heard was that you were a head teacher at a school in East London is that correct? Your dad had an enormous effect on me as a 15 year old and I remember so clearly the day that my parents turned up at the shop unannounced to discuss my future with Rory; he did of course put their minds at rest and when I got home that night they were full of "Mr O'Brien"! a few months later I left to go into the printing trade as a trainee; but I will always remember my first employer with great fondness. In my last piece I forgot to relate the tale of the well known cyclist whose wife was not very keen on her husband's expenditure on bike stuff; it was Rory that suggested "A" should always have the same colour bike and that way "A"s wife would never know that he had a new bike and he could pay a set amount weekly, so every Friday night on his way home from work "A" would pop into the shop and pay his dues and generally go out with something new; and Mrs "A" never sussed"! rche7k mentions on the forum about his grandfather being a member of the University CC. The "Uni" was my first club. I joined in October 1963 when I was 14 years old. The clubroom was above the Greyhound pub in, I think, Leabridge Road. I was so keen I used to get there at 5.30 and had to wait until other members turned up at around 7.00! The club runs on Sunday mornings were the highlight of my week, in the summer we would do 80 mile rides, meeting at Wanstead through Epping, lunch at the Cosy Café in Sawbridgworth (The "Cosy" was a wooden bungalow set in a long piece of ground and lunchtime on a Sunday there would be scores if not hundreds of cyclists queuing or already having their lunch. I seem to remember there was a piano that was occasionally played whilst customers waited to be served) Afternoon tea would be at the Epping Roof Gardens Café and then home to Ilford. Mum always gave me five shillings (25p) for my lunch and this was usually enough but she did insist that I always had fourpence in case I had to phone home in an emergency; a bit different to today's 15 year olds I reckon. Cycling has been the central thread in my life, where I lived, my work, my friends and my attitudes to life, so much of which was forged in my time in the "Uni" John Patston, Bill Caton, Terry Barnes were the fast men at the time usually racing on a Sunday. The club runs were usually me, Steve May (my chum from school, now living and still riding regularly in Spain) Tom Osborne "Tom Oz". Charlie Mucklejohn "Muck" and Charlie Slater; these three always had a story to tell and were always ready to have a good laugh. "Muck" was about 5' 4", very wiry with enormous ears, we were stopped by the police once and when he was asked his name he said "Charles Sebastian Mucklejohn" in his best Noel Coward voice he was also the only man who could say "indubitably" in a sentence without hesitation. I was also told that "Muck" had been a good rider before the war and had won the Viking "50" without toe clips! I started racing in 1965 on the old E1 often staying at the "Uni" hut the night before having ridden up from Ilford after work. The "huts" were members of the 32nd Association and, I believe, subject to peppercorn rents from a bequest by a philanthropist pre war. Arthur "Art" Restell was the driving force behind the refurbishments and I think a lot of building supplies were re-directed from local councils. Steve May and I helped with the groundworks and I must say that without our help they would have been completed much sooner. Rod Walker was a very active member of the Uni and it was Rod that extended the back of Rory’s shop in Romford. I believe Rod is in his early 90s now. There are so many other names from the "Uni" that I cannot remember but will probably recall five minutes after this piece is sent into wherever it goes. So many of the old clubs have fallen by the wayside and have been replaced by sponsored or dotcom clubs they just don’t have the same “ring” when spoken about. The first time that we were introduced to Paul O'Kelly from the Buccaneers CC the shout went up "where's the Buccaneers"? and the reply came "on me Bucking 'ead"! this was pretty racy stuff for a 14 year old but one of my favourites had to be when a passing group of Becontree riders went by the call was "Urinals" at the top of their voices! As a greeting it leaves something to be desired but it still makes me smile. The piece by rche7k regarding the refurb by Lipscombes reminded me of 1964/5 when it ceased to be a legal requirement to have a bell fitted to the handlebars riders from all over gave their bells to Frank Lipscombe who filled his shop window at Markhouse road with them amazingly, so many of the bells were drilled for lightness they could not possibly ring but made a dull “thunk"

My wife wants the machine back now. I will get her to press the relevant buttons to fax or whatever it is to pass this on. See you up the road.... Old Roly........ And if it's not too presumptious a X for Pennyjane
 
Great post roly! I love hearing the old stories from people like yourself....as morbid as it sounds, none of these seem to have been written down, so will eventually be lost forever. I quite often pop in to see a chap near me who was around back then.....an engineer by trade, he knows so much about the older stuff and used to hang about while dick Morris was brazing things.....you guys should write it all down for posterity, and a massive part of 'our' history!

