Years ago I bought a Sheffield Langsett cycle from their shop on Langsett Road.

It was a great bike very light and I enjoyed years of cycling on it

The shop had a cporner entrance and above the door was a Penny Farthing bike fastened to the wall.

I wondered what happened to the Smith family that owned it and what happened to the penny farthing.

The last time I visited the Kelham Island Museum I couldn't find any trace of this Sheffield bike or any reference to the shop.

Can anyone out there tell us the story of the Sheffield Bike.

Happy Days!

The shops still there, or it was last time I went past...couple of months ago. Didnt notice the penny farthing, but then I wasnt really looking.

Pop T

I cant help you with your penny farthing but I do remember there was another one above the window of Tony Butterworth's Abbeydale Road shop.

Funnily enough I was in this shop a few weeks ago talking to the staff and the subject was the penny farthing.

They were telling me that the penny farthing had been outside, on the wall since the 1940's. It met it's sad demise in the 1990's when it was brought down in a storm. The machine was so badly corroded that when it hit the floor, it broke up. It was literally held together with paint.

According to Langsett Cycle shop they never had one above there shop, certainly in the last 30 years but one did have a Penny Farthing outside Butterworths on Abbeydale road.

Re Cycleracer

I was told that one of the Smith family had a large collection of Vintage and antique cycles stored away.

I just wonder if the penny farthing is now in that collection.

In the fifties I worked with one of the Smiths who was in his sixties.

In his younger days he rode the penny farthing around Sheffield advertising the shop.

He also raced for the shop in competitions using a racing bike with cane rims.

But all this was more than thirty years ago.

Does anyone know if any of the Smith family are still into bikes and cycling?

My Dad bought a Langsett for my Younger brother in the early 60's and he didn't take to it, I eventually I started using it to ride to work from Shiregreen to Chapletown and back every day...This ride of about 20 miles included several hills (because Sheffield is built that way)..as result I became fitter and fitter and Ive been cycling ever since..I gave up riding that bike when another experienced cyclist pointed out to me that the down tube was too short and my feet were passing both sides of the front wheel (dangerous on tight bends) so I got rid, and bought a hand built "Wilson" bike from JF Wilsons bike shop on City road and I still ride it today 44 years later.

Originally posted by PopT
Re Cycleracer

I was told that one of the Smith family had a large collection of Vintage and antique cycles stored away.

I just wonder if the penny farthing is now in that collection.

In the fifties I worked with one of the Smiths who was in his sixties.

In his younger days he rode the penny farthing around Sheffield advertising the shop.

He also raced for the shop in competitions using a racing bike with cane rims.

But all this was more than thirty years ago.

Does anyone know if any of the Smith family are still into bikes and cycling?

I am very interested in whatever you can tell me about the
Smith family (Herbert, Annie and kin), these form part of my family genealogy, however I do not know anything about them.
Apart from vague stories from relatives.

I worked at Langsett Industries Green Lane for a short time back in the sixties, old Mr Smith was a mild mannered gentleman, a bit eccentric he used to hand out dolly mixtures to the workforce on his way round.
his son was a bit more eccentric he used to drive round in a very old car, cant remember the make but must have been made before 1920s

It's obvious you know a bit about bikes PopT, do you remember Beldon Cycles on Harvest Lane? They made them from a little house window shop, next door to a junk shop owned by a family called Truman. Harvest Lane was the continuation of Woodside Lane but under the railway bridge.

Originally posted by retep
I worked at Langsett Industries Green Lane for a short time back in the sixties, old Mr Smith was a mild mannered gentleman, a bit eccentric he used to hand out dolly mixtures to the workforce on his way round.
his son was a bit more eccentric he used to drive round in a very old car, cant remember the make but must have been made before 1920s

I worked there too in the late sixties/early seventies. I can remember a collection of cycles just inside the firm. I was a polisher there and I polished saw backs, foden lorry emblems and bed pans.

I was in the ducting shop worked with Les Priest

do you remember Beldon Cycles on Harvest Lane?
Frederick Beldon, used to get bits from there as a kid, makes you wonder how he managed in such a small shop.

I worked at Langsett Cycles in the early 90s (Mansfield Rd branch). There was never any talk about a unicycle over the door of the Infirmary Rd branch :?
Les Taylor owned it back then and i think Andy Elston ownes it now.

