What as become of Wes Mason the Sheffield Cyclist who took part in the Tour of Britain?

I heard he went back to school in the Hammersmith area.

Hi Albert

I would think that Wes if he is still alive, would be 65 +
The last I heard of him was that he had opened a cycle shop somewhere York or Harrogate.
He had a pal, Barry Pashley who worked for Henry Holmes in the shop on London Road. Wes won a gold at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in the early 60's

Maybe???

http://www.cycleweb.co.uk/cntys/cnty-lsts/wls-mi.htm

also ...

http://classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/MKM/MKM_main.htm

I heard he got sent down after been convicted of that heinous crime of cycling down Fargate.

I heard he got sent down after been convicted of that heinous crime of cycling down Fargate.

Have a look in a mirror and you will see a big one.

Maybe???

http://www.cycleweb.co.uk/cntys/cnty-lsts/wls-mi.htm

also ...

http://classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/MKM/MKM_main.htm

Thank you. cgksheff. that is almost definitely the one and only Wes.
He was one of the best cycle racer that I've ever seen. It sad that he can be apparently, quickly forgotten.

Thank you also Runningman. It would be nice to know what happened to the Gold Medal that he was worthy of winning. It was incredible to realise how fast he was climbing Ringinglow Road. I often dreamed I could ride it as fast!!

I hope someone else can bring up more information.

The last time I saw Wes Mason was at Wentworth back in the late 60's..They used to have a Road Race there every year near the Village( proberbly still runs today) ..Wes won that one I remember.

The last time I saw Wes Mason was at Wentworth back in the late 60's..They used to have a Road Race there every year near the Village( proberbly still runs today) ..Wes won that one I remember.

Looking back that would be a ten mile time trial. In the days before all the car traffic began.
These days it would be night-mare to compete in one with half the car drivers being unable to see more than ten yards!!
I hope someone who knows him comes along to let us know how he is.(or was)!

Wes was racing when the Brits ruled the roost and the Northern riders were top of the game in the Brit tour and other races at the time with Barry Hoben, Sid Barras and many others.
Hoben also went to live in Wales unsure if he had a bike shop there and he married Tom Simpsons widow.
Then the Russians came and hammered them all.
Bah.

Did Wes Mason ever become a professional ?
i've been looking up some records of the British National road Championships and Wes came third in the Amateur race in 1962...But a another cyclist (who I have trained with in the 60's)
called "Ron Coe" also of Sheffield...He won gold 3 times in 1957 58 & 59 in the Pro: race, he also was in the TDF twice but never finished the Tour..apart from Simpson who i believe came from Rawmarsh..He has to be one of Sheffields top cyclists ever..But there is very little info: I can find about him.

Did Wes Mason ever become a professional ?
i've been looking up some records of the British National road Championships and Wes came third in the Amateur race in 1962...But a another cyclist (who I have trained with in the 60's)
called "Ron Coe" also of Sheffield...He won gold 3 times in 1957 58 & 59 in the Pro: race, he also was in the TDF one year..apart from Simpson who i believe came from Rawmarsh..He has to be one of sheffields top cyclists ever..But there is very little info: I can find about him.

I believe Wes Mason turned pro when he rode for a French team.
I've heard of Ron Coe. but that is about it. Let us hope someone on the forum is more knowledgeable.
If its the correct person. I believe Tommy? Simpson from Doncater suffered the final fate due to drugs, in the Tour de France.

Its a long time ago, so I stand to be corrected.
Although I must add, ' Happy days, even when ****kered!!'.

I believe Wes Mason turned pro when he rode for a French team.
I've heard of Ron Coe. but that is about it. Let us hope someone on the forum is more knowledgeable.
If its the correct person. I believe Tommy? Simpson from Doncater suffered the final fate due to drugs, in the Tour de France.

Its a long time ago, so I stand to be corrected.
Although I must add, ' Happy days, even when ****kered!!'.