If I was more of an entrepreneur, I'd get a load of stories together.....there's a bloody good book in there!
 

rche7k

Regular
Location
Ohio, USA
Nice post Old Roly. You probably just missed my grandfather - Eddie Bolton, he was a long time member of the "Uni" but passed away in 1965. He rode a racing trike in his later years.
Eddie Bolton.jpg
 

Old Roly

Regular
Hi rche7k it’s me again! We are in the process of moving and are currently in rented accommodation in Suffolk and hopefully will be moving into our permanent home mid October.... fingers crossed, which is why I have got time to spend on reminiscing about the old days. Your grandfather was certainly very well known in the cycling world in the 1950s and 60s and still has an influence through the Eddie Bolton Fund administered by the Eastern Counties Cycling Association (ECCA) I believe the fund is for the promotion of cycling for junior riders and has had a positive impact over the years and continues to do so....his name lives on!

It’s strange how the mind works when sparked off by a photo, name or anecdote, when I saw your grandfather on his trike I immediately thought of Stan Spelling. Stan was a regular at Rory’s Manor Park shop and was a member of the Tricycle Association. I don’t think I ever saw Stan on a bicycle but I sometimes caught him on the way to work in London and I will never forget riding along with Stan in very heavy traffic on Stratford Broadway when Stan would sprint between two buses and lean to the left which lifted the right hand side of his trike off the ground so he could squeeze between the buses! There was also a story when he was riding across America that he was in an accident on an eight lane freeway where he went over the bars and bit a section of his tongue off! And I can picture him now when he was moving from his old flat to a new one towing a wardrobe along behind his trike through the traffic; what a character. Just remembered another face from Rory’s North Street shop; Errol Smith, the coolest man in town, grey Italian cut suit, white open necked shirt, black winklepickers and the biggest, blackest “DA” you have ever seen, he had a top of the range Rory which I think he rode occasionally but was much more interested in the fairer sex, he told them that he was in show business and as he was the projectionist at the ABC cinema in Romford it was only a slight bending of the truth.
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
My wife suggested that I look to see if anybody had read my piece about working at Rory's in the mid 60s' Being a technophobe of the highest order I had to wait until she had turned the machine on and I was so pleased to read the response from Pennyjane. The last that I had heard was that you were a head teacher at a school in East London is that correct? Your dad had an enormous effect on me as a 15 year old and I remember so clearly the day that my parents turned up at the shop unannounced to discuss my future with Rory; he did of course put their minds at rest and when I got home that night they were full of "Mr O'Brien"! a few months later I left to go into the printing trade as a trainee; but I will always remember my first employer with great fondness. In my last piece I forgot to relate the tale of the well known cyclist whose wife was not very keen on her husband's expenditure on bike stuff; it was Rory that suggested "A" should always have the same colour bike and that way "A"s wife would never know that he had a new bike and he could pay a set amount weekly, so every Friday night on his way home from work "A" would pop into the shop and pay his dues and generally go out with something new; and Mrs "A" never sussed"! rche7k mentions on the forum about his grandfather being a member of the University CC. The "Uni" was my first club. I joined in October 1963 when I was 14 years old. The clubroom was above the Greyhound pub in, I think, Leabridge Road. I was so keen I used to get there at 5.30 and had to wait until other members turned up at around 7.00! The club runs on Sunday mornings were the highlight of my week, in the summer we would do 80 mile rides, meeting at Wanstead through Epping, lunch at the Cosy Café in Sawbridgworth (The "Cosy" was a wooden bungalow set in a long piece of ground and lunchtime on a Sunday there would be scores if not hundreds of cyclists queuing or already having their lunch. I seem to remember there was a piano that was occasionally played whilst customers waited to be served) Afternoon tea would be at the Epping Roof Gardens Café and then home to Ilford. Mum always gave me five shillings (25p) for my lunch and this was usually enough but she did insist that I always had fourpence in case I had to phone home in an emergency; a bit different to today's 15 year olds I reckon. Cycling has been the central thread in my life, where I lived, my work, my friends and my attitudes to life, so much of which was forged in my time in the "Uni" John Patston, Bill Caton, Terry Barnes were the fast men at the time usually racing on a Sunday. The club runs were usually me, Steve May (my chum from school, now living and still riding regularly in Spain) Tom Osborne "Tom Oz". Charlie Mucklejohn "Muck" and Charlie Slater; these three always had a story to tell and were always ready to have a good laugh. "Muck" was about 5' 4", very wiry with enormous ears, we were stopped by the police once and when he was asked his name he said "Charles Sebastian Mucklejohn" in his best Noel Coward voice he was also the only man who could say "indubitably" in a sentence without hesitation. I was also told that "Muck" had been a good rider before the war and had won the Viking "50" without toe clips! I started racing in 1965 on the old E1 often staying at the "Uni" hut the night before having ridden up from Ilford after work. The "huts" were members of the 32nd Association and, I believe, subject to peppercorn rents from a bequest by a philanthropist pre war. Arthur "Art" Restell was the driving force behind the refurbishments and I think a lot of building supplies were re-directed from local councils. Steve May and I helped with the groundworks and I must say that without our help they would have been completed much sooner. Rod Walker was a very active member of the Uni and it was Rod that extended the back of Rory’s shop in Romford. I believe Rod is in his early 90s now. There are so many other names from the "Uni" that I cannot remember but will probably recall five minutes after this piece is sent into wherever it goes. So many of the old clubs have fallen by the wayside and have been replaced by sponsored or dotcom clubs they just don’t have the same “ring” when spoken about. The first time that we were introduced to Paul O'Kelly from the Buccaneers CC the shout went up "where's the Buccaneers"? and the reply came "on me Bucking 'ead"! this was pretty racy stuff for a 14 year old but one of my favourites had to be when a passing group of Becontree riders went by the call was "Urinals" at the top of their voices! As a greeting it leaves something to be desired but it still makes me smile. The piece by rche7k regarding the refurb by Lipscombes reminded me of 1964/5 when it ceased to be a legal requirement to have a bell fitted to the handlebars riders from all over gave their bells to Frank Lipscombe who filled his shop window at Markhouse road with them amazingly, so many of the bells were drilled for lightness they could not possibly ring but made a dull “thunk"

