Stuart Purves - Stuart Lightweight Cycles
Stuart
G Purves was an impressive man at
6’ 3” and weighing 16 stone according to his
brochure, which shows a drawing of him looking very suave with shirt
and tie, moustache, slicked back hair and holding a
micrometer. The brochure believed to be about 1951, says that
he had a frame-building career of some 25 years, having built frames
for many of the leading cyclists of the time. The frames were
sold as Stuart Lightweight Cycles and he was based at 17 Streatham Hill
London SW2. These premises were in a yard at the rear of
Luxury Cars Ltd.Mick Butler says that “he worked for Claud Butler at the original Manor Street works in Clapham, South London as a frame-builder cum welder, cum engineering technician. During World War 2 he was promoted to a managerial position in the firm as either Works Manager or Design Foreman but following a row with Claud Butler in the late 1940's, he left Claud's and set himself up as a self-employed frame-builder.” It was very common during this period for personnel in the frame-building trades to have these monumental rows followed by departures to set up one's own business or to go to another builder.
There
is some confusion as to when Purves set up his business, as Mick Butler
says: "From my own records, I have copies of Purves adverts from the
1949 programme of the Brighton to Glasgow Six Day Cycling Race and a
advert from Cycling November 15th. 1951. It is generally thought that
the firm only survived until 1955. What is puzzling
is that there are 1950 adverts in Cycling for Ephgrave's stating that
Stuart Purves was Works Manager at the Avely Works. Mick was told that
due to his gigantic reputation he brought a lot of work Les Ephgraves
way. Apparently Les was none too pleased with all these orders as he
wanted to stay a small scale builder. Stuart Purves left Ephgrave's
over this disagreement."On 8th November 1951, at the time of the national Cycle Show, Purves advertised his own show of machines in his workshops and displayed actual frames built for customers stating that all of his frames were to “show-case finish”. He says that he was too busy to build special frames for a show which implies that his machines were in great demand as November is not usually the peak time for building.
Mick says that "His outside interests included horse racing and watching cricket and football. Apparently he preferred these pursuits to frame building and his business suffered, with would-be owners waiting for many months for their orders. He then had heart trouble and the frame building business was abandoned. It is rumoured that he finished up working as a turf accountant, an occupation that readily suited his love of horse racing."
"He
was the older brother of Jimmy Purves of
the Vegetarian C.A.C. who was a post war, R.T.T.C 24-hour champion, and
who also died at the early age of 41. This information was taken from a
letter in Cycling May 2nd.1981 by a Mr. H.E. Halliday, a former work
mate of Stuart's at Claud Butler's."As to his frames, in and around 1951 Stuart Lightweight Cycles produced solos and tandems in either welded lugless form or traditional brazed frames in two lug styles Number 1 and Number 2. His welded frames were selling at £10 12s 6d, The style 1 frames were £16 15s 6d and the style 2 frames £14 17s 6d. The tandem frames were £27 10s 0d. The frames were finished in any shade of enamel or lustre with contrasting lines and lugs picked out in gold or to match lining.
His brochure makes great emphasis on ‘Stuart Craftsmanship’ and uniquely, I think, would produce a blueprint of the frame for the purchaser upon payment of a deposit of £1 1s 0d or a Guinea as it was known. He claims to have studied cycles as designed in France, Italy and Belgium and used this knowledge to produce the Stuart Cycle.
He recommends massed-start machines to be built with 72° parallel lugs, 2½” fork rake, 17¾” chainstays and 10¼” bottom-bracket height: this was regarded as the classic build for massed-start in the 50s.
For time-trial he recommends 73° head tube with the seat tube angle adjusted with a steeper angle for the shorter rider and shallower for the tall – this of course helps to adjust the top tube length to suit. The fork rake is given as 2¼”.
For track he offers 73½° head (as opposed to the usual 74° of the time) with matching seat angles. Bracket height of 10¾” for British tracks and 6½” cranks, but for grass track 11¾” with 6¾” cranks.
These designs follow what was very popular fashion at the time.
