Tom and holding his boneshaker
in 2000 on his 90th birthday run.
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Thomas Henry Young at the age
of 94 on the 17th of September 2004 passed away in the Peterborough
District Hospital after a short illness.
Tom Young who was best known in the vintage cycle world for
riding his 1868 English boneshaker. He had ridden this boneshaker
all over the UK and always tried to attend as many events as possable.
The Concise English dictionary says of a boneshaker that it is
"A decrepit or uncomfortable old vehicle and is an old type
of bicycle with solid tyres. This is an apt description of a bike
with solid iron frames and wooden wheels with steel rimes. The
wheels have only coach bolts with every bump passing directory
to the handle bars these having wooden grips. When passed his
Guinness at dinner time, his hands would still be shaking. He
still managed to drink it ! He was a member of the Peterborough
Vintage Cycle Club and the March Vintage & Veteran Cycle Club.
He started riding vintage cycles in 1952 with the PVCC. He rode
a 1868 Michele Velocipede boneshaker before getting his own Boneshaker
. He also owned other vintage cycles which he rode sometimes.
His sheds were full of parts. Tom has attended most of the National
Association of Vintage Cycle Clubs rallies and all the main club
rallies. He was also a member of other vintage cycles clubs.
At the age of 82 Tom
and Arthur Wright rode from Lands End to John a Grouts on
a tandem a distant of about 1500 miles as they went the long way
visiting towns on the way for charity.
Tom stands outside his house with his boneshaker.
He rode his boneshaker till 1991. Then after coming off his every
day bike while riding the route for a vintage rally near Peterborough
. He spend 5 weeks in hospital and he had to stop riding. He still
attended as many rallies as possible but had now to go round in
a car. His boneshaker is now owed by a lady Desford Lane member,
as Tom wished to see the bike remain being ridded and not locked
away in some museum. On his 90 birthday a run was held for him.
Click on the link for more details. Tom was very pleased when
he saw the Maxey Site to think he was on the web!
www.maxey.co.uk (LINK TO WEB SITE ON HIS 90TH
BIRTHDAY RUN)
Updated Spetember 2004