My wife wants the machine back now. I will get her to press the relevant buttons to fax or whatever it is to pass this on. See you up the road.... Old Roly........ And if it's not too presumptious a X for Pennyjane
Thanks for that, Roly.

I joined the Easterely RC in 1968 and I well remember the Cosy and the Roof Gardens, also the Log Cabin at Abridge which was still there seventeen years ago and was a tea stop on the way home from club runs. Weekends "Up the Hut" were a highlight during the racing season, riding a 25 on the E1 after a skinful in the Chequers the night before were a character building experience. I remember Charlie Slater from your club, he was a bit of a character himself and a thoroughly decent bloke with time for everybody.
 

rche7k

Regular
Location
Ohio, USA
Thanks for the post Old Roly. I had no idea that my grandfather's name was still "out there". I looked at the ECCA site and sure enough they still award a Junior B.A.R. trophy as the Eddie Bolton Memorial trophy. So thank you very much for letting me know. The tricycle days were pretty much over by the time I was riding around. But I think when I get done with my current project, I will see if I can get my hands on a road trike. I'm sure it takes some practice but looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing your memories.
 

OKonHills

Senior Member
Can anyone remember if Rory O'Brien sold basic frames in the late 50's early 60's? I ask because I purchased a RO'B frame recently for £30. It is has all the correct transfers and the patina you would expect from a 1950's bike. My problem is when I got it home I noticed that it was considerably heavier than an F C Parkes frame I have from the same era. The lugs are basic with no cut outs or filing and the rear drop out is plain steel with no marking. At £30 maybe it is not genuine but i'n not sure why unless some owner in the distant past had it resprayed and badged it as a Rory!
My LBS was Rory's in North St. Romford and I can remember hanging out there on Saturday mornings and getting much amusement from the witty comments on the price tags on items in the packed out front shop window. The other two shops locally were Kennistons in Victoria Road, Romford and Webb Cycles in Gidea Park. I have not seen any reference to Webbs but I can remember that they made a bike called Webb Super Circuit. I can also remember seeing Stan Brittains Viking that he used in the Tour de France displayed there. I was a member of Romford Wheelers and raced on the old E3 (Southend Road) and at Crystal Palace in the late 50's.
 

rche7k

Regular
Location
Ohio, USA
As far as I can tell, Rory's custom frames used 531 tubing and Nervex or Prugnat lugs, except the Championship frame that had hand cut lugs. I haven't seen any mention of his making basic bikes. He sold "off-the-peg" bikes from several other makers, e.g. Claud Butler, Clements, etc. Its possible that you have another brand bike that was taken to Rory to be updated or refurbished and ended up with his transfers on it. I have a similar situation (photos a couple of pages back in this thread) in which a bike that is clearly a Rory frame has Lipscombe transfers on it, after having been renovated there sometime pre-1970. Having said that, there are some veterans on this thread who knew Rory and may have better information.
 

Firestorm

Veteran
Location
Southend on Sea
My wife suggested that I look to see if anybody had read my piece about working at Rory's in the mid 60s' Being a technophobe of the highest order I had to wait until she had turned the machine on and I was so pleased to read the response from Pennyjane. The last that I had heard was that you were a head teacher at a school in East London is that correct? Your dad had an enormous effect on me as a 15 year old and I remember so clearly the day that my parents turned up at the shop unannounced to discuss my future with Rory; he did of course put their minds at rest and when I got home that night they were full of "Mr O'Brien"! a few months later I left to go into the printing trade as a trainee; but I will always remember my first employer with great fondness. In my last piece I forgot to relate the tale of the well known