Tommy came from Harworth and he died in the tour in July 1967 on Mt Venteox.
He is burried, or is ashes are in Harworth church were I have visited on several occations after racing the circuit there myself on the North Mids league.
Wes Mason certainly won the Premier league in 1962 were as Simpson never did as he was proffessional by then.
I to have no collection of Mason riding the big continental races he was a true Brit hard man along with Porter and numourous others.

Will try to do: Listen to my show on Sheffield Live, The Brand new Mix every Friday 15.00-17.00 on 93.2FM.

Are you going to add a few of your cycling memorys to the programme?

What happened to Ken Joy or/and the Tandam-Trike & Single Trike masters Arnold & Crimes of yester-year?

Not on that show but I can record one for the Communties Live show, are you interested in a chat.

Not on that show but I can record one for the Communties Live show, are you interested in a chat.

I'll get my ' Cats Wisker out ' and tune in to 93.2 FM. ( the station ),
Get the feel, then come back to you.

My husband Bob Winter rode with Wes Mason he came to our wedding - he moved to Harrogate and unfortunately his marriage broke up and we lost touch - I believe he went on to work for the Royal Mail. Bob was a good cyclist and won enough races to be selected for the Milk race in 1967 but was taken ill and had to retire from cycling for a couple of years.

Can anyone remember what the bike shop on London road was called ? It was very near Don morrison moutaineering shop. I seem to recall a bike hung up on the back wall that looked old. Although i was young at the time (mid 1970s) some one once told me this particular bike/rider won a famous race. Anyone have any ideas ?.

My husband says Henry Holmes was on London Road in the mid 60's - Butterworths was on Abbeydale Road.

We think Wes later married Albert Hitchens wife????Albert was a well known professional cyclist in the early 60's

Just Google Wes Mason - and it appears he runs a cycle shop in Wales -Powys

We think Wes later married Albert Hitchens wife????Albert was a well known professional cyclist in the early 60's

That name ' Albert Hitchens ' brings back memory's.

I was never any good at racing, Someone needs to lose or someone else can't win!!, but I certainly covered a lot of miles training almost every night in the fifties. The roads were not like today. I would often cycle via the Flouch, over Woodhead to DunfordBridge, Glossop, Up the Snake and back to Malin Bridge. During the run I would have had about twelve cars pass me and invariably the drivers were former cyclist so they always gave you plenty of room.

I am sure my husband will remember some of those places - he cycled a lot in those days and when we return to the Sheffield area he often comments how difficult it is these days to cycle. He was in the Sheffield Sports cycling club which used to meet up near Beauchief Arms. His heyday was about 59-67

I am sure my husband will remember some of those places - he cycled a lot in those days and when we return to the Sheffield area he often comments how difficult it is these days to cycle. He was in the Sheffield Sports cycling club which used to meet up near Beauchief Arms. His heyday was about 59-67

I've know doubt that we would have met because I'd often meet up at Beauchief Post Office. Did he know ' Sandy '. Barry Sanderson? He lived at Crookes or Walkley and often did twenty fours or twelve hour races in his younger days.
The year that the Volcano came up out of the sea near Iceland, Sandy was on a long cycling holiday and observed it. The main trouble came after when instead of sending his photos to AGFA to be developed he did them himself and made a,' Grand Stand ---- Up ' of them.
Photographic memories of a lietime gone that will never be repeated all gone.

Pardon me, but is it the same Henry Holmes who had a shop down Attercliffe. Surely it must've been just his name over the door.
And was'nt the chap named Coe a relative of the well known MP and Olympic runner Seb?

Henry Holmes did have two shops

Henry Holmes did have two shops

Henry Holmes had two shops, one on London Rd, the other was near Endcliffe
Park not far from Ecclesall Rd.

