1950 Jim Guard Cycles of Southampton - Eroica Steed

No worries. When I was speaking to Sue (his daughter) who contacted me through LFGSS all the way from Sydney ( again amazing LFGSS moment) this is part of what she told me of Jim. I have left out some more personal parts she let me in on but sure she would be happy to let this out on the forum. Sadly the Family don't have a frame left in the family and as yours is the only other apart from mine (nervex lugged path frame), I'm not sure how many are out there?

This is from Sue, Jim's dad

Dad’s shop was Jim Guard Cycles Southampton. It was at 124 McNaughton Road opposite Bitterne train station. We lived in Greenways off Stoneham Lane and Dad cycled 2 1/2 miles to work every day and home for lunch. He did track cycling before the road racing was allowed and then raced 50s, and 100s and a few longer 12 and 24 hours. I can only find a few results on the internet with his name.

Dad was cycling from a young age. Born in 1917 – I know he was cycling at 17 and he went to Vickers and Eastleigh Airport when 19 to work on the prototype Spitfire. He lived at 35 Buller Road Bitterne with his Mum and Dad until he married Mum in 1949. There are photos of them cycling in North Wales, and Austria in 1946, 1947….
Dad was in The Southampton Wheelers. Cycled with them for many years. He met Mum when he was secretary and she came along to ask about riding… So that was the 40s!
There was a Jim Guard cup that someone invented for club rides in the 70s or 80s – I’m not sure if this was The Wheelers or someone else. Dad always looked after the club cyclists and had a reputation for being fair and honest and gave great service. They could always rely on him to go out of his way to help them. I think the cup was more because of this than his amazing results in races! Here’s a link to a race in 1954! http://www.southdc.org.uk/archive/res1954/540425.htm

Dad’s partner at the shop was Dick Southey he’s in the photo with Mum and dad at the shop in the 70s. Nice shirt!! He died in 2006 or 2007. I know Dad was sick then and Mum didn’t tell him. Dad sold the shop around 1989 and still owned the buildings for a few more years. It’s been a glass place since being a cycle shop.

We used to go to Birmingham a lot for trade shows and to visit factories, so I think the frames likely came from there somewhere. Dad did not make them himself. He was a big fan of Reynolds. I could only find out more if I can talk to the old cyclists or a guy at Southampton Echo that does the historical things.

Dad’s last bike which he was still riding at 84, was not one of his own frames. He gave us bikes too and they were Dawes, Viscount, etc… I haven’t seen one of his for years and the only photo I could find in my collection – thankfully retrieved 2 years ago! – was one of the three usual lads he was often seen cycling with. The bike at the front has Jim Guard on the frame. I think the rider is Frank Drinkwater who is no longer with us, but his wife Eva, still cycles and has always lived at Bassett Village in Southampton. The Veteran’s Time Trial Association mentions her as being in Sotonia CC and I’ve emailed The VTTA for more details…

Dad was still able to do 100 miles in a day when he was 83! My husband suggested one year when we were there with him, that he should do miles for years on the 10th September every year when he got a year older! I think it was 1987 when we stayed for 6 months and he was 70. He did that every September and on his 83rd he thought - “I haven’t done 100 lately” so he did 100. (Southampton to Warminster and back was his 100 ride.)
He was still going strong at 86 in 2004, but had broken a leg in 2000, then a hip in 2002."

Jim Died in 2008. sounds like a fine innings, and proud to have one of his frames with his name on it.

This site is truly amazing! What a great stor.

Here is mine (crappy pics sorry) -

http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/4599d1231796953-dscn0519.jpg
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/4600d1231796953-dscn0518.jpg
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/4601d1231796953-dscn0524.jpg
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/4602d1231796953-dscn0520.jpg
http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/4603d1231796953-dscn0526.jpg

^when i got it. though still with original parts now just cleaned up a bit. Was like OP a near complete barn find.

Great bit of history from Jim Guards daughter, can't believe how much info has come out of the woodwork.

Jack, lovely bike. Interesting to see how the Jim Guard transfers changed over time from script to block type. I really hope ours are not the last two! In fact I know they aren't. One chap came up to me at Eroica and recognised it, and said he had one as well. So that's three so far!

