Trusty/Viking/Lambert/Viscount/Yamaha History

RIP - Arthur 'Archie' Wilkinson who supervised the building of literally tens of thousands of wheels used at Bilston.
He passed away earlier this year.
A good and amusing friend at work and always able to get the work done properly.
Wheel building was a fiddly, time-consuming, labour intensive job in the days before automatic laceing and trueing machines,
He organised a small army of local women, working from home or in the factory.
After Bilston closed, he set up independently as Wilkinson Wheels, which was (working with his son and his 'army') a great success.
The news came from Doug Pinkerton of the Pinketon Press, with whom I had a long and productive conversation on progress with "the book" recently.

Can I just mention that there IS progress towards "The Book" and any snippet of information welcome.

I wonder if anyone knows who "the Lambert export manager" might have been?

I am in the process of buying a fillet brazed mixte frame that the seller insists was commissioned by the Lambert export manager "for his wife". The frame has Viscount Aerospace Club stickers on it and is a sort of leaf green colour, which the seller tells me is as commissioned. The seller has a set of Lambert bits for the bike, which if they came with it make the Viscount branding slightly odd; although one can imagine a scenario where the bike for the export manager would be kitted out with a full set of Lambert bits, even after the takeover by Viscount.

Lambert didn't have a 'management structure'
Clive Marriott was the owner and promoter, getting orders from the USA
The bikes were not sold in the conventional sense.
Bob Thom was the man who got the factory set up and making bikes, initially lugged,
then the lugless frames.
Bob transferred to San Jose, where Marriott seemed to be some of the time.
Bob acted as 'Customer Services manager'.
When the bank forclosed, the Receiver ran the business - but nothing was made or exported.
(Ken Chambers was kept on, Marriott disappeared, Bob was briefly employed in the USA by Copal Foundry
but then came home to become 'Mr Shimano' employed by Middlemores, then the importer.)

When Trusty bought the entire business, Chambers recruited Peter Britton as Export Manager and he took me on as his assistant.
Peter never commissioned such a bike - Barbara wasn't into cycling and I didn't have a wife !
I'd imagine this MAY have been a bike which Bob Thom had made for his wife Jean, who was a cyclist.
When ? Maybe when they were in the States
Who made it ? Knight Fabrications, for a bet.
Why Lambert equipment ? Why not ?
But does it have the Lambert derailleurs ?

Great news about the book!

Sorry, I am nowhere near either of those two sites. Hopefully someone will be able to help.

I am cycling distance of Potters Bar, so will get over there and take a picture when I get the chance. NB might take some time for the chance to come up.
I was on the DFR 4.5 ride, it was indeed a cracking day out.

John,
Sorry to hear of your mishap. Here’s hoping for a good rehab and speedy recovery. And thanks for all your work to document the history of these machines we’re so fascinated with.
And a blessed and happy Christmas (or otherwise appropriate season) to all our group.
Best,
John “wheelson”

"As one door opens (Steve Brereton is gearing up to get the book completed)
the one that shut on me was fracturing my pelvis early in December.
3 weeks in hospital so far.
May get home for 2 more months rehab this week.

Sorry that I have not been able to make good on my tentative offer to get over to Potters Bar and have a look and take pictures. Just not managing to have the spare time and energy at the moment. Have you tried the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies service, they are brilliant. www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/hertfordshire-archives-and-local-studies/hertfordshire-archives-and-local-studies.aspx

Great to hear this history. Also amazing to my “uncle” Archie being named within the thread. Your facts are correct as he went on to build up The Wilkinson Wheel company along with his son Karl. In the early days we all raced on Viscounts via Archie and he went on to sponsor me for many years with wheels etc. I now ride my Pro and GP in some retro events to keep the history going.

Welcome Jimmy ( Kevin H )

Any updates on this topic anyone?

Very sad news indeed, sorry to hear that.

Mick Ives was one of the legendary hard men of cycling, who continued to race through the veterans ranks throughout his life. Reproduced below is his obituary written for British Cycling.

"Everybody at British Cycling was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former British champion and national team coach Mick Ives, who passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Our thoughts are with Mick's family and many friends at this difficult time. The following obituary is written by Rory Hitchens.

Mick Ives was a force of nature, one of a kind and a true cycling legend – they just don't make them like Mick Ives anymore.

Mick died peacefully in the early hours on Thursday 18 January in Coventry Hospice. He leaves behind his wife Sheila and daughter Angela. Mick was admitted to Coventry Hospital and then the hospice, in early October after a series of heart attacks. The doctors became increasingly stunned by Mick's stamina and determination to survive long beyond what they predicted as possible. His heart was beating at only 20% it's normal rate, but Mick's 20% is our 100%. He enjoyed defying the odds throughout his illustrious cycling career, right up to his final hours.

Following an early career as a draftsman working with Sir Alex Moulton on his original bike designs, Mick dedicated himself entirely to his passion of cycle racing. He amassed 81 British championship titles and eight world masters cycling titles, including becoming a world champion in the time-trial. In 2005, as a 65-year-old pensioner, Mick became the only cyclist to complete the Tour de France route in one day less than the race itself. He was the only British male athlete to represent Great Britain internationally in the road, track, time-trial, mountain biking and cyclo-cross disciplines and to win national titles in a single season for road, time-trial, mountain biking and cyclo-cross.

Mick's cycling career spanned four decades and included managing and racing for British teams, including Viscont Cycles, Peugeot Cycles and Ever Ready on the road, and Ridgeback, Scott UK and Saracen Bikes in mountain biking. He also was part of the 1990 national mountain bike team at the inaugural UCI World Mountain Bike Championships in Colorado, USA.

Always popular with the athletes, Mick knew how to blend his experienced training methods with a light-hearted and motivational persona that brought out the best in countless professional and amateur cyclists alike.

Throughout his whole life, Mick loved to help people get into cycling and was a classic club cyclist himself. In the late 90s, alongside running his own bike shop, he formed his MI Racing Team and club. To this day, many cyclists have benefitted, and still are benefitting, from Mick's ties with the cycle trade. Sponsors who have supported the team over many years include brands such as Thule Roof Racks, KinesisUK cycles and a major backing from Jewson builders' merchant that still sponsors MI Racing now and into the future.

Many tributes to Mick are now appearing on social media and talk of his never-ending support and passion of bringing cyclists into and up through the sport. Even from his hospice bed, Mick penned a letter to British Cycling that secured national championship titles and jerseys for the 70+ age category in mountain biking and cyclo-cross – he was pioneering to the end.

Tributes, stories and photographs can be shared on the Facebook group ‘Celebrating Mick Ives the cycling legend’ where details of a Coventry gathering to celebrate Mick's amazing life will be posted in due course.

Those who wrote to Mick whilst he was in Coventry Hospice included cycling greats and industry leaders such as Steve Douce, Magnus Backstedt, Sally Reid, Nick Craig, Gary and Glen Coltman, Rick Stanforth, Roy Hunt, Pete Tomkins, Jough Watson, Steve Behr, Geoff Waugh, Alistair McLean, Tim Davies, Steve Joughin, Julian and Tim Gould, Mick Bennett, Oli and Rachel Beckinsale, Robert Thackeray, Chris Young, Rory Hitchens, Rob Warner and Sean Kelly.

Mick's family would like to give thanks for the many kind messages of support and to the amazing staff at Coventry Hospice who looked after him in his final months."

Mick Ives 10 August 1939 – 18 January 2024. RIP