Falcon Cycles
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| Private | |
| Industry | Bicycles and accessories |
| Predecessor | Coventry-Eagle |
| Founded | 1880 |
| Headquarters | Brigg, North Lincolnshire, England |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
| Products | Boss, Claud Butler, CBR, British Eagle, Coventry-Eagle, Elswick, Exile, Falcon, Holdsworth, Scorpion, Shogun, Stinky Bitz, Townsend |
| Owner | Tandem Group plc |
| Website | www |
Falcon Cycles is a British bicycle manufacturer based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, owned by Tandem Group.
In the 1880s, Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek Ltd was established in Coventry as a manufacturer of bicycles. In 1897, the company name was changed to Coventry-Eagle when John Meek left the company.
From 1898, like many bicycle manufacturers they began experimenting by adding small petrol-engines to their heavier bicycle frames. By 1899 they produced their first motorcycle, manufactured along bicycle lines from carefully manufactured components. By the start of World War I, the range included Villiers and JAP engines. Sourcing engines from four manufacturers post the war into the 1920s, during the depression of the 1930s the company concentrated on producing two-strokes. Production of motorcycles continued until the start of the World War II in 1939.
After the war, and not of a scale to continue competitive motorcycle manufacture, the company concentrated on racing bicycles.
In the 1930s they had launched a range of sporting bikes under the "Falcon" brand, and it was under this marque that the company relaunched itself. Managed from the 1950s under British bicycle racer Ernie Clements, in the 1970s the company signed a global licensing agreement with Belgian-racer Eddy Merckx brand, who at the time was the leading global road cycling racer. This allowed the company to greatly expand, and export large numbers of Merckx bikes to the United States.
In 1974, rival bicycle manufacturer Elswick Hopper plc began a period of expansion, purchasing Wearwell Cycles, which had been established before 1872. In 1978 the company acquired Falcon Cycles, which was operated as a subsidiary before being later merged into Elswick Hoppers factory at Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire.
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Wikipedia