Well, I don't want to get too sidetracked with Eroica Britannia on a project thread, so I'll just point you to my flickr album and let the photos do the selling. It was a fantastic event, far exceeded my already quite high expectations for it. Part of me wants to keep quiet about it though, so it doesn't snowball out of control! Who would have thought an event for vintage racing bikes would be so popular ... ?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29051501@N08/sets/72157645370333785/

fancy lugs by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Best moustaches line up by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

This was 'Best Facial Hair' I think ... I was picked out of the crowd and told to get up on the stage! The guy who set up Movember, JC, only judged us on moustaches though so I was out of the running, bugger! Some fantastic whiskers on display though!

Eroica camp field by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Eroica startline by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Paddy taking in the view by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

I had ridden the Jim Guard for the first time on my short 5 mile commute to work on Friday morning. I was very surprised to find it was very well behaved machine, and all I did was fettle with the saddle a little, everything else worked fine, apart from the chain coming off when I changed gear. I fixed this at Eroica, it just needed the 'stop' on the cable adjusting. Back home at lunchtime then it was chucked in the back of the Kombi and off for the 200 mile run to Bakewell!

I tried talking my nipper into doing the 55 mile ride, but in the end we both did the 30 mile route. He left me for dust within the first mile and I didn't see him again until the finish. Here's the Jim Guard at the last food stop. I really fell in love with it on the ride, it was a joy to peddle along. Looking forward to putting more miles on it now! I still walked up a few hills as I was worried I could break something under the strain, and also the close ratio racing gears weren't really ideal for hills.
The bottle cage was picked up years ago for £15. The bottle was acquired at Eroica for a tenner. It was the last one on the shelf in the registration tent!
The old saddlebag isn't doing the bike any favours here, but apart from that looking pretty good. I had mounted an old Lucas challis bell by the brake lever, but it was in the way here. I've since mounted it on the handlebar stem and it's perfect there.

The Jim Guard at Eyam on the Eroica 30 mile route by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Cake Stop! by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Look awesome! saddle angle is a little off though, ideally flat or nose slightly up.

Cheers Ed. Yep, saddle has slowly gravitated to the correct position!

A quick break down of the costs involved in this project.

£155 - Bike (ebay)
£29 - front and rear wheels (ebay)
£16.50 - Kenda Tyres (ebay)
£1.00 - inner tubes (Ripley cyclejumble)
£1.00 - Pump (friend)
£1.00 - Old cable liners (friend)
£30.50 - B17 saddle (ebay)
£2.00 - GB toe clips (friend)
£10 - Eroica alloy bottle

And a few things from my parts draw or robbed off other bikes - bottle cage, Lucas bell, Binda toe straps, saddlebag and support, wheel wingnuts.

Gosport Park cycle track by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Social ride last Sunday that took in the old cycle track in Gosport Park. (Note new bell position, much better!)

These turned up today, can't wait to fit them on the bike! Thanks Bigblock :-)

Shockstop Honking Rubbers by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Shockstop Honking Rubbers by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

Now it looks finished.

On first impressions, an understated result.
On a second look there are plenty of components to attract interest and conversations.

Posted a photo up on my local history page on facebook, and got some great replies. I'm adding them here just to keep everything in one place, as it's so easy to loose stuff on facebook.

Keith Davidge worked for Jim in the late 50's and said the frames were built by Fred Dean. Now Fred worked for Claud Butler, then set up his own shop after CB went bankrupt in 1958?

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/fred-dean-builders.html

https://www.facebook.com/SouthamptonMemories

Jim Widgery
Spent many hours in the shop on saturday afternoons with other club cyclists. I had an all chrome "Jim Guard" track frame.
I am on the race results on the build thread.

Valerie Davidge
Jim Guard had his own very successful cycle shop in Southampton which I frequented often. He was my next door neighbour for a decade and a respected racing cyclist (with his wife) in the Southampton Wheelers.

Jim and Olive Guard taught me how to do a TT feed station in the early 60's. As I said, they were our next door neighbours. I also came from a cycling family - the Ayley's - and had just bought my first bike. I sat in Jim and Olive's kitchen one Saturday evening making and packaging tiny sandwiches. Early the next morning we were out there at the Southampton Wheelers 100 in the feed station and I was involved in cycle racing ever after.
I notice on a thread via a link here that Susan has been quoted from Australia. It's a shame those comments cannot be linked here. My husband, Keith, used to work for Jim Guard on Saturday afternoons and I think other times as well. All the local crowd (well those not at Rotrax!) congregated there on Saturdays and talked about the upcoming events. The shop was a hub of information and gossip.
I might stand corrected here as going on distant memory but I think Olive was the most successful in racing than Jim. I believe she was on the BBAR winning team once but I might be completely wrong. She also used to cycle to work every day and back - both of them home to lunch too. It was years before they got a car.

