Coventry Bicycle Shops

Where did you pick the mushrooms in Foleshill? Alan H

Mostly from the walls with a few from the ceiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you did not eat the fungi, it was probably laced with acetate from the Courtaulds plant at the rear of your flat, or sulphur from the Gas Works down the road. Alan H

Hi Gas Centre. In an earlier post you mention a John Atkins taking over a bicycle shop in Far Gosford Street. I went to school with a John Atkins and I am wondering if it is the same person.

John Wright Not sure if it was the same John Atkins you remember from school, I did not go to Windmill Road School but was at Little Heath until I was eleven. Seem to remember he was a well known cyclist when took over the shop from Tom Bromwich, I think he bought a hotel or guesthouse in Wales when he sold the shop. Alan H

Pollard's also had a shop in Longford.

Earlsdon had Talbot's at 48 Earlsdon St. from 1923 to 1984. In the post-war years "Jack of Earlsdon" (A.J. Blundell) was at 176 Albany Rd. He was Coventry's agent for Stallard frames. While checking this information, I came across Fretton's at 4 Fretton St and Sherwin's at 104-106 Holbrook Lane.

John Atkins appears in our list of "Famous Coventrians"

I remember DICK SHEPHERD CYCLES was in Clay Lane, Stoke, for many years - c1956-1968? - his shop was right opposite Goring Road; he must have straightened out more wheels than enough during my cycle speedway days. Had my first 'proper' bike from him a Gresham Flyer, also had my most expensive bike from him some years later, a Claude Butler racing bike. Nice man always happy and helpful. David

Hello David, My Claude Butler touring bike, which came from John Atkins on the corner of Bramble St. I had that twenty odd years. Replaced it with a Giant hybrid in 2002. That came from Ride, Holbrook Lane.

There was the 'Albany Cycle Stores' in Broomfield Road. Is this the shop referred to? I have a postcard / photo of the shop with the proprietor stood in the doorway.

Oh gosh, nearly every other shop in Coventry was a cycle shop when I was a kid, we used to buy puncture outfits for either a tanner or a bob, a tin about six-inches long and about two inches wide, about half-doz patches, a little bottle of glue, and several other small things for the bike, pair of handlebar grips or a bell, a pump that doubled up for blowing up the football, all for a few bob, mate on the crossbar, or even on the handlebars, or sitting on the rack over the back wheel, often along the towpath you would get two or three on the bike. Someone turn up with a tandem and the sky was the limit. Everyone had a bike, including mother. The only means of getting about for almost everyone, yes the times you look back and say they were the good old days.

Kaga, didn't that little tin box fit in a little leather case which hung on the back of the saddle. My first bike was a 'sit up in bed bike' which we called 'the bike of many colours' it had that many coats of paint on it so I didn't know what make it was. My father came home with it one night freshly painted black and I taught myself to ride up and down the back entry and only one prang, someone's back fence. My father always rode a bike, during the war and years after. No safety helmets in those days.

Dreamtime, yes, it did, but we very rarely used the case. The patches in the puncture outfit were ideal for patching up the football inner tube. I can't remember ever having a lock, the bikes were too cronky to be stolen.

Kaga. Do you remember the pre war Miller carbide cycle lamps? We bought the carbide from the Co-op at the end of Windmill Rd. A few drops of water and the carbide in a pop bottle would often result in a satisfactory bang. The Co-op was also a good source for saltpetre that we bought to make explosives with. Yes, I still have two hands.