Hello reptep, I worked at Langsett in 1968 for a few months they were a good set of lads. I worked in the same shop as Les Priest, Lou, Tony and a lad called Mick. Used to remeber going on site to Fletchers bread and their cheap canteen meals (magic). I can remeber a couple of welders they were Tom, he was a big lad and Billy Knutt. First time I got drunk at Christmas eve dinnertime went up town with the lads Iwas only 15. Is the old place still standing now. I seem to recall they called the boss Rupert and he used to deliver tanks in the Rover he drove. I used to make the waste bins for christmas boxes and the women used to cover the with suede cloth.

Yes the firm is still standing, a mate of mine had a joiners shop in what was Smith'ys office, it still had the big walk in safe at the back, Les Lou Tony and Mick were the same team as I worked with, but i was gone by 68.

I worked at the Green Lane factory and remember Les priest. They manufactured the famous bikes on the top floor, as I recall a relative of the owner worked in that area also. They fabricated stainless steel items and assembled light machinery for the confectionary and tobacco industries on the bottom floor (or they did when I worked there.) I know that ownership must be probably long gone by now and I've no idea if the Langsett bikes are still being made elsewhere, but I seem to recollect that, the building on Green Lane or part of it, got turned into some recording studio and was used by some famous 'Stars'. Perhaps some Forum members could elaborate.

My brother Jim worked at Langsett Cycles bike shop from 1949 until he got called up for the forces in 51 , he remembers the penny Farthing WAS on the shop front at the time, but got taken down for safety reasons.
Mr Smith the owner, had 2 son's, Rupert Allen & Edward Stewart Smith, the company also made rolling machines for a company called Rose Bros, which was based at Gainsborough at that time & also other machines and of course the cycles.

In the 1940s before Albert Butterworth put that penny farthing up, some of us tried riding it. It was very hard and Albert stopped us in case it got banged up or we did.

Me and my twin brother got a bike each for our birthday when we were about 12/13 from there in the 60s.Never forget my Dad taking me and my bro to fetch em from shop we had no idea we were getting them, Gears on and everything else.there was no way my dad could afford them.It put him and my mum in ock for ages paying for em the pleasure we got from them was brill went everywhere on them.

I bought mi first racing bike from there in the mid sixties.
Dad had to sign the "never never papers" and I payed ten shillings a week out of mi paper round money until it was paid for.
Best bike I ever had.

New to this site. I see your posting is five years old. I was just looking to see if Langsett Cycles still manufactured their own frames but they appear to sell Dawes and the like only. I bought my last Langsett 48 years ago. It's still in perfect nick apart from a slight dent in the top tube. I got that when some so and so chopped me and brought me off when I was sprinting for the finish up Manchester Road in a mass start many years ago. I should have won that but I lost a load of skin instead. Lol

Has anyone else still got a vintage frame?

Hi Crusader1943

I still have my Langsett cycle circa 1950's. One day I'll get it back in roadworthy condition, no parts missing but in pieces. I spent many happy hours on that bike but I wouldn't like to use it on the busy roads today. Are these old bikes worth anything?

PopT

My Dad being quite tall had a custom 24" Langsett frame made in the mid/late 30s.
The bike was fixed wheel, my brother use it until the end of the 50s, after that it was left to rust.

I bought a Sheffield Langsett bike from a mate back in '48. That was fixed wheel too, a 14 cog if I remember right. I had to have it, the only trouble was the frame was too small for me really, but with what seemed like a mile of saddle stem sticking out the crossbar I got along. But I clearly remember it had 'Sheffield Langsett' as the logo, not just 'Langsett'. It was a mid blue color with black lettering.

Recently bought a second hand complete bike from shop in Maltby. Had never heard of the make before but on riding found it very rewarding. It is very responsive and loves going uphill - which is more than my legs do. It came with 27 inch wheels on one and a quarter wheels. Campag hubs, levers, gears; mafac breaks and levers and beautiful drilled stronglight chain rings. It had obviously had a lot of TLC as it is in near pristine conditiopns for a bike that I feel is approximately 50 yrs old - now being pushed around by sixty year old legs.

I don't know much about the bikes other than there was a Langsett team at one stage so if you know anyone who can forward information to me I would appreciate futher correspondance.












New to this site. I see your posting is five years old. I was just looking to see if Langsett Cycles still manufactured their own frames but they appear to sell Dawes and the like only. I bought my last Langsett 48 years ago. It's still in perfect nick apart from a slight dent in the top tube. I got that when some so and so chopped me and brought me off when I was sprinting for the finish up Manchester Road in a mass start many years ago. I should have won that but I lost a load of skin instead. Lol

Has anyone else still got a vintage frame?

