Ken's Cycling club website, Thurcroft C.C

Sheldon Brown I have broken my own rules. I have chosen someone who has not (as far as I know) ever been to a UK bike jumble, nor is he alive. He died on January 3rd and was an crazy all-American enigma. In addition to being an addicted, mad and wonderfully enthusiastic cyclist he had the knack of explaining thoroughly and entertainingly everything about the mechanics and repair of bicycles. The internet became his main medium, since when he worked at Harris Cyclery he was expected to work rather than chat. I have just added to this page Doug Pinkerton and Dave Marsh. From all reports Sheldon possesed a drier humour than Doug and (some would not believe) was more verbose than Dave. I recommend his Harris Cyclery website, whatever you need to know about "fixing" is there. To the French he claimed he was a Francofile. to the English an Anglofile. What is certain is that he knew his stuff. There are over 1000 pages on the websites - chortle AND be informed! He answered 200 emailed queries every day. He gave it all for free! Also his own website to find about the man when he was alive. And also his memorial webpages. The Times obituary His mission statement was "I have always loved riding bicycles, especially for the feeling of freedom and self-sufficiency that they give". The last words on his blog were "Actually, my ideal scenario would be a Clinton/Obama ticket, with Obama running in 2016 as VP. However, it's very unclear that such a ticket is possible, so Obama/whoever is my next choice. (Feb 3rd 2008 - the day he died)
	Robin Hatherall Minimalist jumbler - has very few items on his stall which he is often selling off for other people. Or failing to, he grumbles. However he spends most of his time at jumbles socialising, Big Veteran Cycle Club man and Hill Special (a rare Lancashire bike) expert. Robin's Hill Special website
Pete McLeod. Lively and highly amusing north-easterner jumble addict who is wont to say "this is my last one, I'm just clearing the last of my stuff" or "I've only got a few things, if you buy them all I can get away", (without any intention of leaving)
	Thierry Cann Used to run a Raleigh shop near Brest, in France (until recently they had no longer had a shop anywhere). He now lives in Nottinghamshire. What he doesn't know about French bikes n'est pas important. If you want a french-threaded hinduminium brake pivot of 60's vintage he might be your man. Has recently been in training for Strictly come Dancing.
Tony Huntingdon Remarkable total enthusiast of those large ordinaries (penny farthing to the masses). His job involves repairing them, which encompasses much metalurgy as well as fine engineering, and it seems like a major hobby too. The start of his addiction was brought on by his daughter, then about 10 years old. It seems like a condition of marriage to his daughters was for would-be spouses to share the love of riding the beasts. His family have taken five out of the top seven places in an international race in Austria. He is greatly involved with the Bygones Club of Yorkshire. Photo - Tony with wife Elsie
Ken Dowling Ken runs the Bike Jumble at Thurcroft, near Rotherham. A lifetime bike enthusiast and a Thurcroft resident he was a miner for a while until Mrs Thatcher decided his trade was pointless. He turned to bikes. He had his own cycle shop in Thurcroft. He now works in a famous bike shop in Rotherham and is an active bike jumbler. He has two high-achieving biking sons and still tries to keep up with them by riding vets road races of about 50-60 miles.
	Steve Chantler Steve is a much-travelled jumbler from Newbury. Various people around the country get a surprize annual phone-call to offer his company for the evening. It is probably sheer coincidence that ,next day, there would happen to be a bike jumble in their area. He carries a very varied stock and you could find on his stall anything from 1920's brake guide brackets to modern featherlight titanium bolts which assist the weight obsessed rider greatly. Or least by 8 grams (1/3rd Ounce for imperial addicts). His multi-storied displays are well worth the rummage. You will, quite probably, find something he doesn't know he has.
Stuart Collins I am the author of this website. The photo needs some explanation. There was a cyclist cafe in the Vale of Belvoir called Margarets, on the Nottingham / Leicester border. There was a teapot sign outside. The photo is me bringing it home as a keepsake. Possible caption - Teapot and crackpot?!
	Mike Clark Mike lives in the Kentish outpost of Hamstreet. He runs four Jumbles a year, one at Bethersden. He worked for the well-known F.W.Evans for many years (before they went Halfords-like and blister-pack mad). He can be relied upon for good advice. He doesn't normally look like he has got jaundice but the cameraman must have chosen the halloween setting on his digital dial! He sells almost exclusively high-end components.
Doug Pinkerton He was almost born into cycling. His dad John ensured that bikes were the shared family hobby - no choice! In his early 70's he, in effect, commuted from England to Australia. He rode high bikes there and track events on conventional machines. Modesty prevents him from saying that he won 5 Australian track championships and then won some more titles in the UK. Doug launched his own restoration business in 1984 under the government Enterprise scheme. He will restore anything, high bikes to childs' trikes. All challenges are equally challenging. There is probably nobody with more intimate knowledge of the "triangulation gone mad" Dursley Pederson. He has even restored one for a Dane! He started the Jumbles at Kidderminster in 1989 when there were only four venues. When his dad died, his friends formed the John Pinkerton Memorial Fund. Tragically Doug's brother Dave was killed and became another focus of the Fund. One of the aims of the fund is to publish rare uncommercial cycling material. Volume 2 of Cycling Catalgues is up for reprint already.
	Dave Marsh Author Anon writes " Bike shop owner for 25+ years. Total specialist in his field. He's a mine of information, a human database. No matter how large or small an object, it is never worthless. I have found the odd nut stock in the grooves of my shoe, thrown in into the bin, only to find Dave digging through the old teabags /junk saying "it's got value!". Then he would launch into the history of the nut, its usages and how rare that one was! I would not say he was a tidy man. He has a place for everything and everything has a place - pity no one knows the place! He's a really "Cracking guy" and very knowledgible. If his legs were as powerful as his jaw he would have been an olympic champion! I have never seen someone talk so much. His favourite expression is "absolutely brilliant", and so is he, helpful and hardworking. He has a heart of Reynolds 531. An original!" Daves shop website, including Tom Simpson Celebration
Mystery man. Mystery man! Seen at many a jumble but not often near his table. Considered an absolute expert and writes in Cycling Plus Fours. Identity not certain but rumoured to be called Mr E.Bay.

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