1952: Britain's BICYCLE industry | Newsreel | Classic BBC clips | BBC Archive

BBC Television Newsreel's industrial correspondent Bertram Mycock reports from a Midlands factory about the burgeoning British bicycle export industry.
With British bicycles proving popular with customers all around the world, the bicycles must be tailored to meet the specific demands of the different regions - from city streets to jungle tracks. Newsreel cameras are there to see how bicycles are designed, manufactured, tested and packed for export.
Originally broadcast 23 January 1952.
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[@hilaryepstein6013]

Ahh the good old days when Britain actually manufactured things.

[@justinsmith1177]

We still manufactor things.

[@Liofa73]

@@justinsmith1177 -- Not nearly in the same league as we used to... Since the Commonwealth trade dried up... and so we joined the common market... and look how that ended.

[@Elitist20]

Then those pesky third world countries started manufacturing things themselves. And doing it to a far better quality. And became rich.

[@4879daniel]

@@Elitist20 British companies chose to move production overseas to chase profits. The result was lost jobs and customers paying the same price as before.

[@krashd]

A free market means companies are free to make things wherever is cheapest. Capitalists can't have their cake and eat it too.

[@SunShine-dk6rk]

Thanks for this gem of an upload,real English craftsmanship,there is still an English traditional bike manufacturer Pashley cycles they make them in there factory in Stratford upon Avon.
Best wishes to the uploader,family,friends and fellow followers.

[@4879daniel]

Mostly foreign parts though?

[@margis.5873]

My first bicycle was a third-hand Rigby hand-braked three speed made in England. It was my 11th birthday present in 1957. The bike was sturdy but the gear changer was funky...

[@LightBranches]

Don’t forget to clean those rims before the first ride!

[@garynicholls8609]

my mum used to struggle bringing back shopping on her handle bars in the sixties and seventies never knew about those special shopping ones.

[@succulent951]

Cor heavy drop at the end😅

[@DarienDrakee]

Ah, when bikes were made by craftsman and would last 20-30 years easily.

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

They should do this again.

[@user-ho4rv6kg8u]

Some of the Brompton videos are worth watching.

[@simongee8928]

So once the customer / country told the maker what type of bike they needed. Now the maker tells the customer what bike they 'want' - !

[@4879daniel]

You can still get a British built bike made to your requirements- just need deep pockets!

[@simongee8928]

@@4879daniel Ahh, yes. I bought a Brompton about 7 years ago to my spec as is the case with Brompton anyway. Cost me about £1000, but has certainly justified it's price tag since then - ! 😊

[@krashd]

@@simongee8928 So what you really meant to say is "So once the customer / country told the maker what type of bike they needed, and nothing has changed"?

[@simongee8928]

@@krashd With more recent marketing forces being what they are, it's a matter of deciding between 'need' and 'want'.
There's a big difference, but few folk understand that. 🙄

[@lindajesse8250]

I do believe I heard the name Bertram Mycock. Absurd.😊

[@Blair-kw5bu]

it's 2023

[@and3583]

And now we either get whole bikes from China, or Holland where they make them out of Chinese parts.

[@railwaystationmaster]

Sadly we have now become a third world country and manufacture very little , that's progress for you !

[@user-ho4rv6kg8u]

Brompton

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

Yea we don’t make things like jet engines, bikes, cars, buses, trucks, helicopters, jet fighters, wings, nuclear submarines, tractors, dumper trucks, car engines, any more do we, apart from yes we do, you’re just spouting the nonsense people like farage tell you.

[@omegabeth1773]

My friend that is a shaman told me that people that ride bicycles all the time are over sexualized.

[@heresjohnny602]

To be fair that just sounds like the ramblings of a schizophrenic....like seeing jesus in your toast or wearing foil to keep the aliens out.

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

@@heresjohnny602 over sexualized, fair enough lol

[@garypoulton7311]

And today its all jong chong pong junk, whilst the UK goes green.... thanks Bojo.

[@Elitist20]

Bikes are green, aren't they?

[@cefnonn]

They certainly are if people ride them. Where I live the bike-hire scheme is a great success.

[@rrbh]

Have you tried riding the Churchill Gammontastic Mk1 ? It comes in Spitfire livery with a special Dad's Army uniform for free.