Recently bought a second hand complete bike from shop in Maltby. Had never heard of the make before but on riding found it very rewarding. It is very responsive and loves going uphill - which is more than my legs do. It came with 27 inch wheels on one and a quarter wheels. Campag hubs, levers, gears; mafac breaks and levers and beautiful drilled stronglight chain rings. It had obviously had a lot of TLC as it is in near pristine conditiopns for a bike that I feel is approximately 50 yrs old - now being pushed around by sixty year old legs.

I don't know much about the bikes other than there was a Langsett team at one stage so if you can supply me with any information I would really appreciate you taking the time.

ps rebuild it and enjoy it - mine gets admiring glances and conversatuion always centres around it when I am out on it. It may not be modern but it still goes at a fair old lick.

Hi
Just remember that most of the Falcon Road Club in Sheffield rode Lansett Professional cycles and two of my tea

Hi I remember that the Sheffield Aspirint Team that rode in the Tour of Brittain in circa 1956 were riding Langsett Professional frames and were competing against the 10 strong Hercules Pro Team and other pro, teams such as Viking, BSA, Claud Butler and guess what Tony Hewson came first and Dick Bartrop third beating the likes of Brian Robinson and Tony Hoar. We had quite a good team in the Falcon Road Club at that time, Happy Days
Terry Cook

I bought a bike from Langsetts that was in the window, special offer. At the time [80s] best bike I'd ever had. Ended up having a bad crash on it. got it repaired in Dronfield but it was never the same and used to veer slightly left. Despite that I passed it on and another kid got the benefit.

Much earlier, and as a kid, I used to cycle out to Butterworth's on Abbeydale Rd and remember the penny farthing there. Used Henry Holmes place as well that seemed just around the corner.

As for penny farthings ..... the village of Bishop Wilton used to have a decrepit garage, hardly used, and in the window hung a PF. May still be there for all I know.

I worked at Green lane works in early 1960, in the machine shop, i well remember Brian Goulden he used to do the sign writing, if any customer wanted anything special, that was hih job and he was good at it as well, i am still on contact with Michael Boyce who also worked there at the same time.

I realize this thread is specifically about Sheffield Langsett but I read an article about bikes recently and Hercules was mentioned. What happened to that make of bike I wonder. I remember seeing them in Wigfalls window on Spital Hill as a kid, along with the Raleighs and 'Gaspipes', but I've not seen one for years.

I am new to the forum so a little late on the thread, however i have a little information on ALAN SMITH,as he was my brothers father-in-law.Sadly ALAN and his wife have passed away,as did my sister-in-law last year.I bought a DAWES DEBONAIR from langsett,courtesy of ALAN,in 1955 for my fiance.i myself had a CARLTON,from JOHN ALLENS at FIRTH PARK,cost me 21,pounds,what a bike, you could pick it up with one finger.First job when i left school was delivery boy for R.C.HOPKINSONS,groceries on BELLHOUSE RD.FIRTH PARK.you could"nt pick that bike up with one finger.(took two men and a donkey)1952---HAPPY DAYS. eightlegger.

In the late 50's I worked at the Grimesthorpe Works of the English Steel Corporation.

In my job we had to inspect Central Heating boilers.

There was an Old Boilerman called Smith who in his younger days raced on Cane rimmed bikes for Langsett Cycles, it seems he was quite successful in his racing days.

He was employed in the shop as an odd job man.

He told me that when trade was slack he was sent out onto the streets on a Penny Farthing bike which advertised Langsett Cycles encouraging people to visit the shop.

I bet he was glad when that bike was finally nailed above the shop door.

I have been trying to remember his first name but my memory fails me.

Hope someone finds this of interest?

PopT

My first and only bike was a Hercules Jeep bought for my 10th birthday. Went all over on that bike. Got knocked off it when I was 11 and spent 3 weeks in the City General :huh: Wigfalls at Shalesmoor was where it was bought from. Sadly it was stolen when I was 12

Retired

I agree with you about missing your bike, you seem to develop a personal relationship with them and like some old friend you miss them when they have gone.

I spent endless hours riding my bike and I still miss it after all these years but at my age I am dreaming.

It is still in pieces in my loft and I would like to sell it but there is quite a bit of work needed to rebuild it and doubt if I could find anyone to buy it.