Keith Davidge
Jim Guard was probably the main cause that I caught the life long terminal interest in cycling & cycle racing. As a 14 year old in 1958 I spent hours peering into the window of his Bitterne Manor shop.
During my teen years I was fortunate to work in this shop as part time help where I learned so much about the trade & sport (not much call for custom made wheels these days though!).
Jim was always a great source of advice & guidance to me, he may even have had an influence on me marrying his next door neighbour. His shop was as much a clubroom for the local racing fraternity as a shop, on any Saturday club cyclists would drop in for a cup of tea , the kettle was always on in the workshop.
Jim was also a visionary in that he started an independent team (Pete Glasspool,Mike "Spike" Lewis & Brian Abbot) who road the magnificent & striking white frames with red,white & green seat tube panel. I raced as a junior on a team copy & had my first road race win on it.
His frames were common place in the Southampton & surrounding area, they were actually made by Fred Dean in London but the local identification was undeniable. The bike in the picture is a very early example.

Cant belive i've missed this, a great bike and a great story. Another great LFGSS framebuilder story!

BTW will pm about the Honking Rubbers, keen to get hold of some for my Super Lenton

I'd seen that thread before but had forgotten about it... Amazing!

Thanks chaps.

Took the Jim Guard to the Cycling Festival at Brooklands on Sunday. Even attempted to get it up Test Hill but only managed to get half way! Not low geared enough, and ended up pulling the rear wheel out of true and it rubbed the chain stay. Would like to think I made it to the 1:4 section, but in reality I think the 1:5 stopped me!

There was one little stall selling a few nice bike bits, and I picked up a large Millar bell for a fiver (same as the Lucas 'Challis'), and this lovely little Constrictor lamp bracket for £6.

We rode there from my friends in Ash Vale. Averaged 14mph over the 33 mile round trip, which for a sluggard like me was good going!

" ended up pulling the rear wheel out of true and it rubbed the chain stay."
I use wing nuts on the back wheel for display only. When I had the GB
wingnuts on the rear, I could pull the wheel out of true on the flat.

My name is Bill Butler I live in Houston TX. I have a Jim Guard bicycle
That is in amazingly good condition. It belonged to my grandad, Edgar Booth He lived in Southampton and he and my dad were avid cyclists. I also ride here but this bike frame is a bit small for me. This is the only thread I can find referring to Jim Guard cycles. I am looking for some history on the builder and possibly the bike if there is any identifyers. If you have any info I would very much appreciate anything that is available. I will get a photo of the bike and share with you if I am lucky enough to hear back.
Many thanks in advance
Sincerely,
Bill Butler

Wow. There is a ton of information here. I asked my questions a bit prematurely. I will read up on this and then post some comments with photos of the bike. I recognize a name on the link to the race in 1954. My dad's good friend Roy Lilley. My dad always said how fast he was.
I grew up cycling with my dad in the USA, mostly in New York. I have cycled all over the US. Dad past away in 2011 in Edinburgh at the age of 83. He had many stories of cycling with mum and the club (Solent & Dist RC)
we moved to the states so dad could work on the Apollo space project and when my grandad past away we brought the Jim Guard bike to the states.
All for now.
Cheers,
Bill

Wow Bill! What a great story! And glad you found this link as well, it's good to share and collect this information.

I was riding the Jim Guard in Winchester recently, and was stopped checking a map. A passing cyclist on an old Raleigh stopped to see if I needed help and we obviously got chatting about bikes. He knew Jim Guard and his shop, in the 80's.

Took the bike on a VCC ride yesterday. It was a 'Rotrax Ride', but as I don't (yet) have a Rotrax I thought the Jim Guard was a worthy alternative. Great little ride, but was rather annoyed to loose the cover off my gear selector ... Anyone got a spare?

Great VCC Rotrax ride today, but lost the cover of my Cyclo Ace gear shift! Only noticed at the lunch stop ... Gutted! Anyone got a spare? by zombikombi1959, on Flickr

These?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CYCLO-BIRMINGHAM-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-VINTAGE-DOWN-TUBE-GEAR-LEVER-WASHERS-RARE-SPARE-/390949510083

Could be ...

2 Attachments

I guess a screw is easy to find.

Popped over to a local bike shop in town in my lunchbreak today, as I heard he had a Jim Guard. Rumours were true! Gary had a a very late Jim Guard frame, from the 80's. I took a few snaps of the transfers and headbadge for reference. Super light frame, and looked original too.