cyclist whose wife was not very keen on her husband's expenditure on bike stuff; it was Rory that suggested "A" should always have the same colour bike and that way "A"s wife would never know that he had a new bike and he could pay a set amount weekly, so every Friday night on his way home from work "A" would pop into the shop and pay his dues and generally go out with something new; and Mrs "A" never sussed"! rche7k mentions on the forum about his grandfather being a member of the University CC. The "Uni" was my first club. I joined in October 1963 when I was 14 years old. The clubroom was above the Greyhound pub in, I think, Leabridge Road. I was so keen I used to get there at 5.30 and had to wait until other members turned up at around 7.00! The club runs on Sunday mornings were the highlight of my week, in the summer we would do 80 mile rides, meeting at Wanstead through Epping, lunch at the Cosy Café in Sawbridgworth (The "Cosy" was a wooden bungalow set in a long piece of ground and lunchtime on a Sunday there would be scores if not hundreds of cyclists queuing or already having their lunch. I seem to remember there was a piano that was occasionally played whilst customers waited to be served) Afternoon tea would be at the Epping Roof Gardens Café and then home to Ilford. Mum always gave me five shillings (25p) for my lunch and this was usually enough but she did insist that I always had fourpence in case I had to phone home in an emergency; a bit different to today's 15 year olds I reckon. Cycling has been the central thread in my life, where I lived, my work, my friends and my attitudes to life, so much of which was forged in my time in the "Uni" John Patston, Bill Caton, Terry Barnes were the fast men at the time usually racing on a Sunday. The club runs were usually me, Steve May (my chum from school, now living and still riding regularly in Spain) Tom Osborne "Tom Oz". Charlie Mucklejohn "Muck" and Charlie Slater; these three always had a story to tell and were always ready to have a good laugh. "Muck" was about 5' 4", very wiry with enormous ears, we were stopped by the police once and when he was asked his name he said "Charles Sebastian Mucklejohn" in his best Noel Coward voice he was also the only man who could say "indubitably" in a sentence without hesitation. I was also told that "Muck" had been a good rider before the war and had won the Viking "50" without toe clips! I started racing in 1965 on the old E1 often staying at the "Uni" hut the night before having ridden up from Ilford after work. The "huts" were members of the 32nd Association and, I believe, subject to peppercorn rents from a bequest by a philanthropist pre war. Arthur "Art" Restell was the driving force behind the refurbishments and I think a lot of building supplies were re-directed from local councils. Steve May and I helped with the groundworks and I must say that without our help they would have been completed much sooner. Rod Walker was a very active member of the Uni and it was Rod that extended the back of Rory’s shop in Romford. I believe Rod is in his early 90s now. There are so many other names from the "Uni" that I cannot remember but will probably recall five minutes after this piece is sent into wherever it goes. So many of the old clubs have fallen by the wayside and have been replaced by sponsored or dotcom clubs they just don’t have the same “ring” when spoken about. The first time that we were introduced to Paul O'Kelly from the Buccaneers CC the shout went up "where's the Buccaneers"? and the reply came "on me Bucking 'ead"! this was pretty racy stuff for a 14 year old but one of my favourites had to be when a passing group of Becontree riders went by the call was "Urinals" at the top of their voices! As a greeting it leaves something to be desired but it still makes me smile. The piece by rche7k regarding the refurb by Lipscombes reminded me of 1964/5 when it ceased to be a legal requirement to have a bell fitted to the handlebars riders from all over gave their bells to Frank Lipscombe who filled his shop window at Markhouse road with them amazingly, so many of the bells were drilled for lightness they could not possibly ring but made a dull “thunk"

