Frederick Grubb
Encyclopedia
Frederick "Freddie" Henry Grubb (27 May 1887 – 6 March 1949) was a British road racing cyclist who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. He won silver medals in the individual road race and the team road race. In 1914, after he retired from racing, he established a bicycle
manufacturing business (F.H.Grubb) in Brixton
, London
. By 1920 manufacturing had moved to Croydon
and then in 1926 to Twickenham
. In 1935 FHG Ltd was established in Wimbledon
but by 1947 the F H Grubb name was back in use. Two years after his death the business was bought by Holdsworth
, which used the Freddie Grubb brand until around 1978.
He set a record for 12 hours in the Anerley event near Liverpool
in 1911. The organisers had set a course of 210 miles, further than they expected any rider to go. It had to be extended to allow Grubb to ride 220.5 miles. The second rider, Charlie Davey, also beat the club's plans and finished in 215.5 miles.
Grubb set a record of 351 miles for a 24-hour time-trial on the track. It was broken by Henrik Morén with 375.6 miles in 1912. Grubb's 5h 9m 41s for London to Brighton
and back stood for 14 years.
He won two silver medals in the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.
He turned professional in 1914. Cycling
reported:
Grubb was considered for the New York
, Paris
and Berlin
six-day races. He rode briefly on the continent before returning disillusioned. The venture ended his cycling because rules denied professionals the right to ride again as an amateur.
, south London, in 1914 but the First World War
started. Peter Duncan said:
Grubb opened another shop after the war, with money from his clubmate Charlie Davey. Grubb went into partnership with Ching Allin in 1919, forming Allin & Grubb of 132 Whitehorse Road, Croydon
. The two split in a row over cycle design. Allin & Grubb became A. H. Allin and began selling Davey cycles rather than Grubb.
The cycle-trade historian Mick Butler, who called Grubb "not a very likable character", said:
Butler added:
Grubb opened another business under his own name in London Road, West Croydon, in 1920 and by 1924 had a shop at Robsart Street, Brixton
.
In 1934 Grubb advertised that his business was in liquidation. He then opened another company, FHG, at 147a Haydons Road, Wimbledon
, with 20 staff from the former venture.
Grubb died on 6 March 1949, aged 61, in north-east Surrey and his family continued the business. The Holdsworth
company brought the Grubb name in 1952.
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
manufacturing business (F.H.Grubb) in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. By 1920 manufacturing had moved to Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
and then in 1926 to Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
. In 1935 FHG Ltd was established in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
but by 1947 the F H Grubb name was back in use. Two years after his death the business was bought by Holdsworth
Holdsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, United Kingdom. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as Sandy. -Beginnings:...
, which used the Freddie Grubb brand until around 1978.
Cycling career
Born in Kingston, Surrey in 1887, Freddie Grubb was a leading rider when cycle-racing in Britain was limited to time-trials and track racing. A writer said of him in 1910: "Since August Bank Holiday he has been the most talked-of cyclist in Great Britain... and it is safe to say that no man since Harry Green has shown more brilliant promise". He was a vegetarian and ride for the Vegetarian Cycle and Athletic Club. He broke the 100-mile time-trial record in 1910 on a fixed-wheel bike with no brakes. The Vegetarian club historian, Peter Duncan, said: "He has no brakes; traffic was so light he saw no need for them." Riding a fixed wheel, or direct gearing between the pedals and the back wheel, would have given him limited braking but not enough for an emergency stop. Grubb rode the distance in less than five hours.He set a record for 12 hours in the Anerley event near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 1911. The organisers had set a course of 210 miles, further than they expected any rider to go. It had to be extended to allow Grubb to ride 220.5 miles. The second rider, Charlie Davey, also beat the club's plans and finished in 215.5 miles.
Grubb set a record of 351 miles for a 24-hour time-trial on the track. It was broken by Henrik Morén with 375.6 miles in 1912. Grubb's 5h 9m 41s for London to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and back stood for 14 years.
He won two silver medals in the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.
