The History Of Swinnerton Cycles

Discover the inspiring journey of Swinnerton Cycles, a family business with over a century of cycling heritage. From humble beginnings in 1915 to national racing success and a thriving modern store, explore the legacy of passion, dedication, and cycling excellence.

From humble shop beginnings to a thriving cycle shop offering the best cycling equipment and bikes to cyclists of every ability. Find out where it all began in our Swinnerton Family History, including the people who made Swinnerton what it is today.

1915

Ted's History

Swinnerton Cycles was founded by Edwin (Ted) Swinnerton in 1915, Ted opened a small bicycle shop on Victoria Road Fenton living behind the front room shop; 69 Victoria Road. Money was tight in those days, particularly between the two world wars and business was mainly second-hand machines and a thriving repair service. Ted developed a successful bicycle hire service, keeping a fleet of all sizes of machines on the road, and at weekends in the summer all the bikes would be in use.

 

Ted kept his day job which was head slip maker, responsible for the various clay mixings used to produce the ware, at an old established Pottery, which the Doulton group later took over, whilst his wife Bertha ran the shop during the working days.

 

During and after the Second World War the shop ‘ticked over’ and Roy’s mother and father retired in 1954, leaving their youngest son Roy and his wife Doris to take over. They were both keen cyclists and lost no time at all in improving and expanding the business into the properties on either side of number 69.

1958

Enter Roy & Doris

Buying the stock for £100, they moved in above the shop in 1958, which became the family home as well as their place of work. Roy worked part-time at the shop in those days, with Doris taking up the mantel working full time until Roy gave up his full-time job as general manager from a local engineering company in 1970.

 

It took a lot of hard work as competition in the district was keen and shop hours were long stretching sometimes up to 9 and 10 each night but they continued to develop further and took care to uphold the good reputation that had been established over the years.

1960

Newcastle Track Association & North Staffordshire Cycling Association

In the 1960s, both Roy and Doris helped with the formation of the Newcastle Track Association. They helped Nolen Burgess in forming the North Staffordshire Cycling Association which brought all clubs together under one umbrella. Sadly, the NSCA does not exist today, although many think it should be resurrected.

 

A second branch was opened in Albion Street Hanley in the 70’s and sons Mark and Paul took over running the business towards the end of the decade. Eventually, it was decided to close the town centre shop and focus on the main shop in Fenton. Remarkably, it remains at the same address today, more than 95 years on.

1970s

Albion Street & Fenton & Stoke Arcs

In 1970, Roy and Doris were asked if they would be prepared to run a cycling section for the City of Stoke Athletic Club. Stoke ACCS was formed and became one of the most successful clubs (back then, there were a least 15). Stoke AC can boast members competing in Tour De France, The Ladies Tour De France, World Championships, National Championships (both Road and Track), and many divisional championships competing in many countries of the world; Germany (both east and west), Holland, France, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Norway and even Palestine to name but a few.

 

They acquired numbers 71, 67, and finally 73 Victoria Road which is what we all know as Swinnerton Cycles. After 36 years of working together, 7 children, 22 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren, they retired and passed the baton on to the next generation.

1980s

Shop Expansion

In the 80’s the post office was bought and relocated across the road and the bike shop expanded once again over four properties with Paul’s son Barney joining the team in 2008 the corner shop was on the agenda which was later bought and added the fifth shop in the row.

 

The Forestry Centre on Cannock Chase approached the shop to sponsor some new trails that they were having built and soon after the bike hire, which was run out of an old shipping container, became vacant.

 

The forestry commission approached the shop to take it on, but Paul explained this limitation and negotiated the building of a new hire shop on the site. The shed was built and Paul and his three sons spent weeks before the easter opening fitting out the new building turning it into a successful hire shop and one that grandad Ted would have been proud of.

1990

Doris Retired

Expanding and improving the business, it has always been said that Doris never stood still and in true Doris-fashion the shop has never stood still either.  Although she allegedly retired in 1990, when Paul took over, she just couldn’t keep away and continued to come to the shop daily to keep an eye on things until her death at age 94.

2007

Mark Cannock Shop

Mark took over the Cannock shop eventually in 2007 separating it from the main business to run it with his son Jack.

 

This left Paul to run the main shop in Victoria Road Fenton where it is still thriving today helped by his son Barney and long-term staff member Craig Shuff who has been a big part of the team since leaving school in 1991.

Racing

Roy was certainly no slouch when it came to cycling, being prolific and almost unbeatable on the track (many of the beautiful trophies won by Roy are on display in the shop). Among them are the Michelin Perpetual Trophy, the Brooks Bowl, the BSA Trophy, and the Granta Trophy. He also led the way in the long tally of national championship gold medals, being the first to collect the National Half Mile Grass Championship at the Michelin Sports in the 1950s.

Bernadette Swinnerton

Won silver in the 1969 World Championship Road Race in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and a selection of gold in the British National Championships, both on the road and track.

