As a pimply, chubby eleven year old, I was not very sports minded. I had no confidence and was bookish. Then I had a bike with big wheels for Christmas ( a metallic green and gold Raleigh with Sturmey Archer gears !) and my life changed. I rode everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
At that time at school we had a man present at assembly wearing lycra and odd clothes, and accompanied by all kinds of exotic bicycles. His name was Bob Mansell, and he ran a mega-exciting bike shop in Smethwick. He was offering for kids to join his cycling club. I summoned up the courage to ask him what I would need to do to join. he asked " Do you have a bike, son?"
"Yes sir, but I don't think its a racer like these".
"That doesn't matter - its the racer ON the bike that's most important".
And I joined. Everybody was quicker than me to begin with and few kids laughed at my town-bike, but Bob was kind without being patronising, and correcting without criticizing. I got to be able to keep up. Lost some lard too !
Then my bike was stolen from outside my Cousin Chris and Linda's house. I was heartbroken. It was found three days later bent and thrown down a railway embankment. I was devastated.
My Dad and my Brother Ray worked on it; straightened everything up, touched up the paint and put on a new saddle and grips. But it was never the same.
Bob Mansell asked why I hadn't been coming to his cycling club and I explained about the theft and damage, and repair. Bob thought about it for a moment then said my bike was BETTER for all the love put into it by Dad and Ray not worse for being nicked. It made me feel better and I rejoined his riding club.
I did so well that the following Christmas, after two years cycling Mom and Dad bought me a custom made racing cycle, made by my Brother's uncle-by-marriage Jack Hateley. I drifted away from Bob Mansell's cycling club then, and started riding around with mates far more, but I never forgot his kindness and encouragement. Love can be a better ingredient than anything you can bolt on.
Bob passed away at a ripe old age in 2006.RIP Mr Mansell.
i was lucky enough to have been taught by bob as a kid of 13-14 and went on to hand build mountain bikes for zinn(whiteburner products,isla rowntree,andy thompson).he taught me passion.i will never forget him.
ReplyDeleteI was in bob mansells club velo club central , and always in his bike shop, great days long rides with the seniors in the week, racing around the parks at weekends as a 15 year old we couldn’t race on the roads, he used to set up the criteriums in the local area
ReplyDelete, Hugh porter used to come along,we built a cyclo cross track at the back of Hadley stadium which is wher my grand children play football now and also the cycling club was there, great memories, rip bob mansell