THE closing of Gordon Christie's cycle and toy shop in Market Street, St Andrews, marks the end of an era of the family name in the cycle trade going back to 1906.

In fact, one can go further back to when my father left the Burgh School. He became very interested in cycling and repairing cycles for his friends at his home, which at that date was at 5 Greenside Place, and used by his mother as a boarding house. He used the wash-house there for repairing cycles, but the day came when his mother asked him to move from there and, luckily for him, Turpie's the plumbers workshop at 55 South Street was available for renting. My father was an assistant grocer with Thomas Walker, the licenced grocer in Market Street, known locally as Tammy Walker.

In 1908, his brother,Jack Christie, came home from America on holiday. He was a carpenter to trade. In the winter months, in America, he had assisted his brother Andrew Christie, who had served his time as a club maker with R. J Forgan and Son, the noted clubmakers, and was then the golf professional at Rochester Country Club at New York USA

This is where Jack Christie met Walter Hagen, who was the assistant to the professional, Andrew Christie.

In 1908, the brothers decided to form the business of Christie Brothers, cycle builders, and manufacture the "Bell Rock Cycle."

It was a very skilled job making a hand-made cycle, the frames were made to suit the customer, for instance 21, 22 or 24 inch frame size Lengths of frame tubes, frame brackets, chain stays, and Fork blades were purchased.

Frame tubes had to be very accurately cut to size, pinned together and made ready for the brazing forge, where molten brass was run into the frarne joints. After this, the frames were polished with; emery paper and stove enamelled.

The wheel rims were purchased from Dunlop. At that date the cycle builders had a special tool to punch the spoke holes, 32 for the front wheel and 40 for the rear. The spokes had to be threaded, and I still have their 1906 spoke screwing machine, used for the nipple at the end of the spoke,
Next, the spokes were assembled correctly into the rim, and having done all this the wheel was ready to go into the wheel errector and turning stand.

Producing a cycle by hand was a very time consuming business.

One of their first customers for the "Bell Rock Cycle " was the late David Eadie the tailor, who cycled in from, and out to, Strathkinness between his shop and home.

In the late 1920's, Mr and Mrs Eadie purchased new cycles, and also one for their Son. The frame of the "Bell Rock Cycle" hung on the wall of Mr Eadies Garage for many years

From 1906, the Christie Brothers became very interested in motorcycles and in 1909 they were given permission by the Town Council to hold motor cycle races over the West Sands, organised by the Leven Motor Cycle Club. In 1910 The Scottish Auto- Cycle Union organised the Scottish Motorcycle Speed Championships.
After World War 1 these became one of the special events in July, vast crowds coming to the West Sands to take part and also to watch the fun.