1951 Flash Cycle made by Eddie Barron

Eddie Barron’s Flash Cycles

This Flash bicycle is part of the legacy of Eddie Barron, a champion for the sport of cycling in general, and of bike racing in Western Australia in particular.

Following his service in World War II, Eddie returned home to Midland, a suburb in the Perth area of Western Australia. 

Across the street from the old track was Ajax Cycles, and it was for sale.   Eddie bought the store, changed the name to Flash Cycles, and proceded to become one of Australia’s greatest cycling boosters.

Eddie promoted races on the road and at the track.  He ran the old Midland Cycling Club (founded in 1899) for decades, and put up prize money for local races.  While employing local cyclists to work the front of his shop, Eddie brazed wonderful racing rigs with his lightning bolt emblem in the back room.

And about the bike? It’s a great old racing bike with Airlite hubs, aluminum rims, a custom stem with a really neat lugged-style joint. The steel 3-arm crankset has a cotter pin attachment to the bottom bracket (like most performance bikes of the era). The headtube lightning bolt insignia is brazed onto the headtube, and the whole bike is blindingly chromed.

Flash head tube lightning bolt

Anodized Airlite hubs

Flash crankset detail

Flash stem

Seat junction

The Perth SpeedDome on Eddie Barron Drive

Today, one of the finest tracks in the world is the Perth Speed Dome.  The Speed Dome arena covers a 250 meter velodrome made from Siberian pine, and is located on Eddie Barron Drive in Midland.  It would be a great place to take this chrome Flash for a spin…