Wolverhampton and Innovation and Enterprise

It is interesting to note that in this Coronavirus  health crisis that cycling has become very much of interest as a form of leisure, as well as a safe from the virus form of commuting.  Also as people have grown accustomed in lockdown to spending less, then cycling would help continue with this new habit of less is more.

Bicycle sales are on the increase as well as accessories such as cycle clothing.  In the Guardian newspaper Harriet Sherwood on the 9th May wrote an article that stated that Brompton (the UK’s largest bicycle manufacturer who are producing almost 50,000 folding cycles a year),  had seen a fivefold increase in online sales since the start of April to early May.

Sustrans CEO Xavier Brice on behalf of the Walking and Cycling Alliance responded to the  announcement of the governments 2 billion package to boost cycling and walking on the 9th May (this quote was taken from the Sustrans website). He stated how important it is to increase cycling and walking, especially as public transport will not be able to operate at full capacity for some time due to the Coronavirus crisis.

Xavier Brice, CEO, Sustrans

This announcement, hot on the heels of the new obesity strategy, marks a big step forward by the UK Government, and one which is warmly welcomed by Sustrans.

By helping more people to leave the car at home for shorter journeys, this package of measures will cut pollution, tackle the causes of poor health, and improve the safety of our streets.

Sustrans supports efforts to radically improve the quality of walking and cycling infrastructure.

The majority of the public supports investment in walking and cycling, and it is now vital that the benefits of walking and cycling are felt by everyone.

On June 4th Cycling Weekly had a headline that stated that cycling was up as much as 200 per cent according to the government during coronavirus lockdown,

 and with new bike vouchers on the way, that could increase further.

Also the government has launched a  fifty pounds fix your bike scheme which is for essential repairs and services which will again increase the popularity of cycling in the U.K.

This brings me round to pair of initiatives that would not be new to Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton at its zenith was the third largest bicycle manufacturing centre in the United Kingdom.

It had four prominent manufacturers ( Viking, Wearwell, Star and Sunbeam) as well as a fleet of smaller manufacturers.

Take for example Wearwell which was founded in Wolverhampton  in 1889.

By 1929 a full range of cycles was offered from tradesmen’s cycles to juvenile scooters. They were very soon in the early 1930’s offering racing bicycles.

By the early 1950s 75 per cent of the companies production was exported to well over thirty different countries.

Wearwell rose to become one of British cycling’s best known brands.

In 1953 Wearwell cycles racing team won the  Tour of Britain and sent its victorious riders to compete in the Tour de France as part of the first ever British team.

This was Wolverhampton at the very vanguard of Bristish Sporting innovation.

It should be noted that Percy Stallard was born on Wolverhampton in 1909.

He became a member of Wolverhampton Wheelers Cycling Club.

He represented Great Britain in international races in the 1930’s and was instrumental in the creation of the Tour of Britain race.

These racing victories by Wearwell at the Tour of Britain coincided with an increasingly enthusiastic public for the sport in the 1950’s.

In 1972 Wearwell cycle production was moved from Wolverhampton to Alverley in Salop and then to Brigg in Lincolnshire.

Eventually the firm was closed in 1975.

In 2017 after a forty year period the Wearwell Cycle Company returned as a maker of high quality cycle clothing and accessories under the leadership of a great- great - grandson of the founder. This is indeed good news to see the revival of a great name.

The new Wearwell cycle company is hopefully front running in a move to reintroduce bicycle accessory manufacturing and bicycle building in Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton is a no stranger to innovation and manufacturing type of city, indeed those words are comforting to it.

It seems appropriate to bring more manufacturing back on shore to create more opportunities for employment that will benefit wider society by the creation of more hope and opportunity.

If it is small bespoke firms building frames or various components or indeed whole cycles.

To take an example of Pashley cycles of Stratford upon Avon they are building a range of bicycles and each one is hand built.

It would be terrific to see this type of initiative replicated over and over again in Wolverhampton.

It seems appropriate that just as Percy Stallard campaigned to introduce races to Britain such as the Tour of Britain then so today Wolverhampton should be showing the Chinese, Taiwanese and Continental bicycle builders a clean part of heels in building bikes in the United Kingdom ( like Brompton) and more than that and best of all  in Wolverhampton.

If Wolverhampton was the third largest bicycle building town or city at one time then let’s aim for this great City to be number one in the future.

When Wearwell and Viking were at their peak climate change meant what clothing that you may put on according to the weather.

Today climate change has a more alarming meaning.

So in years to come it would be admirable if Wolverhampton were to think of it as a pinch yourself is it really true type of City, due to its work on climate change through bicycle building.