H-B Designs News Blog

Memory Lane No.3

23 March 2011

Many fortunate cyclists from the late forties onwards, customised, adorned, painted and turned an ordinary pushbike into more than just a means of transport; it became a symbol and source of pride to its owner. The oily rags, chrome polish – usually Silvo- were essential cleaning materials for keeping your metal steed in sparkling condition. For those old enough to recall this mid twentieth century period, car and motorbike owners up and down the land could be seen every weekend washing, cleaning and polishing the car/motorbike. It was an accepted ritual through the fifties and sixties. As new and novel gadgets for the bike came on the market ( headlamp dynamo, milometer, speedometer, windshield, front and rear lights, hockey stick/tennis racket clip, front and rear mounted panniers) it did not take long before many bike owners had some if not all of these additional items fixed to the bike frame.