Bi-Cycle Industry

The Bicycle Industry or Cycling Industry can broadly be defined as the industry concerned with bicycles and cycling. It includes at least bicycle manufacturers, part or component manufacturers, and accessory manufacturers. It can also include distributors, retailers, bicycle organizations, bicycle event promoters, and bicycle related service providers.

The company began in 1880 when Fred Hopper established a cycle repair business in Barton-on-Humber in a former blacksmith's shop. Fred moved from bicycle repairs to manufacture and the business grew. By 1906 F. Hopper & Co. was employing over 400 people, and the company expanded into exporting by 1912 export markets included, Australia, South Africa, India, and Japan. Shortly afterwards the company acquired the Elswick Cycle Company located near Newcastle upon Tyne, and in 1913 its name was changed to "Elswick Hopper Cycle and Motor Company". Then in 1974 Elswick Hopper purchased Wearwell Cycles, a company established prior to the Bicycle Yearbook of 1872, in which they are listed. In 1978 the Falcon Cycle Company was also acquired, and it was operated as a subsidiary company for a period.

In 1939 Raleigh opened a bicycle factory at 6 Hanover Quay, Dublin, Ireland (a neutral country) and commenced bicycle production there. The Raleigh (Ireland) business expanded and moved to 8-11 Hanover Quay, Dublin in 1943. The plant produced complete bicycles and Sturmey-Archer hubs, and remained in production until 1976, when the factory burned down. Models produced there latterly were the Chopper and Triumph 20. The head badges changed in the late 1960s, possibly after the passing of the Trade Descriptions Act in the UK. Dublin-made machines no longer had "Made in Nottingham" on the Heron or Triumph head badge, the panel being left blank instead.

While bicycle production had steadily risen through the mid-1950s, the British market began to decline with the increasing affordability and popularity of the automobile. For much of the postwar era, British bicycle manufacturers had largely competed with each other in the export market. The 1950s saw the creation of the British Cycle Corporation under the Tube Investments Group which owned Phillips, Hercules, Sun, Armstrong, and Norman. In 1957 Raleigh bought the BSA Cycles Ltd., BSA's bicycle division, from the parent group. BSA had itself acquired Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd. only five years previously. In 1960, Tube Investments acquired Raleigh and merged the British Cycle Corporation with Raleigh to form TI-Raleigh which had 75% of the UK market. TI-Raleigh then acquired Carlton Cycles in Worksop, England, at the time one of the largest semi-custom lightweight makers in the U.K. Raleigh brands acquired and marketed were Phillips Cycles and Hercules Cycle, Rudge, BSA, and Sun, however these were cheaper machines in The TI-Raleigh range. Production was switched to Nottingham, however the Sun branded bicycles were made in the Carlton factory at Worksop, England.