M Steel Cycles Closed

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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Vorpal
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M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by Vorpal »

It seems M Steel Cycles in Gosforth has stopped trading after 123 years in business.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business ... s-13780566
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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Bonefishblues
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by Bonefishblues »

Haven't we had a thread on this?
Vorpal
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by Vorpal »

Bonefishblues wrote:Haven't we had a thread on this?

I looked and didn't find one. Maybe you're thinking of a thread about a different shop?
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
old_windbag
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by old_windbag »

Quite shocked. They really updated the shop maybe 6-7+ yrs ago but it was not the easiest place to visit in a car.

I met the original owner by pure chance a few years ago. I believe he handed it on to joe waugh and others. When I started out in the early days of the internet these shops were still the goto place for everything, in this area at that time there were only a handful of places to get bikes.

I remember asking for a price match at a local bike shop for a super galaxy using an advert in CTC magazine. The shop staff were fine but the proprieter went up a height and said they were going to contact CTC to complain about such a low price being offered by one of their advertisers. I didn't get my price match and went to bob jacksons in leeds :( .
Bonefishblues
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by Bonefishblues »

Vorpal wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:Haven't we had a thread on this?

I looked and didn't find one. Maybe you're thinking of a thread about a different shop?

Ah, different Forum!

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/m-ste ... ng.225362/
sukuinage
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by sukuinage »

Bought my first "real" bike - a Raleigh Olympus - from Steels in 1977.
pete75
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by pete75 »

old_windbag wrote:
I met the original owner by pure chance a few years ago. I believe he handed it on to joe waugh and others. When I started out in the early days of the internet these shops were still the goto place for everything, in this area at that time there were only a handful of places to get bikes.



Crikey - he must have been very old. The newspaper article says the shop started trading in 1894.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
old_windbag
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by old_windbag »

pete75 wrote:Crikey - he must have been very old.


Yes he was called augustus windsock, he said he was asked to help on safety adverts in the 70's.

Former owners included Geoff Dobson and framebuilder Dave Yates. M Steel Cycles was once the retail outlet for frames and bikes branded with the names Dave Yates and Joe Waugh.


I could not believe I had met cycling royalty( well in this area anyway ). He was really canny and down to earth. He passed it on to joe waugh etc who was in the shop if you ever went in. If you wanted you could buy a donkis knob from dave yates.
pete75
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Re: M Steel Cycles Closed

Post by pete75 »

old_windbag wrote:
pete75 wrote:Crikey - he must have been very old.


Yes he was called augustus windsock, he said he was asked to help on safety adverts in the 70's.



More likely his name was Mr. M Steel....
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
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