Iconic Dursley bike goes under the hammer in Wotton-under-Edge

An early 20th century Pedersen bicycle had garnered a great deal of interest and ended up beating estimates when purchased for £2,100 at the sale in Wotton Auction Rooms last week.

The bike dated from around 1905 where it was made in Dursley to the design of Danish inventor and engineer Mikael Pedersen, who received a patent in this country in the early 1890s.

Mr Pedersen had developed a centrifugal cream separator as a young man in Denmark and his design was produced by Lister in Dursley. Thus the connection with Dursley began and Pedersen lived in a large property in the town by the end of the 19th century.

His cycles were initially made by the Pedersen Cycle Frame Co Ltd and after by the Dursley Pedersen Cycle Co.

Though some 30,000 cycles were produced by the 1920s, the design never caught on – but there remains a fervent following amongst collectors of vintage cycles and the Pedersen name is much revered in the world of vintage cycling.

In 1995 Mr Pedersen’s remains were exhumed from his unmarked grave in Copenhagen and given a ceremonial burial in Dursley with a tombstone marking his name and achievements.

The model sold at Wotton Auction Rooms, a demountable size 3, had been acquired by the vendor in the mid 1980’s and, following some restoration, had been ridden regularly to veteran cycle club rallies.

Following keen pre-sale interest, and with an estimate of £1,500 to £2,000 the cycle sold for £2,100 to a British buyer on commission against another private enthusiast in the room.

One of the main features of the Pedersen cycles is the hammock style seat which helps to provide better suspension on bumpy road surfaces.

A damaged Dursley Pedersen bicycle, dating back to 1898, was returned to top condition and unveiled to a small crowd at Dursley Heritage Centre on Monday, February 16.

The restored cycle has now gone on public display for the first time at the centre where it can be seen up until June 13.