Alan Richards ???

[Pivo]

I have a Reynolds 531ST frame made by long gone Alan Richards bike shop in Birmingham, probably in early 80`s. Does anybody have any information of the maker? The brand seems to be quite rare, and therefore in my opinion interesting. I was lucky enough to find some little historical details via net, but they don`t help me much.

Overall quality of the frame is relatively high, but it has some surface rust (nothing that couldn`t be cured with steel wool and phosphoric acid), and needs to be resprayed. I am not sure what to do, whether just to respray the frame, or to renovate it. Frame transfers are naturally impossible to get anymore from anywhere, and remaking them would take some time, concern and coffee...

However, I am grateful for any information on this marque please.

[tatanab]

The internet shows you that Alan Richards was Tower cycles in Erdington, Birmingham. Beyond that I can say that I recall he was associated with a few fast time trial riders about that time who rode frames carrying his name. Whether he built the frames himself or not I do not know. Talking about "brands", do not forget that it was quite common for a trade frame builder to make a batch of frames for a shop to put their own name on.

[Si]

Regarding Tower Cycles - it's a name I recognise. It was going until around, oo, maybe ten years ago as a bike shop / antiques store (with charity associations). But the owner didn't enjoy the cycle shop side of it - and this was apparent to some of the customers. He then changed it to just the antiques store for a short while before it shut down completely. It's now a carpets and beds shop, but if you go past after hours and the shutters are down, you can still see the fancy cycling design built into them. Whether the guy in question was Alan Richards I couldn't say...but I can ask a chap who'd know tonight if I remember.

[tatanab]

Here's a picture of the man himself.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8729526@N02/5225227079/

[pete75]

Here's a picture of the man himself.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8729526@N02/5225227079/

He could ride a bit then!

[Pivo]

heh, well... Yeah, I guess he was quite an experienced rider. As far as I have understood according my investigations this far, he didn`t ride just only tricycles, but also tandems with some success. He seems also been a friend of Major Nichols.

I am not sure whether he really built frames himself, and that is one of the questions i would like to clear up; anyway, my frame has "Richards" etchings on seat stays, and also a serial number under bb, starting with letters "tc" - meaning surely "Tower cycles" - there is also a sticker that says "made by Tower Cycles, Birmingham.

[pete75]

Hey if he was mates with Major Nichols I wonder if the Major built the frames for him.

[Si]

Seems he was the guy who ran Tower Cycles until it closed. He's now moved to Spain.

[daveB99]

I bought a British Eagle 'tourisque' (Reynolds 531 tubing) from Tower Cycles in Erdington during the late eighties. I was 'served' by both Alan Richards and his brother. I believe that the frame was built by British Eagle, but Alan Richards also had his name on it. I still have the bike, which is running well, although, the Alan Richards transfers are peeling off. Accordingly, whilst Alan Richards may have built some frames, he didn't necessarily build all of those with his name on.

[Pivo]

If my Richards was really made by British Eagle, I would be very happy, as they have been told to be better quality than basic tourers made by Dawes etc.. However, rebranded, so called boutique bikes have been very common those days, but it surely doesn`t mean them to be poor quality in any manner, but that was then. ...Sadly, today we have mainly rebranded bikes, that have been made somewhere far, far away and then sold sold for consumers with just different stickers on...

However, after further investigating, I have found out that my frame appears to have Shimano drops, Dia Compe canti stays and brazed on Campagnolo shifter cable guides above bottom bracket with "brev int" text. It had Ofmega Master head set, when I got it, but it has been batteried, so I will change it when I find suitable.

As I mentioned earlier, frame seems to be well made, and worth of preserving. It will be sandblasted and powder painted soon. I will be equipped with Mafac brakes and full Gian Robert Competition shifting set with 5 or 6 speed gearing... I don`t see any reason to make it more modern. I have just been looking for something I could turn to a fast touring bike according to my personal taste, that just doesn´t meet contemporary ideas of beauty and usefulness.

[enigmatic]

Let's correct a few myths and errors

Alan is alive and well and living (most of the time) in France. He does not have a brother, his shop assistants/mechanics included Dave and Doug Pinkerton and for some time, ex-Professional and GB Sprint champion Trevor Bull.

His father started Tower Cycles, Alan took it over in the '60s and ran it until mid-90s when the shop was taken over by the local School for the Blind (no jokes please, they were very good mechanics and wheel builders).

Alan certainly did build frames, ridden by some top class riders - even perhaps a BBAR winner. There's still one he built for me, hanging in my garage. He also refurbished frames so other makes may have his transfers on. If the OP can find a frame number, I may be able to shed further light on it.

Alan was a quick time-triallist, a '53' on a bike in the '70s and Comp Record holder on a trike. He broke many (and still holds a few) Midland RRA records on all four types of machine. He had the distinction of holding all four RRA 25 mile records (bike, trike, tandem and tandem-trike) at the same time.

[Pivo]

If the OP can find a frame number, I may be able to shed further light on it.

I would be happy, if you could. Frame number is stamped on the bottom bracket: TC 8410111 - perhaps Tower Cycles, 1984, etc.? But in that case there might be one 1 too much?

[Ayesha]

If the OP can find a frame number, I may be able to shed further light on it.

I would be happy, if you could. Frame number is stamped on the bottom bracket: TC 8410111 - perhaps Tower Cycles, 1984, etc.? But in that case there might be one 1 too much?

That could be the first frame built on the 11th October 1984. Prob the ONLY frame built on the 11th October 1984.

I was a customer of Tower Cycles, and met Alan several times when he was next door in the antique shop. Trevor was a gem. He sold me my first cartridge bracket.
Surprisingly, they rarely had bikes for sale in the shop. They were a Giant dealer in the last few years, and only had three or four bikes hanging up.

They had two clothes racks full of 'vintage' apparel. I bought a stack of it at a very reasonable price. I don't mind wearing AguSport training tights

[enigmatic]

If the OP can find a frame number, I may be able to shed further light on it.

I would be happy, if you could. Frame number is stamped on the bottom bracket: TC 8410111 - perhaps Tower Cycles, 1984, etc.? But in that case there might be one 1 too much?

That could be the first frame built on the 11th October 1984. Prob the ONLY frame built on the 11th October 1984.

The man himself, he say "oui, c'est ca"!

[Pivo]

That´s nice, I am very pleased to know that. - Merci beaucoup!