THE former proprietor of a well-known Oxford bicycle shop has died at the age of 92.

Ken Lansbury was the owner of Broadribb’s bike shop for more than 40 years, as well as a stalwart of Oxford’s cycle racing club.

He began working in a bicycle shop owned by his uncle, Ernest Broadribb, shortly after leaving school when he was 13 years old.

At the time the shop was in New Inn Hall Street next to the then Oxford Mail offices and he was an errand boy.

His love of cycling was formed during these early years in the shop and a year after leaving school he joined Oxford City Road Club. At the age of 17 he began racing for the club.

The first bike he owned was an Armstrong Moth with Lauterwasser handlebars, but when he began racing his uncle gave him a red BSA track bike.

His racing career lasted for 58 years and during that time he achieved a personal best of 25 miles in 1.5.55.

It was when his uncle died in 1943 that Mr Lansbury, then in his early 20s, took over the business.

He continued racing until he was 75 and still holds the club’s veterans record for doing 10 miles in 28.45.

Keith Williams, a fellow member of Oxford City Road Club, said: “Ken has done every job possible in the club and is the epitome of our sport, someone for whom club cycling has been a life time passion and in his case a very long lifetime at that.”

Mr Lansbury was born on March 29, 1920 and was one of the first pupils to enrol at Southfield Grammar School in Glanville Road.

During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force. He was training as a radio operator and air gunner when his war service was cut short because he caught pleurisy.

This allowed him to return to Oxford and take over his uncle’s bike shop.

During his time at the shop he was responsible for the introduction of many new bikes such as the Moulton small wheel bicycle and also provided trophies for Oxford City Road Club and Oxonian Cycle Club.

The company moved premises twice while he ran it, first to St Ebbes in 1963 and then to Market Street in 1975.

He was married for 53 years to Dorothy (nee Griffin) and the couple had a daughter, Maureen. He was widowed about 20 years ago.

Mr Lansbury retired in 1985 when he sold the company to its present owner, Ian Allington, who has since set up shops in Bicester, Leamington Spa and Newport, South Wales.

In retirement, he remained involved in cycling, becoming president of Oxford City Road Club.

He died on March 5 and is survived by daughter Maureen and his partner Mary James, who lived with him in Sutton Courtenay. He did not have any grandchildren.

His funeral took place at Oxford Crematorium on Friday, March 15.