I got to know Wes when we both worked at Wostenholme´s Cutlery factory
in the tool room. Wes was around 17 and I was 16 and he got me to join
his club, the Sheffield Wheelers. Wes was a fanatic when it came to training.
He was out training every evening. One evening towards the flat side of Sheffield, Blyth, Mansfield the next evening in Derbyshire, "60 miles on the bottoms" as he would say, and I think this was a sort of warning not to get the idea to tag along! He always said that he trained to make the actual racing event easy! Every race I saw him in, he won but that was when he was a junior( up to 18 ). Wes looked a lot older than he was and was about 5ft.10 or 11 and built like a brick.....house. Really much too heavy for a cyclist but very powerful. I am not sure whether he finished
his apprenticeship as a toolmaker ( at which he was very good) but I do know he became a postman so that he could train even more.
Wes lived in the Hillsborough area of Sheffied. His dad always used to bring him
to the events in his Ford Popular. I remember he had a bike sponsored by a
bike shop up Ecclesall way, but not Holmes.
I remember we were out at the Blyth cyclist meeting place, must have been
1959/60 and Tom Simpson and some of his buddies were there. We rode back with him to his turn off
to Harworth. I nearly fell off my bike they went so slow !!

Wes Mason came to our wedding - we had a guard of honour which consisted of members of the Sheffield Cycling Club holding up one of their wheels.

Well Ronnie you may know my husband Bob Winter - he was quite good in his day and used to ride a lot with Wes. Bob qualified for the Milk Race as it was in those days but unfortunately got rheumatic fever just before the start of the season. They were franatical about training and thats really how we met - at the end of the season they needed a couple of girls for the party season - I was requested to join him and Wes along with another girl from our office. I finished up marrying Bob and Wes went on to marry another girl called Sue.

I used to go out with the Sheffield Sports CC occasionally in the winters of the early 60s when it was customary to have an impromptu football match after lunch in various Derbyshire villages.Wes used to come on these rides and join in the football.I believe he moved to Harrogate and was one of the founding partners of MKM cycles,specialist framebuilders which was later owned by Ian Crabtree before going bust around 1980.

Hi....
Don't know if this thread is still active but have found it fascinating to read. One or two people have mentioned barrie pashley, who his my dad and still very good friends with wes. Wes I think lives in Wales now and dad in the rotherham area, I'm going to introduce dad to this forum, he sure got some stories to tell and a fantastic photo album....with photos of the legend himself wes mason....my dad rode for Sheffield cc and I think rockingham...

Hi....
Don't know if this thread is still active but have found it fascinating to read. One or two people have mentioned barrie pashley, who his my dad and still very good friends with wes. Wes I think lives in Wales now and dad in the rotherham area, I'm going to introduce dad to this forum, he sure got some stories to tell and a fantastic photo album....with photos of the legend himself wes mason....my dad rode for Sheffield cc and I think rockingham...
Hello every one I was in the Beighton wheelers and met or watched most of the cyclists mentioned on this thread does any one remember a lady cyclist with the name Chrisy Hardbottom.
I have posted because I don,t want to miss any memories that are sent to this forum.
Oops sorry, just thought it was Rowbottom----I think!

Hi dafodil

I think you have got the girl's name wrong, I believe it was Christine Rowbotham, but I'm not 100% sure about that. Somebody will hopefully confirm.
I believe she died quite young, how sad for a very promising cyclist.

I used to call in Henry Holmes for the odd bike repair and remember Barry Pashley, only because he was a cycling pal of a lad I knew, Les Stevenson.

I seem to remember Barry winning at Norfolk Park, sometime in the 60's.

Hi dafodil

I think you have got the girl's name wrong, I believe it was Christine Rowbotham, but I'm not 100% sure about that. Somebody will hopefully confirm.
I believe she died quite young, how sad for a very promising cyclist.

I used to call in Henry Holmes for the odd bike repair and remember Barry Pashley, only because he was a cycling pal of a lad I knew, Les Stevenson.

I seem to remember Barry winning at Norfolk Park, sometime in the 60's.
Yes thats it Christine Rowbotham thanks for clearing it up.

Christine rode for Phoenix Club

In the late 60's I used to drink with a bloke now and again in the Hallcar Pub that had been a pro cyclist, he fell from his bike and a slither of glass went behind his eyeball severing something, causing him to lose his sight in that eye, I'm sure he told me that it was in a TDF race, but unfortunately I can't remember his name anymore, anyone remember a bloke that this happened to ?