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news
Bob Chicken.jpgLegend of the British cycling trade, Bob Chicken dies at age of 90
Bob Chicken, founder of one of Britain’s foremost cycle parts and accessories distributors, RJ Chicken and Sons, has died peacefully in his sleep in Madeira where he has been living in retirement, reports the cycle trade website Bike Biz. He was 90 years of age.
The business he founded, which is now run by his sons Robert and Cedric, was the first in the UK to import a number of brands now commonplace in the nation’s cycle dealers, such as Mavic and Cinelli among many others, and most keen cyclists will have picked up a copy of the RJ Chicken & Sons catalogue in a bike shop at some point.
A former president of the Pedal Club and the Pickwick Club, he was the subject of a 2005 biography (pictured), Bob Chicken – A Passion For The Bike, written by the cycling writer, Graeme Fife.
After more than six decades in the bicycle business, he was recognised with an MBE for services to the cycle industry in 2008.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- andystow 1 sec ago
The new RH tubes claim to solve that issue, but price and availability is a problem. I tried to get some to try out, but they went out of stock on...
- henryb 12 min 16 sec ago
Disappointed this article doesn't use the words 'boondoggle', 'junket' or 'jamboree'
- brooksby 24 min 21 sec ago
Cough - cough - Clevedon seafront! - cough cough
- eburtthebike 42 min 12 sec ago
Thanks for the tip. I didn't realise the Forest of Dean was inside the M25.
- Adam Sutton 46 min 47 sec ago
Chances are you live in London or somehwere where you have decent public transport, to make such a dumb comment
- Secret_squirrel 3 hours 54 min ago
Those calipers arent the prettiest. Makes them look like Post-mount.
- Dnnnnnn 4 hours 37 min ago
I'm all for a much more socialist approach to the sorts of things you mention, where there are clear market failures and a need for decent...
- David9694 4 hours 38 min ago
Zorbing balls - if it saves just one life
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1 comments
Bob Chicken's energy and enthusiasm for cycling and for life was something to behold, he really was an inspiring human being and a top, top, bloke who always had a courteous and helpful word even for members of the cycling press.