I remembered this, as I glanced at it on my desktop this morning so I thought, lengthy as it is, I should post it. So anyone interested in the ins and outs of working for Raleigh Ilkeston’s SBDU should read on.
Words by Mike Mullet.
30 years ago, but here goes.
In the closing years of my Army career (1969 to 1976) I managed and mechaniced for the Combined Service cycling teams which led me to doing the same tasks for the British Cycling Federation at National and International events. This led to an invite from the Raleigh UK team to mechanic for the team on a freelance basis. This I was very happy to do, particularly for such a famous team.
On leaving the service I started framebuilding under my own name but still freelancing for Raleigh and writing a technical column for the UK magazine “Cycling”. The editor at that time was Ken Evans, sadly deceased at an early age.
In 1978 I rang Gerald and asked to visit Ilkeston, the base for the UK team which was managed by George Shaw an ex Raleigh UK based pro. The upshot of the visit was Gerald asked if I would like to work at Ilkeston with a view to taking over from him when he retired.
Would I. Why me? Evidently my freelance work for the team and my weekly column in Cycling had paid off.
Gerald told me I would have to have a formal job interview with his boss, the Design Director of Raleigh – Alan Oakley. Raleigh Chopper fans will be aware of Alan, a revered figure having designed the Chopper on the back of an envelope on a fight to the USA. What a gentleman. The job interview took place one lunch time (and well into the afternoon) at one of the most elite dining establishments in Nottingham with Gerald present. It was one of the most civilised job interviews I have ever had. Happy to say I was offered the appointment of Workshop Manager.
Seriously did you hear that? “Unfair aesthetic advantage”, “erotic geometry”, “psycological doping” and it is banned unless they make the bike “less nice looking”. Are these guys for real?
Here is the bike in question, the Ritte Bosberg. It is real nice, sure it is but Erotic? Please.
If anything would be considered to have an unfair aesthetic advantage it would be this: The Lance x Trek x Damien Hirst Madone with real god-damn butterflies on it. The Bureaucracy!
Posted a link to these pics last week from the brilliant La Gazzetta della Bici but the link alone did them no justice so here I include a few more pics for you.
Rapha, everyone’s favoutite british cycling team announce three new sponsors.
The Rapha Condor Professional Cycling Team, home to the current men’s national road race champion, today announced the signing of three new sponsorship deals that will bring some household names to their distinctive jersey. Sharp Electronics, Paul Smith Jeans and Malmaison Hotel Group will be supporting the team for the remainder of 2009.
The deals mark a watershed in cycling sponsorship and the sport, with a number of premier household brands entering a market that has traditionally been dominated by names from within the industry and lesser known brands. The support and interest from such cool brands is a real breakthrough.
I was looking for one of these in my size for quite some time and to my amazement just recently I managed to snag one and here it is, just completed, my 1974 Ilkeston Built, 531, Raleigh professional track bike. It wasn’t in the best of conditions to begin with but after a bit of tender love and care and a trip the the chromers for the forks it is back on the road and in full effect!
I need to grip an original Headbadge for it and a set of Campy cranks but apart from that I reckon it’s done. Boom, Here is to a great summer!
