olympic cycles

[john21]

Does anyone no about Olympic cycles Nottingham and what happened i have a hand build Audax bike and just wanted to Know history and what happen to them.Thank you it seems like a very well constructed bike and was about 1000.00 in 2001

[Big T]

Ther shop closed down about 4 years ago. The shop was run by Granville Horton and originally started in the Hyson Green area of Nottingham. I think he started in 1980, which was an Olympic year, hence Olympic Cycles.

He moved to the Valley Road/Hucknall Rd junction, near the City Hospital sometime during the 80's. Granville retired about 5 years ago and his assistant Nigel took over, but the business didn't last much longer. It was quite close to where I work and I used to shop there quite a bit. I'd usually be in there for about an hour, as Granville liked to chat!

[DavidT]

I'm an ex customer as well. My wife's Dawes Sterling came from there back in the 90s.

I think the owner was called Granville Horton? Originally they were in Hyson Green, Nottingham but relocate to the Ring Road in the late 80s or early 90s?

I believe when he retired Granville sold the business to his mechanic, but that didn't work out and the business closed. This must have been in the late 90s, early 00s? I remember going to City Hospital and noticing the shop on the adjacent roundabout had closed, but unfortunately can't place the date.

Granville and his wife were/are very keen tandemists, and apparently he is also known as a bit of an expert in particular lightweights - including Mercian being a specialist subject of his . I have a photocopy of an article he did for a lightweights booklet.

I didn't know Granville personally, but I do occassionally bump into a chap out and about on his bike (a Paragon)in the Vale of Belvoir who I believe is a friend of his. (He supplied the Mercian article)

Hope this is of interest.

[DavidT]

Phew, that's a relief our stories match!

All the best.

[Big T]

I knew Granville quite well. When I started cycling, he was the Division Road race secretary and I promoted a few races. He always took a keen interest in my son's racing career. I think he used to live out Nuthall way and was a member of Beauvale CC.

[Robbiebee]

A fantastic bike shop, always very helpful and reasonably priced. Granville was great in 1987 when I was building my bike up before going to University. And he did a fantastic job of building up my Mercian Pro lugless in 2000 with Campag Chorus 10 speed, although he wasn't too sure why I wanted 10 speed and he matched Ribble's prices.

It is sad when I go back to Nottingham as most of my favourite bike shops have gone or changed. Henry Lloyd my favourite, although Biketraks in Great Ayton is a very close second, Sid Standard, bless him, the shop is just not the same and Olympic Cycles. I think there is only Langdale Lightweights left.

[Big T]

Yes, Langdales get most of my business these days, though Scott Gamble's shop at Hucknall (Probikes) is quite good, if a little on the small side.

I used to love Henry Lloyd's but it lost its sparkle when Henry retired and it closed soon after (early 80's).

Sid retired in about 2001 and his shop is now Cycle Inn. Sadly Sid died as a result of injuries received in an accident in 2003. He was a legend.

[Robbiebee]

I've got great memories as a young lad, looking at all of the fantastic frames and Campag bits in Henry Lloyds shop and going on rides with Sid. I was very sad when I read in the Evening Post that one of my childhood heros had died.

When I come back to Nottingham now I tend to go over to Mercian in Derby which is dangerous as I always seem to spend too much money.

[cols3064]

does any one know granville,ive a olympic it could do with new decals

[boris]

if you go to the cycle jumbles website and ask someone there you might get some contact info.. I have seen him at the heanor clarion jumble several times, cannot remember whether he was there this year. Heanor clarion might know if he is about.

[Olympic_Cycles]

Hi,

This was my grandparents' shop and it's so lovely to see everyone who remembers it through the years. I'd like to make them a little scrapbook, if anyone has any memories or photos of the shop or bikes from there etc I'd love to see them.

Thanks,

Daisy

[cpg]

I recently bought a very nicely made Olympic Cycles touring bike. Can anyone tell me who the frame builder was for Olympic Cycles? Thanks.

[chickendrumsticks]

To resurrect an old thread...

I'm looking to buy an Olympic. Made some enquiries as to who made the frames, in the 70s at least. According to my source they made their frames in house, and it's thought the builder was "Les", but cannot remember his surname.

[TrevA]

I know Granville Horton, who was the owner of Olympic Cycles. Sadly the shop closed down about 10 years ago. I'm not sure who used to supply his frames, but I don't think he built them himself. His shop was always an Aladins Cave and Granville liked to chat, so a visit to the shop would take at least an hour. It was on my commute, so I would often call in on my way home, if I needed something.

TrevA
(The Artist formerly known as Big T!)

[dvd_elvy@yahoo.co.uk]

To resurrect this thread yet again, I've just received my Olympic frame back from Mercian Cycles.
The frame was built in about 1993 and was intended for Audax rides.
I was a student in Nottingham for 2 years and regularly visited Granville initially at his Hyson Green shop. I was on a tight budget an often Granville would disappear around the back and return with something more suitable to my means.

I'd like to post a picture, but that doesn't seem possible.