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Leon Meredith
It's very noticeable that whenever you see a list of 'the greatest ever.......' (athletes, entertainers whatever) that the leading names are almost invariably recent. It seems as though whoever compiles these lists doesn't understand the word 'ever'.
So it is with Meredith, a name I've been familiar with all my cycling life. He was certainly one of the greatest personalities of the British bike scene, comparable with G.P. Mills, Frank Southall and trade figures like Claud Butler and Ron Kitchen.
Just one tiny example of his fame - Stan Butler, the 1932 olympian, father of Keith and proprietor of Allin Cycles, had the middle initial 'M'. This stood for Meredith, and it is recorded that Stan's Dad negotiated this with Stan's Mum, as it was a tribute to Leon.
The Classic Lightweight article is certainly interesting and informative, although I would like to take issue with some of the points made, but not in this post.
For me the greatest puzzle about Meredith is that he managed to escape accusations of professionalism when he was clearly de facto riding as a pro for Constrictor. -
saw this. Am quite tempted by it.
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AJ Hodge - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224174975465
Very little information can be found on Hodge -
Albert J. (Pop) Hodge (b.1877; d.1966) manufactured ‘Holly’ racingcycles and tandems from 1905. He had shops in Wood Green and Tottenham, London, where he was based until 1924. From 1933 to 1966 he was based in Luton where he was a very popular cycle builder.
Hodge is said to have inspired the likes of Maurice Selbach and Claud Butler with ideas such as tapered stays, steeper frame angles, wing nuts and fully brazed seat clusters.
In the 1920s and 1930s his cycles were used by many North London clubmen, such as Leon Meredith, with considerable success in time trials and road records. During this period he also had close connections with the phonograph and gramophone industry. Tandems were hugely popular in the 1930s as a means for couples to get out and enjoy cycling
and the countryside before motor cars became affordable. https://www.shuttleworth.org/collection/1938-a-j-hodge-tandem/
The link to Leon Meredith is very interesting as he appears to have been a fascinating cyclist and character -
https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/lightweight_extras/the-cycling-legacy-of-leon-meredith-bastide-and-the-constrictor-tyre-company
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