Happy Days Retired

PopT

I wrote earlier about the old Langsett racing Cyclist I worked with and I couldn't remember his name, well the penny has finally dropped.

His name was Bill Smith an old relation of the Smiths who owned the shop. In the late 50's he would have been around hi mid 60's in age.

I hope this helps anyone tracing the family.

Happy Days PopT

I worked at Langsett Industries from 1966 to 1969 in the polishing shop and remember we were allowed to call Mr Smith by his first name as long as we put "Mr" in front and the same went for his son who was about 4yrs younger than me at maybe 18, so Mr Edward and Mr Stewart it was but no one seemed to mind. We polished stainless steel to a mirror finish i.e. industrial sink units which were made by "Sissons" on Mary Street I think, potato scoops and weight scales for grocery shops and picture frames. We also did the first perspex beer pump blocks for the then new electric pumps.
Whilst reading through the threads I noticed that Lazarus wrote on 29-08-2005 he polished lorry emblems for Foden around that time and I wouldn't dispute that but I remember the lorry emblems as being for Seddon.
We also did work for the Milk Marketing Board and traveled to Wakefield to polish stainless tanks which held hundreds of gallons of milk and were fitted to lorries to take the milk all over the uk. I still have the photos I took of the tanks with myself and three workmates, Howard, Mick and Steve, we were paid 6s-6d an hr for a 45hr week. I remember the time we asked for a 6d an hour pay rise and the Foreman who was Wilf Turner called a meeting for us with Mr Edward, we ended up after a 1/2 hr meeting ( which was our dinner break ) settling for 3d an hr, Wilf convinced us that it was in our best interest to accept the 3d, I was told later on that Mr Edward gave Wilf 1 shilling an hr as a thank you, he certainly knew how to look after himself did Wilf.
Around that time, Mr Edward bought a brand new Rover and told us it was a status symbol for the Company and would help to get us more work when customers saw how well we were doing, so it wasn't his car but our car and one of the workers said in that case can I have it on Tuesday and Friday.

I worked at Langsett Industries from 1966 to 1969 in the polishing shop and remember we were allowed to call Mr Smith by his first name as long as we put "Mr" in front and the same went for his son who was about 4yrs younger than me at maybe 18, so Mr Edward and Mr Stewart it was but no one seemed to mind. We polished stainless steel to a mirror finish i.e. industrial sink units which were made by "Sissons" on Mary Street I think, potato scoops and weight scales for grocery shops and picture frames. We also did the first perspex beer pump blocks for the then new electric pumps.
Whilst reading through the threads I noticed that Lazarus wrote on 29-08-2005 he polished lorry emblems for Foden around that time and I wouldn't dispute that but I remember the lorry emblems as being for Seddon.
We also did work for the Milk Marketing Board and traveled to Wakefield to polish stainless tanks which held hundreds of gallons of milk and were fitted to lorries to take the milk all over the uk. I still have the photos I took of the tanks with myself and three workmates, Howard, Mick and Steve, we were paid 6s-6d an hr for a 45hr week. I remember the time we asked for a 6d an hour pay rise and the Foreman who was Wilf Turner called a meeting for us with Mr Edward, we ended up after a 1/2 hr meeting ( which was our dinner break ) settling for 3d an hr, Wilf convinced us that it was in our best interest to accept the 3d, I was told later on that Mr Edward gave Wilf 1 shilling an hr as a thank you, he certainly knew how to look after himself did Wilf.
Around that time, Mr Edward bought a brand new Rover and told us it was a status symbol for the Company and would help to get us more work when customers saw how well we were doing, so it wasn't his car but our car and one of the workers said in that case can I have it on Tuesday and Friday.

Don't throw that away, it may come in handy even if we never use it.

My Dad had a 'Langsett Litweight' 24" framed bike around time of the begining of WWII.
My older brother used it to go to work on right up until the late 50s.

Hi, I bought a Langsett racing bike in 1961 when I was 14, fitted with Campag Record gear, sprints tubs etc. I raced it till 1969 when I went out to Africa to work. Having returned many years ago I now live in Perthshire and use the bike every week. Its in perfect running order gorgeously crafted with beautiful pencil thin chain stays and ten gears ( Campag Record of course ).

