The brand then went through various ownerships and manufacturing locations.It is superb quality and a rides like a dream despite its age.
The company owns and sometimes uses a number of different former British bicycle brands including Elswick, Hopper, Holdsworth (the Holdsworth brand is also used by Far East manufacturer Planet X Bikes), Falcon (once the second largest bicycle manufacturer in the UK after Raleigh; the factory in Barton-on-Humber closed in the mid- 1980s and production was moved to nearby Brigg; in 2006 Falcon ceased UK production entirely, but by this time only a few high end bikes were being assembled in the UK by Falcon and most Falcon bikes were already being made abroad, since about 2002 ), British Eagle, Coventry Eagle (also previously a motorcycle manufacturer), Townsend, Wearwell and Claud Butler. The same company ( Tandem ) now owns Dawes cycles (the Dawes factory in Tyseley, Birmingham closed down in around 1990 and production was moved to the Far East) too. Like Raleigh Cycles, Falcon and Dawes (Tandem) do not make bikes in the UK nowadays, all their bicycles now being foreign made. Raleigh also made three-wheel cars (these operations were later spun off in 1934 to form the independent Reliant motor company) and mopeds (up until 1971 ). I sold my black Raleigh Record for just a few pounds a few years ago (which I regret now) and have since purchased, again for just a few pounds, an old British made Raleigh bike with with straight handle bars (which is a great everyday bike). Filmed in 1945, it tells the story of bicycle manufacture in what was once the largest bicycle factory in England. These were on sale in the UK and at the same time a company called Kessel of Belgium produced Eddie Merckx branded cycles for sale in Europe. There is a Belgium company called Eddie Merckx selling Eddie Merckx branded cycles today but these are made in the Far East I think. I dont know what happened to this company but as I cant find them on the internet I assume they have closed down. Falcon Bicycle S Code Which WasTheir postcode which was shown on their products was CR0 6TN, which is a modern postcode, so I assume they closed fairly recently. He also had a cycle shop in Ledbury, Herefordshire in his later years. In the 1980s the company moved to South Wales, with bikes having been made at both locations. The business began in 1890 as Coronet Cycles, with their last frame being build in 1993 when the company was wound up. At one point Falcon Cycles were badged as Harry Quinn, but did not carry the Harry Quinn frame numbering system. ![]() Frames were mostly Reynolds but sometimes used Italian made Columbus tubing. Judging by the prices (230 775) in their 1988 brochure, these were high-end bicycles. Many famous cyclists rode Harry Quinn bikes including former World Champion Reg Harris (more normally associated with Raleigh) and 1959 Milk Race winner Bill Bradley. Mr Harry Quinn also designed bikes for Viking Cycles and Falcon. From 1981-89, Townsend and Falcon were licensed to use the Harry Quinn brand, after Harry retired. He and his son Peter bought back the name in 1989 and started making frames again in Wales. During this period in the 1980s attempts were made to cash in on the the brand name by having HQ bikes made in Ireland, in England and even aboard (in Japan). Pre-1980 and post-1989 frames will carry a frame number in the format Qxxxx.
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