Claude Butler; Those were the days.
01-22-16, 07:43 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NM & MN
Posts: 542
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 94 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Claude Butler; Those were the days.
Excerpted:
Claud Butler - King of Lightweights
This coincides a bit with the 3-speed thread but is its own topic nonetheless. I read this a few years ago and with other things I know;
It's really fascinating that Raleigh had the Clubman, Claude Butler had the Clubman; and really, this is what it was about, in pre-War Britain, apparently, you really did have real cycling clubs, overnight trips, weekend trips, camping and so on, this happened in the 1930s and then,
Then, it's fairly explanatory, the war came, things were on the back burner for those years and then, the 1950s came and as mentioned, Television, cars, rock and roll and things really changed.
Putting aside the great tragedy of the war for a moment, that pre-war era, must have really been a fascinating time for cycling. Twas a more simpler time I gather.
The glory days of Claud Butler, as with many other lightweight marques, were the mid-to-late thirties and the immediate post-war period. This was a time when club cycling boomed in Britain and every town across the land had at least one active cycling club offering a full range of sporting, leisure and social activities. Claud Butler was a pioneer in the fashion of 'fancy' lugs, with ornate feature-cut lugs being incorporated into the 1937 range with the Anglo-Continental model; rival marque Hobbs having established this trend during the previous season with their Continental Superbe model. The mid thirties also saw a rapid expansion of the business and obvious commercial success for Claud Butler.
...
By the late thirties Claud Butler had established five retail branches across London, as well as a ‘Midlands Depot’ in Nottingham and the 'works' at Clapham Manor Street. The number of shops was consolidated to four at the resumption of full trading after the end of hostilities in 1945. Great success continued through the late forties and into the early fifties, with Claud Butler celebrating his Jubilee ‘in the game' in 1953. By the mid-fifties the glory days were over, with club cycling beginning to lose favour as a popular activity across Britain. Several manufacturers' records show a sudden dip in production from the early fifties onwards. The phasing-out of war-time rationing, as well as increased affluence throughout the population, brought aspirations towards consumerism and motorized transport. This was at odds with the simple pleasures of club cycling. The ultimate distraction – television – also became more affordable at this time, with many thousands of households equipping themselves to watch the live broadcast of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. In the mid-to-late fifties Britain's lightweight trade was in serious decline, with several prominent marques relocating and downsizing, becoming amalgamated or simply packing up for good. Claud's finances were in a poor state and a large sum owing to the taxman put the final nail in the coffin. Claud Butler’s business was declared bankrupt. The Clapham Manor Street works closed in 1956, and so ended the Claud Butler empire and production of real Claud Butler cycles.
...
By the late thirties Claud Butler had established five retail branches across London, as well as a ‘Midlands Depot’ in Nottingham and the 'works' at Clapham Manor Street. The number of shops was consolidated to four at the resumption of full trading after the end of hostilities in 1945. Great success continued through the late forties and into the early fifties, with Claud Butler celebrating his Jubilee ‘in the game' in 1953. By the mid-fifties the glory days were over, with club cycling beginning to lose favour as a popular activity across Britain. Several manufacturers' records show a sudden dip in production from the early fifties onwards. The phasing-out of war-time rationing, as well as increased affluence throughout the population, brought aspirations towards consumerism and motorized transport. This was at odds with the simple pleasures of club cycling. The ultimate distraction – television – also became more affordable at this time, with many thousands of households equipping themselves to watch the live broadcast of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. In the mid-to-late fifties Britain's lightweight trade was in serious decline, with several prominent marques relocating and downsizing, becoming amalgamated or simply packing up for good. Claud's finances were in a poor state and a large sum owing to the taxman put the final nail in the coffin. Claud Butler’s business was declared bankrupt. The Clapham Manor Street works closed in 1956, and so ended the Claud Butler empire and production of real Claud Butler cycles.
This coincides a bit with the 3-speed thread but is its own topic nonetheless. I read this a few years ago and with other things I know;
It's really fascinating that Raleigh had the Clubman, Claude Butler had the Clubman; and really, this is what it was about, in pre-War Britain, apparently, you really did have real cycling clubs, overnight trips, weekend trips, camping and so on, this happened in the 1930s and then,
Then, it's fairly explanatory, the war came, things were on the back burner for those years and then, the 1950s came and as mentioned, Television, cars, rock and roll and things really changed.
Putting aside the great tragedy of the war for a moment, that pre-war era, must have really been a fascinating time for cycling. Twas a more simpler time I gather.
01-22-16, 08:05 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Alta California
Posts: 14,262
Mentioned: 415 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3811 Post(s)
Liked 3,336 Times
in
2,176 Posts
One of my most delightful finds ever was a Claud.
It was about 1979, got up at the crack o' dawn to make it to a flea market in San Jose, California at the ideal time.
Encountered there a family consisting of Mom and three teenage children unpacking a small cargo trailer. Up against one wall of the trailer espied a dark green three speed bicycle. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Claud. Asked Mom how much and she got a huge smile as she met my eyes. "One dollar" she pronounced. I handed her the dollar and let her get back to unloading. There were additional items blocking the bicycle. When I returned to collect the machine discovered it to be all original and undamaged with lugless ("welded") construction and a Reynolds 531 frame. Its SA AW hub had a date of 1953 which made it a "Claud Claud" as opposed to a Holdworthy product. Although it did not have a single alloy fitting it was surprisingly light. The Reynolds transfer was one of those small peanut shaped fellows. Wheels were built with Dunlop stainless rims.
Only ever had one other come through it was a 1972 Torino model road machine built up with all Campag NR bits save for a Universal 61 brakeset. It was also in British racing green and had gold transfers. Took it in about 1974/75, a Holdsworthy product roughly parallel to the Mistral.
It was about 1979, got up at the crack o' dawn to make it to a flea market in San Jose, California at the ideal time.
Encountered there a family consisting of Mom and three teenage children unpacking a small cargo trailer. Up against one wall of the trailer espied a dark green three speed bicycle. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Claud. Asked Mom how much and she got a huge smile as she met my eyes. "One dollar" she pronounced. I handed her the dollar and let her get back to unloading. There were additional items blocking the bicycle. When I returned to collect the machine discovered it to be all original and undamaged with lugless ("welded") construction and a Reynolds 531 frame. Its SA AW hub had a date of 1953 which made it a "Claud Claud" as opposed to a Holdworthy product. Although it did not have a single alloy fitting it was surprisingly light. The Reynolds transfer was one of those small peanut shaped fellows. Wheels were built with Dunlop stainless rims.
Only ever had one other come through it was a 1972 Torino model road machine built up with all Campag NR bits save for a Universal 61 brakeset. It was also in British racing green and had gold transfers. Took it in about 1974/75, a Holdsworthy product roughly parallel to the Mistral.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Haramassive
General Cycling Discussion
35
10-18-16 02:12 PM
bikingman
Classic & Vintage
3
03-14-14 01:27 PM
bikingman
Classic & Vintage
8
11-07-13 01:36 PM
