14 Jun 2015: The joys of research

I came across some old cycling magazines from the 1940s and 50s and hoped to find some ideas about components for the restoration of my reserve bike: the 1942 Claud Butler. These things are fascinating, especially the wartime numbers. The ads show some of the component manufacturers, like the Cyclo gear company, closing down for the duration:

Others, like the British Hub Company, cut down their product lines:

while the John Bull Rubber Company warned sternly of the need to keep tyres pumped up to save rubber for the war effort – even going so far as to accuse people with soft tyres of aiding Hitler!

But my favourite, for truly bizarre imagery is an ad for Brooks saddles. Words fail me…