
The internet, which knows almost everything, is a bit light on the history of Vindec.
According to the badge on the bike, Vindec bikes are made by Brown Brothers Limited, of Great Eastern Street, London EC2. All very Shoreditch: down the road from Favela Chic and the Foundry, and only 2k from the Duke of York, which must have the highest concentration of fixies outside of any pub in the country.
An advert from the 1950s suggests that they had already been going for 60 years by that point - which places them in the 1890s. Looks like they used to make motorcycles, too, as the second-place finisher in the 1907 Isle of Man time trial did so on a Vindec. Now there's a pub quiz question.
By the 1970s, Vindec had branched out into making the High Riser, a funked-up copy of the Raleigh Chopper.
The last reference I could find to Vindec was from a Competition Commission report in 1981, which notes that by then Vindec were made by the Comrade Cycle Company.
Then nothing else. The premises at 20-34 Great Eastern Street - post deindustrialisation - now appears to be an office block, with Network Rail as tenants.
As for the age of the frame? I've got no idea. From the style and weight I'd guess anywhere from 1950s to 1970s. Some bike companies numbered their bikes with the last two digits of the year followed by a serial number. Mine is 55301X. That would make it the 301st bike made in 1955 - but other companies just have serial numbers.
16 comments:
have you got any old pictures of this bike thanks
By the 1970s, Vindec had branched out into making the High Riser, a funked-up copy of the Raleigh Chopper.when i click on the link nothing hapens
Vindec cycles was the cycle brand name for Brown Brothers ltd. In the 70's was one of those wholesalers that did everything from tents to tv's. Brown Brothers in the early 1900's did cars, motorcycles, and pedal cycles, gradually branching out into spares then general wholesaling with 100 branches in the UK. The cycle side was eventually closed 1980's when it was part of the American Dana group. Eventually it became part of the Unipart company who I believe still have one of the original Brown brothers cars. Brown Brothers still trades in the UK as a paint distribution company.
I have a Vindec Ventura. With 27inch Rigida chromo wheels, with diamond patterned recesses on rims and Weinman type 730 calipers. Metallic red, with white lettering and sand coloured bands on the frame below the saddle with Vindec Brown Bros sticker centre of them. It had been modded I think to have Mountain bike triple front chain set and stem and handle bars. I have refurbished it to use, with Raleigh Sports bars and ITM stem. Fitted 700c rims with Sturmey Archer front hub dynamo and headlamp. Looks good, fun to ride and turns heads. Think frame late 70's early 80's cant find number. Gen is so scarce on these bikes. Cheap at the time in Grattons catalogues apparently. But hens teeth now!!!
My dad bought me a Vindec Speedwing 25 when I was 10, just before starting secondary school in 1974. Dad insisted on a Vindec because he was at school with a boy named Brown who was a son or grandson of the Brown Brothers family firm. It was a metallic gold and green 5-speed racer with Weinmann side-pull brakes, Weinmann steel rims which were incredibly durable, and Bluemel mudguards. It was a stretch for me to ride it with a 21" frame but I soon grew into it. When the weather was good I used it to cycle to school and back, 7 miles each way. It was extremely well used but very reliable due to the simplicity of the moving parts. I do remember the plastic saddle was not the last word in comfort.
I took the bike to university in 1981 and used it for a year-and-a-half before realising that it was worn out in nearly every way - gears slipping, crank bearings on the way out, spokes loose and wheels and tyres really showing their age. I dropped it quietly into a skip with no regrets at the time although now in 2018 I would quite like to have restored it back to the way it was when I first saw it all those years ago as an excited boy.
Heavens, this takes me back. I took over my elder brother's Vindec Speedster. It was that metallic rhubarb colour,single speed with that typical bend in the upper cross bar. The seat was awful by current standards but as a 10 yr old you just get on with it. After messing in the street (I was never one for civilized society) I ditched the mudguards for short alloy items, fitted a set of knobbly tyres cowhorn bars and a bright yellow Humbro paint job.We were together for 5years until I had worn it out. It was now I know my first mountain bike back in the late 60s. I am 62 years old now and still have a mountain bike. The Vindec taught me skills I used on motorbikes and other riding. I wish I could have it now, what a blast. Tony sadler, Wales UK.
There is a Vindec here for sale as at 4.10.19 https://www.adverts.ie/18735357 Tom from Ireland.
Such happy childhood memories of my Vindec mini riser. The one and only brand new bike I ever owned
I have apurple vindec fif sale 50 £
I just picked up a Vintec Scrambler in Glasgow, Nov 2020, totally original and very clean, i know nothing about this bike. an info would be great
Hi, Just out of civic duty (and a nod to my Grandfather, who I inherited the books from), I have linked to some scans of adverts for this brand of bike back from 1939 and 1956.
I rode with my Grandfather from Sittingbourne in Kent, to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and back again in 18 days, back when I was just 16 or so.
He was 65 years old at the time....and incredibly fit.
His best time trial was 25 miles in 1h 4min in 1945
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/2hy60gcwlckhq/CTC_handbook_1939_and_1956
I worked for Brown brothers in the early 70s in their Liverpool branch in Duke St.
Had lots of own name products the other main one was "Rigonda" Russian stereo and audio equipment
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My dad bought me a Vindec bike from there. Like an RSW with 15 inch wheels.
Hi.. Just coming across this Now. Brown Brothers were auto parts and paint supplier..yes they do indeed go back to the 1890. They did make a car. I used to work for the company from 1977 to 1987-i remember the BROWN car at the head office in Swindon. The 'registered' office was always in Southampton Row-but now sure if there was even an office there. They had many branches around the country supplying car parts to garages and auto retailers and paint to paint shops. They stopped selling bicycles in 1980-i was running the cycle dept in their Southampton branch at the time.-The market was starting to get flooded with cheap far eastern imports and they just did not have the market penetration or brand loyalty of say Raleigh to survive so they pulled out the market. If you go to the Science museum in London i think you will still see section of Brown Brothers catalogues on the walls from the 1920s/30s. The company was sold to unipart in the 1990s some time.
I got a Vindec for a Christmas present around 1963-4. It was blue with a white saddle and had the curved cross bar and white wall tyres. I rode it for years and at one point, much later in it's life, I fitted a Sturmy-Archer wheel to the rear giving me the luxury of 3 gears! I ride a single speed converted MTB today and I would love to remember what gear ratio front and back that Vindec was. I lived at the top of a hill and I remember the tough ride back up it!
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