Stuart Bedingfield is included as an example of a ‘typical’ clubman of the time who, somewhere along the way, became afflicted with an irredeemable loyalty to the Carpenter marque.

1933 As a 16-year old living in Shepperton, he started work with Morden District Council, commuting  15 miles each way by bike. He joined his local cycling club – Kingston Road Club – and started time trialling initially on a stripped-down road bike he recalled being a second-hand ‘Lock’ (there was a Lock bike shop in Kent until the 1990s).

Late 1930s In time his bike was replaced by a Saxon-Bailey, an off-the shelf clubman’s bike, fixed wheel as was the norm in those days. Training consisted of commuting plus Sunday club runs (typically to the south coast, Salisbury and memorably, Weymouth and back one long summer day, about 250 miles).  Stuart’s best time for 25 miles was 1:06:00, a good club standard then.

WW2 There was no cycling during the war years, only one or two inter-regimental cross-country races. Married to Lilian in 1942, Stuart was demobilised in 1945 and returned to his work with Morden council.

1940s At this point he could at last afford the bike of his dreams, and in 1947 ordered a new Carpenter Super Clubman (#4126) firstly for commuting but also with a view to picking up his club riding.  However, parenthood stalled such ambitions. These were difficult times in Britain, so in 1949 Stuart emigrated to Lusaka, N.Rhodesia (now Zambia) taking the bike with him. Here he found the climate and roads hardly conducive to the sport, besides which he could now afford a car and had a growing family. By 1958, now working in Kenya, Stuart used the bike to teach his ten-year old son Peter to ride, and passed it down to him.

1960s Stuart’s devotion to the Carpenter marque continued;  when in 1961 this son was sent to school in England he presented him with a new Carpenter, fixed wheel in the first place (#4921 is based on a later incarnation of this bike, using some of the original components); in 1963 the whole family returned to the UK. The original bike #4216 was restored for Stuart’s younger son John (who still owns it) while Stuart bought a lightweight tourer #5457 for himself (#5000 is based on this). Stuart continued to enjoy recreational riding into his ’70s, such as a few London-Brighton runs with his sons.