# Major Nichols

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{{EngvarB|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Major Albert Nichols
| image         = Major Nchols Smethwick Crest.jpg
| caption       = Major Nichols Smethwick crest
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1914|9|17}}
| birth_place   = West Bromwich, England
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2005|8|3|1914|9|17}}
| death_place   = Smethwick, England
| occupation    = Cycle-frame builder
| known_for     = Hand-built lightweight racing bicycles
| years_active  = 1950s–1995
| employer      = Nichols Cycles
| notable_works = Track frame presented to Brian Robinson (1956)
}}
'''Major Albert Nichols''' (17 September 1914 &ndash; 3 August 2005) was the last of the craftsmen cycle makers of the West Midlands of [England](/source/England). He was born in [West Bromwich](/source/West_Bromwich) in his father's cycle shop at 5 Reform Street.<ref>''The Black Countryman'' Vol 38 no 4 Autumn 2005 p59, Obituary. Alvin Smith (Black Country Society, Kingswinford)</ref> Major was a frequent name in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham) and the [Black Country](/source/Black_Country).

He trained in the electrical industry and served in the Royal Navy during the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II). On the death of his father in 1947, he took over the business and taught himself lightweight cycle-frame building, which he carried out in West Bromwich from the early 1950s until 1971 when the area was redeveloped.<ref>''The Black Countryman''  Vol 39 No 2 Spring 2006 pp59-64, ''Master Craftsman or just the Master''. Part I. Alvin Smith (Black Country Society, Kingswinford)</ref><ref>''The Black Countryman''  Vol 39 No3 pp15-20, ibid., Part II. Alvin Smith (Black Country Society, Kingswinford)</ref>

Nichols moved to a former shop at 48 Durban Road in nearby Smethwick. His last frame was built in 1995. He was a vice-president of the Hill Top Cycling Club and at its 21st anniversary dinner in 1956 he presented one of his early track frames to the first Briton to finish the [Tour de France](/source/Tour_de_France), [Brian Robinson](/source/Brian_Robinson_(cyclist)).<ref>''Cycling'', 6 December 1956</ref>

His cycles were ridden to success by Anthony Taylor,<ref>''Cycling'', 15 November 1969</ref> [Paul Carbutt](/source/Paul_Carbutt), Roy Cox, Ray Ward, [Phil Bayton](/source/Phil_Bayton) and others.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070211212638/http://www.blackcountrysociety.co.uk/articles/nicholls.htm Master Craftsman or Just the Master. Alvin Smith( Black Country Society)]}}
*[http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/majornichols.html Classic Frame Builders-Major Nichols.Alvin Smith (Classic Lightweights)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Major}}
Category:British cycle designers
Category:Bicycle framebuilders
Category:1914 births
Category:2005 deaths

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Major Nichols](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Nichols) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Nichols?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.