# Video Ilustrates Production vs Artisan Cycle Making



## juvela (Apr 19, 2019)

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Begins with an introductory section on cycling and cycle trade then visits a production facility at Halfords in the UK, with an output of sixty thousand per year.  

Production techniques shown and discussed.

In second half visits Yorkshire framebuilder John S. Connell, the man behind the Wester Ross badge.

He discusses frame design parameters & building technique with the host.






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## dnc1 (Apr 20, 2019)

I used to dream of owning a Wester Ross as a teenager. Lovely to see this film @juvela. 
Halfords are still the UK's biggest retailers, It's where most people get their first machine.


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## juvela (Apr 20, 2019)

dnc1 said:


> I used to dream of owning a Wester Ross as a teenager. Lovely to see this film @juvela.
> Halfords are still the UK's biggest retailers, It's where most people get their first machine.




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did they ha' 'lectric startin' auto-mo-biles by then?  

just joshin', am prolly at least half gen older than thee...   

BTW - there were a wrecent Wester Ross thread o'er at BF -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1170679-wester-ross.html

a marque not oft encountered here in the hemisphere occidentale,,,
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## dnc1 (Apr 20, 2019)

HaHa! That was back in the early '80s, that's 1980's. 
A shop in Oxford acted as an agent for their bespoke frame building services. I remember measuring my limbs and choosing specifications for the build on the supplied form, but that's as far as the fantasy went!
I had to make do with a 'Raleigh'.
Not from Halfords though!


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## juvela (Apr 21, 2019)

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Well, you have certainly come up with some fascinating mounts since!   

Thanks for sharing some of them with the forum.

Must take back me comment anent generations.

If you were a teen in the early 'LXXX's then you be a _full _ gen younger than I.  :eek:

Am definite knackery grist.

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## dnc1 (Apr 21, 2019)

I just appear much older than I actually am!


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## juvela (Apr 22, 2019)

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Distinguished!  

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## non-fixie (Apr 25, 2019)

Thanks! I really enjoyed that film. I'd never heard of Wester Ross, but actually own a few Halfords frames. The nicest is the one pictured below, with a Reynolds 531 main triangle. I didn't know they had their own factory, and thought they bought their frames, or even complete bikes, elsewhere. The wrap-around seat stays on this one have me think it may have come from Falcon:


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## juvela (Apr 27, 2019)

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Your Halfords -

The seat stay treatment when combined with that head lug pattern certainly suggests a raptor heritage.

Crown cannot be seen well eno' in photo to identify.  Appears it may be one I have not seen previously from the maker...

Blades appear they may be _piste._

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BF had a recent thread on a Wester Ross complete machine sporting livery original.  Looks to be early 1970's and is serial nr. 020 -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1170679-wester-ross.html

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## non-fixie (Apr 27, 2019)

Thank you for that link. Hadn't seen that thread. 

WRT the photo: it's probably ten years old, and I hadn't a decent camera back then. The 'auto focus' feature meant it would automatically focus on anything but the main subject. 

This one's slightly better:


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## juvela (Apr 28, 2019)

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Thank you for additional image.

Crown is Agrati.

Falcon has used some Agrati bits.

Am at library this day.

Will be able to give crown model name and number when I get back to my catalogues in a week's time.

Cannot recall seeing a Falcon previously with that pattern of Milremo/MAVIC dropout.  Which of course means nothing!  

X'umz e O'umz per _nostro tre amici._

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## juvela (May 4, 2019)

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Hello once again @non-fixie 

am now back wherest me Agrati _biblio _abideth.

Halfords' crown is Agrati N. 000.8028 and is part of the "ROMA" lugset N. 000.8020/U.

possible frame's lugset is Agrati "CORSA" pattern.  since "everybody & his brother"* made a set like this shall make no claims.

appears chainset OFMEGA Gran Premio N. 1200 bis.

pedals look as though they may be Eclair or WECO - cannot see them well eno' for a positive ID.

cycle shows like its birth annum was MCMLXXV.  Yoshi bits & Weinmann calipers may yield date codes.

thanks for sharing it.

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* Yank colloquialism for widely seen

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