THE BRIGHTON ROAD
As regards the Brighton Road there are many ways to Brighton, the classical record route being by Purley, Horley, Crawley, and Handcross. The Brighton Road was associated with the earliest bicycle performances, when plucky pioneers trundled bone-shakers there in the day. Relay rides were also a feature of the days when cyclists showed they could beat the time of the Brighton four-horse coach. Innumerable cycling records have been made on the Brighton Road, but the extension of London southwards and Brighton northwards entails so much traffic riding that very few attempt the performance now.
– Common Commodities & Industries: The Cycle Industries by W. Grew, 1921
1939 Elswick ‘The Brighton Road’
Sturmey-Archer ‘Model Am9’ 3-speed gear
Resilion Model A rear brake
23″ Frame
26″ Wheels
Brighton has been England’s premier seaside destination since the construction of the railway line from London in the 1840s. It has therefore never needed to become an industrial centre in order to bring income to the city. While we may not have built many bicycles, motorcycles or automobiles in Brighton, our connection with the history of independent transportation since 1869 is nevertheless unique – the road from London to Brighton became the primary route for establishing speed records. In 1939, Elswick commemorated that connection by naming one of their Clubman models ‘The Brighton Road.’
These photos show ‘The Brighton Road’ at the end of the Brighton Road – you can’t cycle any further south than the Palace Pier.
The Elswick is in excellent original unrestored condition, with its seat tube transfer (decal) intact and the remains of the steering head transfer just about identifiable as an Elswick. It’s fitted with a Sturmey-Archer ‘Model Am9’ 3-speed gear, which is a closer ratio than the AW and was made for the club cyclist. The rear brake is a Resilion, and the front fork is fully chromium plated. This is a rare bicycle that’s mechanically sound and ready to ride.
The bicycle having paved the way, with its introduction after the turn of the century the automobile was not slow to take over our roads.
Observe the fantasy picture, below, from 1912, envisaging that the Brighton Road would be so crowded with traffic by 1922 that cyclists would be forced into the hedge at the side of the road.
1939 ELSWICK CATALOGUE
THE BRIGHTON ROAD: RACING HISTORY
On Brighton Road copyright © 2002 Blackmask Online http://www.blackmask.com
