Rotrax: A Short History
Welcome to the Rotrax blog. First post we thought we’d let you know how we’ve got here.
The forerunner of the Rotrax Marque was founded in Southampton by Bill Harvell who incidentally took part in the 1932 LA Olympic Games winning a bronze medal in the cycling events. The business was eventually taken over in 1945 and expanded under the Rotrax name by Messrs Harris, Potterton and Robins with the aim to be probably the first to introduce the much more graceful and raking lines of the Continental machines rather than the old fashioned British “upright” bicycle of the times.
About this time Freddie Prince took over and was determined to revolutionise the business. Cycling historians will agree that the sport reached its peak of popularity in the early 1950’s. Post war austerity had eased, young men had money to spend and – as yet – the roads were not cluttered with motor cars. Rotrax Ltd, was well placed to meet the boom and with a skilled work force rising to 20 was able to produce light- weight road and track cycles to the standard demanded by the enthusiast. Production running at 40 per week for the lowest priced “Shirley” frame and distributed through out the country by 500 cycle dealers
In 1952 Rotrax Ltd, reached its peak of prosperity, Rotrax bicycles were ridden to victory in many notable cycle races both road and track. By the late fifties the relentless progress of the motor car was into top gear and bicycle sales fell year by year. By 1960 the sales were too few to keep all the specialist frame builders in business. This also applied to the world famous Rotrax speedway motorcycle frames that were produced in quantities alongside the bicycle business. By 1963 it had been sold on to Messrs Kinchen,Compton & Charles Noble. For a short period Witcomb Cycles of Kent had a licence to sell frames under the Rotrax name, this was subsequently terminated, Rotrax frames being exclusively build in Shirley Southampton..
From 1986 the Rotrax marque has continued with the production under the ownership of Tim Maund. The Rotrax name, “Quality First” is still the watchword for handbuilt British frames.
July 19, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I am currently restoring a rotrax that I used to race on in the ’70’s. I would be greateful if you could tell me any thing about it ie, model, year, etc Frame No.53023 Also where can I get original logo badge and forks which are missing?I bought the frame from a neighbour when I was 15 yrs for 50p and re-built the bike with saved pocket-money and raced on it. Many thanks in anticipation
Jeff Alley
July 29, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Hi Jeff, Nice to hear you have still have an old Rotrax. The frame number indicates we made it in 1953 and it was in the first month of that year. Should you require decals and metal headbadge, we can provide these if you get in touch with us.
Tim
November 16, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Fantastic to find this site. I was a student in Southampton in the 80’s and remember the shop in Shirley fondly. Sadly I couldn’t afford a bike from there but I do somewhere have a musette bag with a big Rotrax logo on the side.
November 23, 2009 at 7:43 am
any one know what has happened to rotrax that jon bayliss used,blue frame,,,,,,
November 27, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I had a Rotrax “Shirley” when I was a teenager, paid for by means of my paper round in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, and with the help of my father. This “low priced” model seemed very expensive to me at the time. I believe I was 13 when I got the bike, purchased from Baines cycle and toy store. (Anyone remember the short wheelbase Baines Special with abbreviated saddle tube so the rear wheel could be moved forward? yes, that Mr Baines)I would ride it to and from school every day, about 6 miles each way, as Bradford is a hilly city, this kept me fit. I toured around Yorkshire, youth hosteling with a friend on his BSA Tour of Britain Sports, and went on a 10 day youth hostelling holiday at age 15 in the wonderful hot summer of 1959 staying at, amongst other places, Sheringham in Norfolk, and at Ely, where we went to see the cathedral, eventually climbing up the backbone of England via the Derbyshire Dales. I remember enjoying several miles of downhill going into Sheffield. Total 1043 miles according to the mileometer clicking away by the front hub. The bike was pale blue, lined in gold, with mid-blue Bluemel’s Clubman mudguards and Cyclo Benelux 8 speed gears, chrome steel rims, Weinmann brakes, and, initially, Palmer tyres. I subsequently joined the East Bradford cycling club, we would go out on club runs every Sunday, usually around 100 miles, and also I would ride a 10 mile time trial occasionally on Wednesday evenings in summer at Pool-in-Wharfedale on the A61 between Leeds and Harrogate. Good times!. I sold the bike to a friend when I was 17 when I was an engineering apprentice in order to help run a 350cc Velocette MAC motorcycle of ancient vintage that I had bought for 10 pounds, that being 4 weeks pay.
I now live in Canada, still cycle, using a Raleigh SuperCourse 12 speed (now 14 speeds), purchased new in 1980. I believe this was marketed in England as a Carlton, but that name is not well known here. I live in the lovely Caledon Hills about 50 miles North West of Toronto in Ontario, which is good bicycle country, hilly, which keeps me fit still. The Raleigh has done about 2500-3000km every summer, is now Campagnolo geared with a Super Record chainwheel and bottom bkt assy I replaced the original Raleigh branded Sakae one with about 12 years ago. I was riding yesterday, November 26th, the latest I have ever ridden in Canada, but today we have wet snow showers, so that’s it until spring. The bike is polychromatic red, faded to pink in places, as we get hot sun in summer, with the same (only white) Bluemel’s Clubman mudguards and Weinmann brakes. It is interesting to see how little development there was on cycles between the fifties and 1980, and how much since then. I cannot afford a carbon Cervelo, just like the Ellis-Briggs I couldn’t afford back then. I still have a Velocette motorcycle though, a 500cc 1959 Venom, purchased in Derby in 1974. I loved that Rotrax, it was my magic carpet on which I explored the Yorkshire Dales and places like York and Knaresborough. I was sweet on a girl at the time whose name was, incredibly, Shirley. There was a pleasing symmetry about that.
December 12, 2009 at 10:00 am
Gdday from Vic Australia..my first job at age 15 was working for Mike Compton. 1972-73. at that time he was building Rotrax frames,and his own brand which he called Kingston.
It was part of my job to braze on the pump pegs and other smalll stuff.
I was also a keen racer and actually did own a beautiful orange Rotrax track bike.
I spent one of the happiest years there,was great when the well known riders in the area would drop in for repairs ,or frame orders .and talk cycling[as I raced with many of them on the road,cyclo cross,and the track..
Anyway hope my small contribution may help ,or has some relivence to your history. Norm Gray..Formerly Gs europa CC,, now racing in Australia at 52,after a break of 25 years.
December 13, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Hello Norm, Good to hear from an ex “Rotrax” employee and still racing. You may be able to place some names to some of the faces in the workshop photo line up. Regards Tim