London bike manufacturer and shop Condor Cycles is mourning the passing of founder Monty Young, who died on Friday just a few days after his 88th birthday, having suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years.
Born in 1930, Young founded Condor Cycles on Gray’s Inn Road in London aged just 18, building bicycles and wheels in the cellar below the shop. By the late 1950s he had become involved in racing, taking his Condor neutral service van to anything from local races around the capital to the Milk Race.
He also supported professional teams from the 1960s onwards, with the likes of Colin Lewis, John Herety, Hugh Porter, and Bradley Wiggins all using Condor frames and wheels. And the company is still supporting the JLT Condor team to the present day.
Condor Cycles may have moved premises across the road from the location of the original store, but it is still run by Monty Young’s son, Grant, and grandson, Sebastian.
News of Young’s tributes prompted tributes from many leading figures in British cycling.
RIP Monty Young – Helped me out as an aspiring junior and amateur in my Team Haverhill days… always loved that 753 @condorcycles
— Colin A Sturgess (@ColinASturgess) July 20, 2018
Sad to hear that Monty Young @condorcycles has passed away, thoughts with Grant, family and all close to him. He and grant helped me for three years at Olympia Sport, don’t think I’ve seen anyone build more wheels! R.I.P. Monty
— Tony Gibb (@agibby76) July 20, 2018
RIP Monty Young.
Always a pleasure to chat to.
Thanks for making cycling cool from the beginning.
Thanks for giving me 6 great years racing your bikes@condorcycles #condorcycles— Dean Downing® (@dean0downing) July 20, 2018
The great Monty Young. Thank You X #CondorCycles pic.twitter.com/j6FmUCXXNv
— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) July 20, 2018
Sadly Young suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in his final years, which had worsened in recent months. However in a statement on its website, Condor said that “in true Monty style, he remained characteristically strong until the very end.”
