DISRAELI DOCUMENTS
see also TCF Rev Mens 10/1901 - Autour du Concours de Freins
see also TCF Rev Mens 10/1901 - Autour du Concours de Freins
see also TCF Rev Mens - 08/1902 Concours de Bicyclettes de Tourisme (part II)
see also TCF Rev Mens - 08/1902 Concours de Bicyclettes de Tourisme (part II)
see also TCF Rev Mens - 10/1902 Concours de Bicyclettes de Tourisme (part IV)
see also TCF Rev Mens - 10/1902 Concours de Bicyclettes de Tourisme (part IV)
see also TCF Rev Mens 05/1912 - Gauloise ad
see also TCF Rev Mens 05/1912 - Gauloise ad
see also TCF Rev Mens - 07/1921 Troisième championnat de la bicyclette polymultipliée
see also TCF Rev Mens - 07/1921 Troisième championnat de la bicyclette polymultipliée
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1922 Le Concours de Bicyclettes polymultipliées de Chanteloup
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1922 Le Concours de Bicyclettes polymultipliées de Chanteloup
see also TCF Rev Mens 08/1922 - La Semaine d'Auvergne
see also TCF Rev Mens 08/1922 - La Semaine d'Auvergne
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1923 Les résultats du 5e Championnat de la Bicyclette polymultipliée
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1923 Les résultats du 5e Championnat de la Bicyclette polymultipliée
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 L’équipement des brevetés cyclotouristes
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 L’équipement des brevetés cyclotouristes
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 Le 6e Critérium de la Bicyclette polymultipliée
see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 Le 6e Critérium de la Bicyclette polymultipliée
see also Cycling 27/07/1931 - BSA ad
see also Cycling 27/07/1931 - BSA ad
see also L'Industrie des Cycles et Automobiles 11/1936 - Cyclo ad
see also L'Industrie des Cycles et Automobiles 11/1936 - Cyclo ad
see also L'Officiel A.C.M. 04/04/1937 - Les changements de vitesse pour cycles
see also L'Officiel A.C.M. 04/04/1937 - Les changements de vitesse pour cycles
see also UK Patent # 577,429 - BSA 1944
see also UK Patent # 577,429 - BSA 1944
see also The staff of ‘Cycling’ - Cycling Manual 1944
see also The staff of ‘Cycling’ - Cycling Manual 1944
see also UK Patent # 640,473 - BSA 1947
see also UK Patent # 640,473 - BSA 1947
see also Le Cycle 12/1948 - image of BSA 4-Star
see also Le Cycle 12/1948 - image of BSA 4-Star
see also Cycling 07/1949 - BSA ad
see also Cycling 07/1949 - BSA ad
It’s time you had a BSA - 1950
It’s time you had a BSA - 1950
BSA Fine Quality Bicycles 1950
BSA Fine Quality Bicycles 1950
see also Le Cycle 11/1951 - image of BSA 4 Star
see also Le Cycle 11/1951 - image of BSA 4 Star
It’s time you had a BSA - 1952
It’s time you had a BSA - 1952
BSA 'high fidelity' cycling 1960
BSA 'high fidelity' cycling 1960
see also H. H. England - Cycling Manual 1960
see also H. H. England - Cycling Manual 1960
see also New Cycling 05/1981 - '81 Derailleur Collection
see also New Cycling 05/1981 - '81 Derailleur Collection
The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) was founded in 1861 in Birmingham. It grew into a huge metal-bashing conglomerate, operating many dozens of factories producing hundreds of different types of engineered products.
Initially BSA manufactured firearms, but it seems that even the Victorians could not properly manage defence procurement, and a slowdown in orders led it to start producing bicycles as early as 1880. Following (or possibly pioneering) a well trodden path, BSA went on, from guns and bicycles, to produce motorcycles, Daimler cars and commercial vehicle bodies. In the 1930s it was famously the sponsor of Hubert Opperman (‘Oppy’), arguably the best known cyclist of the day. BSA was also active in British cycling in the 1950s. As part of a long, slow, post-second-world-war decline, BSA finally sold its bicycle manufacturing operation to Raleigh in 1957. The last remnant of the once magnificent BSA empire was the London Taxi Company, producer of the famous black cabs, which has recently been absorbed into the newly magnificent empire of Geely of Hangzhou, China.
In a slightly pale imitation of Raleigh, BSA produced bicycle components, notably three speed hub gears. BSA took out its first patent on the design of derailleur in 1944, but I do not think this design made it to production. I am only aware of two production models of BSA derailleur, one introduced in 1949, and then a slightly revised version introduced in 1950. Both were called the 'BSA 4-Star'.
No history of BSA would be complete without a mention of Sir Bernard Docker - who was chairman from 1940 to 1956. With his ‘all-mouth-and-no-trousers’ style - Sir Bernard was the Sir Richard Branson of his day. Lady Docker was also a formidable character, described on wikipedia as having ‘rather poor social graces when under the influence’. Been there, done that.
