Hetchins Vade Mecum Frame
SIZING & SPEC |
|
| Seat Tube (centre to centre) | 57cm |
| Weight | 2.72kg |
| Tubing | |
| Rear Spacing | 126mm |
| Seatpost Diameter | 27.4mm |
| Brake Fixings | Nutted |
| Dropouts | Agrati |
| Bottom Bracket Thread | English |
| Headset Thread | English |
| Era | |
|
Centre to top |
59cm |
| Top Tube Length | 54cm |
Hyman Hetchin, a Russian Jew fleeing the Bolshevik revolution, found safety in Britain in 1917. By 1922 he had a shop on Seven Sisters Road in Tottenham, North London selling all manner of household appliances, including gramophones. He later sold bicycles as seasonal stock out of his home. This turned a good profit and Hetchin gave over shop space to Raleigh, BSA, and Hercules bicycles - alongside the gramophones.
Jack Denny, a local frame builder with a nearby shop, designed a frame with curly stays to help absorb road shocks. He brought it to Hetchins who partnered with him and patented the design in 1934. Hetchins then stopped selling other bike brands and in 1936 their partnership (Denny building frames and Hetchins taking care of sales) saw Olympic and World's Championship victories. Racers weren't allowed to exhibit any branding and the unusual 'curly' seat stays provided excellent marketing. The ornate lugs were all cut out by hand and help to differentiate the various models.
Hetchins died in 1961 but his son, Alf, took over the business. Due to new zoning laws in 1974, he was forced to relocate the shop and chose Southend-on-Sea where he managed the business until retiring in 1986. The Hetchins name lives on; frame builder David Miller holds the license to recreate these works of art on commission.
Our frames are checked for wear, damage and alignment. Rear spacing is listed as the actual measurement.
If you should require more information or more photos of any of our products, don't hesitate to get in touch!
