Rivetts of Leytonstone Ltd
Peter Underwood
Rivetts
of Leytonstone Ltd, situated at 234/6/8 High Road Leytonstone, E11, had
been, according to the advert on the right, established over
60
years up to 1952. If this is so then they must have been
around
since c1898. For much of this time Rivetts were selling
motorcycles although in the 1890s they manufactured cycles.The history of the company is quite hard to get hold of and for this page we are interested in the post-war (WW II) period. In 1946 Phil Ingrams, a committed cyclist, opened up the cycle side of the business for Rivetts. He had been a member of Comet CC which became Lea Valley CC. Being personally interested in Continental builders he imported Urago, C N C and Frejus frames. Phil went on to be one of the founder members of the London League which eventally joined up with other sections to become the BLRC. Eventually Phil felt that he was getting nowhere in the business, partly due to three vicious winters which drastically affected sales, so in 1949 he left Rivetts. Phil was an Independent Rider for Dayton cycles for a spell. When he left Rivetts Slasher Beales took over running the business and eventually started to manufacture frames under the name Rivetts. Phil thinks that they were built in the rear of the large workshop using the 'open-hearth' process.
I have heard that during the early fifties several independent riders in the BLRC wanted to turn full-professional, which would entail them riding track as well as road. Some of them didn't feel they had the track experience to play the role of professional track rider. In 1952 the dreaded enemies of the BLRC, i.e. the NCU, set up a track racing school for professionals at Herne Hill track. Two of the participating riders, Clive Parker and Dennis Talbot were sponsored by Rivetts, who supplied them with track and road machines. They did the track riding on Saturdays and road-raced on Sundays. At the end of the one-year course Clive and Dennis plus Derek Buttle and Dave Bedwell were to join Hercules as professional riders.
Some people tend to look down on Rivetts but we have a very well built road frame (believed 1952) constructed from Reynolds 531 tubing using Nervex Professional lugs of the earlier pattern. They were well crafted frames but maybe with not quite the lug filing and detail as classics such as Ephgrave. When the frame returns from restoration we will post details on this page. In the meantime there is an image of the head, pre-restoration below left.
Neil Palmer, a professional mechanic to teams,
including Rivetts, at
this time thinks that they closed down the cycle side in the
mid-fifties but it may be
that, along with
many other concerns, they drifted into mopeds and motor-cycles.
Even the riders weekly bible Cycling became Cycling and Mopeds for
a year or so.However Terry Lack (ex Leo CC - now in Australia) tells us: re: Rivetts on the net, I was manager for 3½ years til June '62 when Langman the governor cleared out the bikes to make way for camping.
Rivetts head and fork crown pre-restoration.
Nervex 'early' Professional lugs and fork crown - not many builders used this fork crown for some reason, maybe price.
Has 'Slasher Beales' ground off the rim top and bottom of the lugs or was the rim only on the later version?
This frame number 15201 is believed to be 1952 - could it be one of the frames built for their professionals? Enquiries continue.
Clive Parker (left) and Dennis Talbot (right) at Herne Hill track in 1952, a year when they were sponsored by Rivetts of Leytonstone whilst taking part in a track course organised for professional riders by the NCU. The Rivetts track frame would have been built by 'Slash' Beales from Reynolds 531 tubing and Nervex Professional lugs.
Robert Roue tells us:- Dennis (Slasher) Beales was my Grandad. He died on the 20th of July 2005, aged 84.
Slash was a member of Comet CC, which amalgamated in 1969 with Crescent Wheelers and is now named Lea Valley Cycling Club. His ashes were buried last summer at Lea Valley CC's bungalow in Burton End.
Dennis's daughter Gilly adds: I have read your reminiscences of my dad and just loved them. There is a part where you mention going for an uncomfortable ride in someones car, his name was Eric Cursey, he worked at Rivetts too. I know he lives in Barking.
My dad was always tinkering about in the shed at the bottom of our garden in Carr Road. One night he was in the shed as usual messing around with something or another when the front doorbell rang. He answered the door and stood their chatting away as he always did. Eventually the conversation finished and he returned to the shed, lit his fag, and blew the whole shed up. He had just turned on the gas tap before the doorbell went and forgot to turn it off. He woke most of the neighbours up at gone 1 in the morning and sported singed eyebrows for a while. Well that's my dad, I miss him, but am so proud he is on the internet 2 years after his death and his memory will go on forever. My wonderful dad.....
Read more - Terry Drury reminisces on working as a frame builder at Rivetts in the 50's.
Below are two images of Rivetts down tube transfers from mid-50s - thanks to Chris Mills
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