My wife wants the machine back now. I will get her to press the relevant buttons to fax or whatever it is to pass this on. See you up the road.... Old Roly........ And if it's not too presumptious a X for Pennyjane
My grandad was in the Uni, Nan was in Rosslyn ladies. Mum and Dad were in the Buccs (Dad was in the Penguin first) upto the merger with Rapier.
Dad was the record holder for the club Hillclimb from 58 til the end of the club
I knew Paul OKelly when he was a youngster . We all played football at High beech after the club Hill climb
Paul mentioned my Dads passing to a Road group as they climbed High Beech a couple of years back.
 
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rche7k

Regular
Location
Ohio, USA
I recently submitted an update of Rory O'Brien information to Classic Lightweights. Dedicated readers of this thread may notice some of the information came from contributors to this thread - for which I thank you. There has been some discussion about whether or not Rory used any system for frame numbering, especially since he used different builders for different models. I am building a list of frame numbers, along with model and year if known. This may end up being a fool's errand but I hope that if I can gather enough numbers some kind of numbering system will emerge.

If anyone has a Rory O'Brien and is willing to share their frame number and year if known, please reply or PM me. I appreciate whatever you can provide. Thanks.
 

OKonHills

Senior Member
Further to the post below, I have attached a photo that shows the lug work clearly. I don't think that this is a genuine Rory.

s-l1600 (2).jpg
'Can anyone remember if Rory O'Brien sold basic frames in the late 50's early 60's? I ask because I purchased a RO'B frame recently for £30. It is has all the correct transfers and the patina you would expect from a 1950's bike. My problem is when I got it home I noticed that it was considerably heavier than an F C Parkes frame I have from the same era. The lugs are basic with no cut outs or filing and the rear drop out is plain steel with no marking. At £30 maybe it is not genuine but i'n not sure why unless some owner in the distant past had it resprayed and badged it as a Rory! '
 

rche7k

Regular
Location
Ohio, USA
As promised in the Ebay/bargains thread above, here are some photos of the Rory O'Brien I managed to pick up for £50 just before Christmas. Likely a later 1980s model. Needs a good clean and a bit of love, but delighted to snaffle this.

View attachment 389711 View attachment 389712 View attachment 389713 View attachment 389714 View attachment 389715 View attachment 389718
View attachment 389719
That's a nice looking frame. I'd be interested to know the frame number if you don't mind sharing.
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
As promised in the Ebay/bargains thread above, here are some photos of the Rory O'Brien I managed to pick up for £50 just before Christmas. Likely a later 1980s model. Needs a good clean and a bit of love, but delighted to snaffle this.

View attachment 389711 View attachment 389712 View attachment 389713 View attachment 389714 View attachment 389715 View attachment 389718
View attachment 389719

Very tasty indeed and that was a bargain for sure , have you ridden it yet @Montsegur Horsefly ?
 
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