In 1962 I took it out to France and rode the Pyrenees mountain stages of The Tour de France, over the Tourmalet, Aspin, etc. I must have been 15 and had never had a drop of alcohol untill that trip, when almost every roadside cafe owner invited me in for chat and free drinks!!! I was treated wonderfully by the French who would cheer me up the mountains and would be waiting for me at the tops enthusiastically inviting me to share their picnics spread out from their car boots. I thought I was a man but what they saw was a little kid! I remember seeing one British car all trip. It was a MINI, just new out then. I'd arrive in villages for the night and all the kids would come out to speak to me. The girls were a complete WOW, gorgeous skin and exotic Franglaise. I fell in love every night. And for the first time in my life I was revelling in being the centre of attention!!!

That trip gave me confidence for what was to become a most wonderful and adventurous life. The bike actually cost me £82 with all the gear. My father would have been horrified if he had known the price which must have been the equivalent of about two months of his wages. But I got the money together by working in The Spanish City Fairground in Whitley Bay.I paid £12.50 for the campag chainset in 6p and 3p pieces! ( My father is still alive at 100 and thinks in terms of £2.50 per week bing a half decent London wage!!! -- I've just bought myself a Condor Leggero Team Bike with full dura Ace 7900 kit! I wouldn't dare tell him what that cost - he'd write me out of his will!!!!)

Peter Chisman from Houghton le Spring in Durham, who won the Milk Race (Tour of Britain) back in the early 60s used to ride a Langsett in the 'league blind', a hard training training night we used to have on Thursdays in the Newcastle area. He was a great, friendly guy, now sadly passed away. I'm fairly sure he rode his Langsett in his winning Tour too.

I still ADORE the bike. the gear is all perfect though the frame paintwork is suffering the ravages of time to a minor degree.

I wonder if it has any value beyond the sentimental and whether it would be wise or unwise to have the frame re-enamelled. And for that matter whether there's any company around that could make a brilliant job of it with original-style transfers etc.??

I could write much more about this bike and its experiences, but I'm sure you're getting bored

But I'd also be really interested in any comments.

Thank you so much for reading me.
Happy biking.Have fun.

from
Young Davie.

h i, Just hoped someone might be interested in my little Langsett Biography just submitted. I hope it might make someone smile.

As a collector (in a small way) of 'proper' bicycles I bought, about six months ago, a Langsett from the original owner who had bought the frame new as a teenager in 1956. Some people have suggested it's not such a great bike but I disagree, Langsett were very well thought of in the 50's and a lot of very good riders had one. Mine was re-finished in the eighties by JF Wilson and still looks pretty good, I think it is a 'Proffessional' model. Someone was asking if this type of bike is worth any money and the answer is that they are, there is a growing interest in post war steel bikes. Loved the story about riding round France on one as a teenager. Who needs clubbing?

Hi SDP.

thanks, I may look up the restorer of your frame. Mine was the top of the range at the time though I don't recall the epthet 'professional'. I know in the N.E. club scene of the 60s it was regarded as the top bike among many brilliant makes.

there was a penny farthin .it sat in the window wat use to be the chinese chippy wen kelvin flats were there.

I feel that it should be pointed out that the original Sheffield Langsett bikes name has nothing whatsover to do with Langsett cycles on Infirmary road. Its just coincindental that they used the name langsett and operated in the same vicinity. There may have been some ties between the 2 businesses (eg supply of components (I dunno)), but thats it.
The modern day langsett cycles at one time had 3 shops - the big one at infirmary road, the one near manor top and a stall in sheaf market.

Just a note to rjbleazard. I don't want to disappoint you, but the Sheffield Langsett bike you have sounds like the one that I built up about 5 years ago.
I think the frame dates from the early 1950s. It is a small frame , pale blue with white panels (if you can let me know the frame number I might be able to date it accurately for you). The components used where aquired from friends & ebay. Incidentally I am looking for another Sheffield Langsett frame size 21.5'' to 22'' to build into a period bike & keep. So if anyone has one please get in touch. I also have a Sheffield Langsett frame for sale,it is too big for me at 23'' and I think it dates from the 1930s/40s

Hi Hyper
Stuart Smith who is the Grandson of the founder of Langett Cycles, Herbert Smith has published a fantastic book about the shop from it starting trading in 1890 up to the Smith family selling the business on as a going concern in 1967.
Its a great book with loads of old photos, the book shows that not all of what you say is true as the Langsett bikes and the shop were one of the same.
You can buy the book at Langsett Cycles which is still trading sucessfully on Infirmary Rd as it has done on there since 1930.