He turned professional in 1914. Cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
reported:
- F. H. Grubb [has] returned his amateur licence to the National Cyclists' UnionNational Cyclists' UnionThe National Cyclists' Union was an association established in the Guildhall Tavern, London, on 16 February 1878 as the Bicycle Union. Its purpose was to defend cyclists and to organise and regulate bicycle racing in Great Britain...
. He has decided to make cycle racing and record breaking both on road and path a profession... Next year he will take part in all the big Continental road races, and will also participate in paced races on the track. Grubb, who has been a strict vegetarian for five years, is a non-smoker and total abstainer, and should prove a very worthy British representative abroad. He is 25 years of age, and scales 12st stripped, and when he gets accustomed to the Continental methods there is no reason he should not shine as a star of the very first order in the professional ranks.
Grubb was considered for the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
six-day races. He rode briefly on the continent before returning disillusioned. The venture ended his cycling because rules denied professionals the right to ride again as an amateur.
Cycle trade
Grubb opened a cycle business in BrixtonBrixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, south London, in 1914 but the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
started. Peter Duncan said:
- Fred worked in a London munitions factory. He had long working hours and cycled to and from work every day. It was all bed and work. He wanted to get into the Navy for an easier life, but his reserved-occupation status was a problem.Dispensation from military enlistment was given to workers in 'Reserved-occupations', those industries, such as munitions, farming and mines, often considered too valuable at home to be allowed to fight abroad. Eventually he managed, but Navy catering meant when he returned he was no longer vegetarian. He was made an honorary club member.
Grubb opened another shop after the war, with money from his clubmate Charlie Davey. Grubb went into partnership with Ching Allin in 1919, forming Allin & Grubb of 132 Whitehorse Road, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The two split in a row over cycle design. Allin & Grubb became A. H. Allin and began selling Davey cycles rather than Grubb.
The cycle-trade historian Mick Butler, who called Grubb "not a very likable character", said:
- After the ArmisticeArmisticeAn armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
(1918), Charlie Davey put up more money for Fred Grubb to resume production with Ching Allin in partnership and the firm of Allin & Grubb was founded in 1919. Ching was a much more likable character so with the prestigious name of Grubb on the bikes and the likeable nature and business acumen of Ching the bikes were an instant hit complete with the then revolutionary quick release.Quick release wheels can be attached and detached faster than the nut and bolt of other wheels, an advantage when changing a punctured tyre during a raceCycling historian Mick Butler also noted that the earliest reference for 'quick release wheels' that could be verified was CyclingCycling WeeklyCycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
, 4 March 1920 p XVI. An advert declared Grubb Racing Cycles - with the simplest quickest form of quick release wheels - Allin & Grubb, 132 Whitehorse Road, CroydonCroydonCroydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The same issue of Cycling also contains an advert for 'F.H.Grubb, 250 London Road, Croydon', (just around the corner from Allin & Grubb) which goes on to state "no connection with any other firm" so it would seem they had already parted company or all was not quite well.
Butler added:
- An advert for F.H.Grubb [says] "NOT THE ONLY DROPOUT BUT THE ONLY GENUINE QUICK RELEASE". I was told many moons ago by Bill Bush and Len James, former stalwarts of the Southern Veteran Cycling Club, that there was one hell of a row between Ching Allin and Fred Grubb over who originally designed the drop-out and quick release on the Grubb bicycle. Apparently Fred Grubb wanted all the credit as his name had top billing on the bikes they were making and Ching was annoyed by this, staking a claim for Charley Davey who was Fred's money man and the designer of the original QR.
Grubb opened another business under his own name in London Road, West Croydon, in 1920 and by 1924 had a shop at Robsart Street, Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
.
In 1934 Grubb advertised that his business was in liquidation. He then opened another company, FHG, at 147a Haydons Road, Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, with 20 staff from the former venture.
Grubb died on 6 March 1949, aged 61, in north-east Surrey and his family continued the business. The Holdsworth
Holdsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, United Kingdom. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as Sandy. -Beginnings:...
company brought the Grubb name in 1952.