John Kemp Starley

John Kemp Starley (* 1854 in Walthamstow, † 1901) was a very innovative English designer and producer of bicycles.

Family and company

He was the nephew of James Starley, a former producer of Kangaroo bicycle. Starley, who previously worked in his uncle's factory, founded in 1881 with a partner, the company JK In Coventry, in which high wheels were produced. Starley & Sutton Co Since 1896, the company operated under the name Rover Cycle Company and was most recently known as the MG Rover Group.

Starley, however, had difficulties to get into the business, as the established competition was quite large. So he started a new bike with significant improvements to develop. First, he wanted to change the frame geometry. Then the muscle force should be better utilized and the third the bike should be more secure. First, he earns his money by building tricycles.

Rover Safety Bicycle

In secret, he developed a two-wheeler, which should be faster and safer than high wheels simultaneously. He is said to have brought the first test models, along with his partner in the carriage out into the country in order to be able to test there unobserved.

He put his bike in 1884 at the Stanley Velo Show in London the audience. The big breakthrough was in this " Rover Safety Bicycle" said first bike out though. The press dismissed it as a bug or sycophants. Some judged comforting, it is good for the elderly and timid riders. Starley was clear that he had to make with the Kangaroo for a similar sensation as his uncle; in which, after the victory in a race that sales had jumped suddenly into the air. The existing ban on race of this kind did not seem to convince him not to organize such. He hired the same success driver George Smith, who had driven the Kangaroo, and announced in the cycling journals for the last Saturday in September, a race from London to Brighton and back over to Shoreham. As a prize for the first three he put out an expensive gold watch, a rover wheel and a silver watch. The starting point was the Anderton 's Hotel, Fleet Street, London. The police stood on the day of the race already with a large contingent ready, but Starley had tricked her and secretly set a different starting point. So the drivers were able to carry the race without police. And George Smith, who Toprennfahrer, placed immediately on a new world record.

From then on, it was clear that the new Rover was the ultimate bike. Starley and Sutton had virtually overnight, the capacity of its manufacturing facilities zoom. The rover type II is still considered a prototype of the modern bicycle. Significant changes occurred in the control, which now was right on the front axle and the brake was attached to the front wheel. The customers were delighted and within a year of the " Rover II" had achieved a market share of 90%. But the two business men have not rested on their laurels. They developed their bikes until 1888, the " Rover type III " came out.

So it was also due to a large part of the race that the public 's eyes were opened, and the Niederrad could displace the penny-farthing.