Author Topic: At the risk of being ridiculed... New info please read (Read 4625 times)

oldschoolace · « **on:** August 09, 2015, 09:26 PM »

...... Could I have you thoughts on this oddity

Apparently unearthed in a house clearance and hand made by this cranwar garage place near Birmingham.
Yes i know the gusset is dreadful

CustardLips · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2015, 09:59 PM »

Looks like something out of Dr. Frankenframe's laboratory looking at them seat stays and gusset.

Very odd.

Jaymz · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2015, 10:07 PM »

I think that's cool

Mikku · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2015, 10:18 PM »

Odd but interesting!! I can't make out the design/shape cut out of the gusset. & I'm guessing it's not chromoly? On the plus side it's a loopy, and you'd probably never see anyone else riding one!

oldschoolace · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2015, 10:20 PM »

The gusset has a sitting cat for some reason. Might be a black country thing

Gnarlyscoots · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2015, 03:31 PM »

The geometry of that is far from 'purr'fect Clint. It must be awful to ride. Not keen on the gusset taking up most of the front triangle either.

But it sure is a 'twerky' old thing, the 'cats whiskers' some might say

Coat, Hook, I know

pickle · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2015, 04:02 PM »

I saw that (being a cat lover) but looks like it's been added afterwards?

chubby · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2015, 06:00 PM »

oldschoolace · « **Reply #8 on:** August 10, 2015, 06:54 PM »

Might have a lead on the original owners of the garage

Jaymz · « **Reply #9 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:04 PM »

Can we get a close up of that gusset, I love a bit of pussy

BMX1973 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:25 PM »

Interesting looking frame that.

It's nice it has the old decal on it.

So is it possible the garage made it, or modified it? $:-\$

chubby · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:36 PM »

Quote from: BMX1973 on August 10, 2015, 08:25 PM

Interesting looking frame that. It's nice it has the old decal on it. So is it possible the garage made it, or modified it? $:-\$

Garage didn't make it bud, fookin Stevie Wonder did

While very very very pissed

oldschoolace · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:50 PM »

Will get some better pics up when it arrives, just to annoy you Rich

chubby · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:52 PM »

Quote from: oldschoolace on August 10, 2015, 08:50 PM

Will get some better pics up when it arrives, just to annoy you Rich

Bring it Mk

I'll bring the seatpost & we can have a ceremonial sling in the lake

griff · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2015, 08:59 PM »

Thought the only think they made in Tipton was pork scratchings....?

Pity

chubby · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2015, 09:09 PM »

Quote from: griff on August 10, 2015, 08:59 PM

Thought the only think they made in Tipton was pork scratchings....?

Pity

No good pork scratchings Griff cos ................

8 out of 10 frames that expressed a preference chose whiskers

griff · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2015, 09:43 PM »

The last pack of scratchings I bought actually had a great big curly bastard in the pack that still had whiskers attached to it

chubby · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2015, 09:56 PM »

Quote from: griff on August 10, 2015, 09:43 PM

The last pack of scratchings I bought actually had a great big curly bastard in the pack that still had whiskers attached to it

Ass or snout scratching

BMX1973 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2015, 10:01 PM »

Quote from: chubby on August 10, 2015, 08:36 PM

Quote from: BMX1973 on August 10, 2015, 08:25 PM

Interesting looking frame that. It's nice it has the old decal on it. So is it possible the garage made it, or modified it? $:-\$

Garage didn't make it bud, fookin Stevie Wonder did

While very very very pissed

oldschoolace · « **Reply #19 on:** August 21, 2015, 01:14 PM »

Just received an intersting bit of info on this frame

"Hi! clint the bike frame you have was made by gerry johnson who had one of the garages at the rear of cranwar and built and looked after grass track bikes for many stars of the 70s and 80s including steve smith who won I think 5 british championships. The bike frame was made for my son Gary who was involved with the bmx scene"

oldschoolace · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2015, 04:44 PM »

Just got this from Gary

"Hi Clint,

What can I say - I must be getting sentimental in my old age but I'm so made up that the bike is still around. I have such good memories of it in my youth. Couldn't stop smiling or telling people about it when dad told me.

So. The first bit. I have only managed to find one photo of it so far. Christmas day 1980? (could be 1981). Find that attached. Me and Cranwar on the left and my brother with Torker 280x on the right. We had rubbish cameras back then so its not the best but you can see the distinctive sweeping shape of the bracing (with the cat that isn't really shown on my photo).

It was made by Gerry (Jonty) Johnson in the shop behind the main wooden garage on Tividale Street. It was (and amazingly now still is) the only one ever made. It was made as a Christmas present to me to replace the Team Murray I had been riding for a year or two. Gerry made it quite short at the back in an attempt to get more traction on loose tracks.
Gerry himself was one the best pipe benders and welders I have ever seen. He also knew pretty much everything you could know about building race bikes and was responsible for designing and building grass track sidecar frames for multiple British champions. Steve Smith, Craig Cheetham, Alan Artus, my cousin Mark Nelson to name but a few.
I spent many happy times with Gerry in my teens, traveling the country to race meetings and helping prepare the bikes. He sadly died many years ago now.
The cat itself was actually cut out by Len Crane - another important person in my life who we sadly lost in February this year. I remember him telling me how he had cut out the cat in both plates in the workshop at the back of the transport yard a little further along Tividale Street. Of course Len was the person who was responsible for getting me into steam engines.

Was I any good? Not really. Although the older I get the better I was! We were keen and raced locally. There was a group of us that all raced together. I'm still friends with most of them. One or two went onto motocross and I had a flirtation with grasstrack but then grew up and got all sensible. I spend my time now restoring steam traction engines as a hobby. Still ride mountain bikes for fun though.

The significance of the cat - everything that was built or prepared by Gerry (Jonty) Johnson had it. Quite why he decided on a cat I'm afraid he took with him to the grave. I've always guessed that he did it as a nod towards Robin Rhind Tutt who was behind the Wasp racing bike name. A cat being better than a wasp.

Parts on the bike - I can remember it had gold Araya 7x rims. As you'll see from the photo it also had a gold 3 piece crank and gold brakes and levers. Red grips, seat and front plate.

It was all Gerry's work - apart from the cutting of the cat which was Len. It was of course sent for chroming by a company near by which my dad will remember the name.

Yes it was raced - by me anyway. I have no idea if anyone after me raced it. We raced out of the Brierley Hill club that had its track on ground close the Buckpool School, Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley. I think its all houses now but I haven't been that way for years as we now live down in Cornwall."

Does anyone remember Gary, Brierley hill track or the frame being ridden?

Shout out if you can name any parts too

griff · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2015, 04:58 PM »

brilliant story!!! thanks Clint for the update

Bfellows · « **Reply #22 on:** August 26, 2015, 05:11 PM »

Yep, Wordsley track was the home of the Wordsley warriors BMX club. Half decent track if I remember rightly - one of my old stomping grounds......

oldschoolace · « **Reply #23 on:** August 26, 2015, 05:22 PM »

Cool vid Bert

Couldnt see any cat gussets though

kdw712 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 26, 2015, 05:23 PM »

cool history
and a one off frame

nice

Author Topic: At the risk of being ridiculed... ***New info please read*** (Read 4625 times)

griff

griff

griff

Author Topic: At the risk of being ridiculed... New info please read (Read 4625 times)