Ron Cooper (193212 December 2012) was a noted British "master"
bicycle frame
A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles: a main triang ...
builder.
Cooper began building frames when he was 15, starting in 1947 when he began a full apprenticeship at
A.S. Gillott Cycles,
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
.
He learned his craft from frame builders in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, most notably Jim Collier and Bill Philbrook.
He was a
racing cyclist
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cyclin ...
selected for the national team, the
R.A.F., the Brighton-Glasgow and the London Centre in the 1952
Tour of Britain (Milk Race), before an accident forced him to retire from competition.
In 1967, Cooper left A.S. Gillott to build frames under his own name, and by 1970 set up a small shop in Honor Oak Park, South East London.
Cooper then worked in
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and
is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock ...
, approx 18 km (11 miles) from his old shop in
Honor Oak Park as sole fabricator, making
bespoke
The word ''bespoke'' () has evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Originally, the adjective ''bespoke'' described tailor-made suits and shoes. Later, it described anything commissioned t ...
frames using the traditional method of free hand
brazing
Brazing is a metal-joining process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, with the filler metal having a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.
Brazing differs from w ...
rather than
jigs
The jig ( ga, port, gd, port-cruinn) is a form of lively folk dance in compound metre, as well as the accompanying dance tune. It is most associated with Irish music and dance. It first gained popularity in 16th-century Ireland and parts of ...
, in order to avoid stresses to be built into the frame,
which calls for careful
mitering and took about two days to make.
Some reviews claim Cooper's frame builds provide more stability, neutrality of handling, and responsiveness.
See also
*
Roberts Cycles
Roberts Cycles is a custom bicycle frame building business, originally located in Selhurst near Croydon, South London, now located in East Sussex, England.
Beginning soon after World War II, Charles (Charlie) Benjamin Roberts was a frame-builder ...
*
Witcomb Cycles
Witcomb Cycles, formerly known as Witcomb Lightweight Cycles, is the trading name of the Witcomb Trading Company. It was a British company based in Deptford, South London, specialising in custom handmade steel bicycle frames. The company was foun ...
References
External links
Quotes on Ron Cooper
British cycle designers
Bicycle framebuilders
1932 births
2012 deaths
{{cycle-manufacturer-stub