Royal Enfield bicycles [1907]

Not sure what topic would best suit this, so the Tea Room will suffice:

Mrs.G is busy researching the family history and found this wonderful catalogue:

**LINK**

https://oldbike.wordpress.com/1907-royal-enfield-catalogue/

It conveys just the right sense of confidence in both the company and the engineering of its product ... Many modern businesses could learn something from it.

MichaelG.

Worth noting that the gents light roadster cost more than 2 months average pay

Worth noting that the gents light roadster cost more than 2 months average pay

But the price was carriage paid to your nearest station & the prices shown were payable in 12 installments (10% discount for cash).

The top of the range gents bike at £17 10s is equivalent to £2160ish today according to an online inflation calculator.

Nigel B.

(taking delivery of a "new to me" Royal Enfield motorcycle on Friday - Chennai built rather than Redditch, though)

A fascinating document!

I searched in vain though for the name Kay in that illustrious company listed down the margin. He was manufacturing bicycles under his name, in Nottingham in the late 19 . early 20 - C; and I think a few examples still exist.

Though having just returned from a physiotherapy appointment I did look askance at the entry "1900 - Gentlemen's Elswick Special Cross Truss" ......

M y Father had a Royal Enfield bicycle when I was a wee lad , 1940 ,s or so. It was old at that stage, so could have been bought many years before. In those days people did not dump their bikes just because the wheel went flat, as they do now. They use to say they were "Built like a gun ", this thing was more like a tank ! 28"wheels, a saddle made to fit a farmers arse [or a coppers arse ], Huge springs underneath and mudguards made from 16 g steel as far as I could make out.

These things were made for SERIOUS work, not just faffing around. Coming home from the plot [allotment, to you gents ], loaded with two sacks of potatoes+ fork+spade+me and no bother to it.

When he died, 1959, it was passed on to yes, a country copper, who used it to maintain Law and Order among the great unwashed in his area. By that time ,I already had my first bike, my very own NEW secondhand bike, no 17447dI. Strange how such details remain in your mind so many years later, much like an Army No, I suppose.

I have no idea how much that bike cost, but it must have taken a fair slice of his wage at the time.

Ramble down Memory lane over !