He built his frames with 2” rear end slots for both road and track giving the widest option to change fixed gears without changing the length of the chain.
 |
 Left and above: images showing the No. 1 Style lugs and matching fork crown |
 No 1 style seat lugs and seat
stay top. The No 2 has a 'stick', Ephgrave
style on the top of the stay |
As well as contributing to the above, Mick Butler also made the following observations on Stuart Purves:
"I originally came from West London in an area known locally as the North Pole, very close to Portobello Road, so London makers fascinate me, especially the ones which have their roots from Claud Butler's. The first Stuart Purves frame I saw was at Herne Hill in 1959. It was amongst all the others spectators' bikes at a Champions Meeting and was next to where I had parked my own bike. This track bike just oozed quality and I even waited for the owner to turn up at the end of the meeting so I could find out some more about the maker. This chance encounter always made me determined to get one of Stuart's frames. It eventually took me forty-four years to acquire one, which is the Silver Road Path No.1 above.
Because of this interest in Stuart Purves I have unearthed some facts about him taken either from catalogues (of which I think I have everyone Stuart produced), Cycling's and conversations with workmates of his or just general cycling club gossip. I am almost certain that he started building under his own name in 1947. The workshop at 17 Streatham Hill was a lock-up garage between Telford Avenue and Palace Road. Stuart Purves had been in charge of the drawing office at Claud Butlers and I have spoken to Doug Taylor who was a draftsman there. In those days they use to draw the specials (one-offs) full size on cartridge paper for the builder to braze up to. Les Ephgrave built most of the specials in the billiard hall near the works. Doug said that Butler's built for anyone but unless you saw them after being enamelled with transfers fitted you had no idea who. I have also been told that to get tubes and frame building materials just after the war that a lot of ducking and diving (fiddles) were used to obtain stuff for the home market. This was the period of export or die.
A letter in Cycling May 2nd 1982 from H.E.Halliday refers to a row between Stuart Purves and Claud Butler in the early 50's. Ray Bradley also told me that Stuart had worked on Government contracts during the war years at Claud's building radar and radio masts. Stuart also built frames for Algurns along with another former Rotrax builder in Garrett Lane, Tooting. Several conversations with old cyclists came up with the story that Stuart Purves, Jimmy Long (Jimmy Long was one of the top builders at Bates Comely Bank he started up on his own just after the finish of the second world war) and Pat Skeat's main source of income was from building steel extensions (stems) either for the trade or to customers specification. They were all renowned frame builders but it was quicker and easier to make stems and very profitable. I have an advert showing the Purves stem.
I have the original bill of sale for my frame built in 1951. The frame number is 51801. There is also another VCC member who has frame number 511007. Stuart numbered his frames thus; year first, month next and frame number. So we have 1951-August-frame number. The other number would be same year but October. The month number was allocated when the order and deposit was placed. Typical delivery time from initial order to delivery was approximately eleven weeks. Both of these frames are Number One Models. I have also seen a Number 2 with frame number 52101, which is 1952- January-01.
Stuart Purves also went into partnership with Bob Wakefield circa 1952. Bob was chief mechanic to the Milk Race for a number of years. I know of only six frames still in existence. How many he made I honestly don't know but I would be very surprised if it was more than 250 in total.
Claud Butler was heavily involved with sponsorship and the inception of the League right from the start. He put up prizes, lent a van and a team mechanic, but with the '48 Olympics coming up he cooled a little bit with the League as the NCU riders such as Harris and Banister were on Clauds for the Wembley Olympics. Everyone knows that no love was lost between the League and the NCU so it would be impossible to be involved with both at this time. I think it possible that he gave Stuart Purves and perhaps the Ephgraves his blessing to do his League orders and let them go on their own. I am postitive that Stuart built his own frames at first and then later on used Ephgraves. I think there was a trade off as Les needed Stuart to draw the full scale drawings for him to build to, that's why I think you see Ephgrave's advertising Stuart as their works manager when Stuart still had his workshop in South London. Stuart Purves even sponsored a League London road race.