Margaret Swinnerton

Won many track and road events, including the ladies star trophy series (twice), and also qualified for the 1984 Olympics. Sadly for some unknown reason, she was never selected. She represented GB in three world road race championships between 1979-1983

John Herety

Married Margaret Swinnerton in 1983. Herety rode for Great Britain in the 1980 Olympic Games, coming in 21st place, and he won the national road championship as a professional in 1982. Herety also rode for the French cycling team Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt. He was also a professional member of the Mercier cycling team.

 

John owed much of his success to his powerful sprints, including his stage win at the 1987 Milk Race in Ipswich. He now manages the JLT–Condor cycling team and occasionally provides studio-based analysis of cycle races for British Eurosport.

Catherine Swinnerton

Now Catherine Earley – Rode seven British National Road Race Championships, winning in 1977 and 1984 and never placing below third. Her total of national championship medals, both on the road and track, totals well over thirty.

 

She rode the first ladies' Tour De France, almost winning the final stage in Paris and thus being piped into second place on the line. She competed in many world championships on both the road and track.

 

She also rode the 1989 Olympic Road Race in America where she met Martin Earley.

Martin Earley

Turned professional in 1985, joining the Fagor Team with whom he stayed until 1987. In 1986, he won the fourteenth stage of the Giro d’Italia. In 1987, he was part of the Irish team at the World Road Race Championship that ended in a win for Stephen Roche. He then rode for Kas and the Dutch PDM team of Sean Kelly.

 

The highlight of his career was a stage win in the 1989 Tour De France when he broke clear of three riders 750m from the end of a 157 km stage from Labastide-d Armagnac to Pau. Martin competed in a total of eight Tours. He now practices as a physio in Hilderstone.

Mark Swinnerton

Was the highest-place British rider in the 1980 Milk Race. He won the 1980 Pernod Star Trophy and the Essex Grand Pre. He represented Britain on many occasions around the world, Germany, Holland, France and Palestine. He was piped out of third place in the National Cycle Cross Championship.

Bernard Swinnerton

Raced from 1975 to 1988. During this time, Bernard was the divisional Schoolboy Sprint and Pursuit Champion, Junior Sprint Champion, a member of the Winning Senior Pursuit Team, and twelfth in the National Junior Points Race. On the road he was fourteenth in the National Road Race Championship and competed in star trophy events, also representing GB in Germany.

Frances Swinnerton

now Frances Mayer – Competed on the track, road, and time trial. She decided to pursue a career in catering and successfully runs her own business “The Secret Kitchen“.

Tony Mayer

Tony was the Junior National Pursuit Champion in 1978/79. He was selected for the 1980 Olympics alongside Paul Swinnerton. Unfortunately, both succumbed to glandular fever and were unable to compete. However, he did recover in time to attend the Junior Worlds, taking bronze in the team pursuit.

 

He qualified eighth in Mexico with a time of 3”30’; a good time even by today’s standards. In 1982, he was second to Dave Lloyd in the National 25. He won silver in the team pursuit at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and Gold in the team pursuit at the Oceanic Games. He also won no fewer than fifteen National Championship medals.

Sean Mayer

2012 finished third in the White Hope Sprint at Herne Hill and went on to win the British National Junior Sprint Championship in the same year. He also finished eighth in the National Track Sprint Championships in his first year of senior racing.

Barney Swinnerton

Won the National Sprinters League in 2011, won the White Hope Sprint in 2012, a trophy his father Paul won in 1977

Paul Swinnerton

Locally, most of us will remember Paul’s dominance of the Newcastle track league for 10 years many said he was unbeatable on our track and for the most part, many were right.

 

One of Paul’s biggest disappointments, as with Tony Mayer, was contracting glandular fever just before the 1980 Olympic Games having qualified for The Sprint, Kilo, and Team Pursuit. That said, his list of successes is impressive:

 

1978 - Won over 300 track and road events in one year

 

1978 - British Best allrounder on the track

 

1979 - National Kilo Champion

 

1980 - Entered the Guinness Book of Records having gained the world speed record by riding at 103mph unassisted on rollers (the first to break 100mph).

 

1981 - National Sprint Champion

 

1983 - National Tandem Sprint Champion. Various years - Competed in the world championships on many occasions gaining many other national silver and bronze medals.

 

Various years - Competed in the world championships on many occasions gaining many other national silver and bronze medals.

 

1977 to 1983 - The National Half Mile and National Five Mile Grass Track Champion. This in itself is a record; winning the National Championship four times has not been surpassed with only Dean Downing getting close by winning on three occasions. Unsurprisingly, Paul was now following in the footsteps of his father forty years earlier.

 

1984 - saw Paul retire from competitive cycling, deciding to take up martial arts; specifically Karate and Ju-Jitsu. This saw him competing in the super heavyweight European Champion at age forty and becoming a black belt (first Dan).

 

Over the years the family holidays were taken up either youth hostelling or cycle camping in the Spring or Autumn as racing always took priority in the summer months, which family members continue to do today.

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