“The Extra Special Light Racing Scarlet Runner De-Luxe is beautifully finished, built of the best steel fittings, ornamental head lugs, Dunlop narrow nickel-plated shell or wood rims, double- butted spokes, Baylis and Wiley hubs, Williams chain wheel and cranks, racing pedals with toe clips and straps, Mansfield racing or sprinting saddle, genuine Major Taylor handlebars, three-spiers roller chain, Dunlop speed tyres and tubes, all lugs and ends nickel plated; enamelled all colours and flamboyant transparent colours, nicely lined, with a complete set of floral transfers. Genuine B.S.A. parts. Nothing but the best material used.”

From an 1930 advertisement for the Scarlet Runner

The Scarlet Runner was one of Western Australia’s more expensive bicycles during the early 1920’s but there was high demand for the three different versions available and often up to a three month wait list prior to racing season. In 1925 Furniss was building 100 light weight wood-rim Scarlet Runners for the race season and built-to-order bicycles were also available. The three versions of Scarlet Runner were:

The All-Service Scarlet Runner £11:10:0

The Competitive Light Racer Scarlet Runner £12:10:0

The Extra Special Light Racer Scarlet Runner £18:10:0

William John “Cocky” Furniss was born in Wanneroo in 1885 and raised on his father’s poultry farm. His father was a farmer, builder and inventor with several very successful patents for a rabbit trap, improved kettle and self-lock fence dropper.

William was a keen cyclist and was road racing competitively in 1908. Around 1920 he opened his first ‘Beach Bike Shop’ opposite the Cottesloe Beach Station where he was selling new BSA and second hand bicycles, accessories and repairs which included oxy-welding, soldering, brazing, enamelling and repairs to lawn mowers, gramophones, primus stoves, prams and musical instruments. Within a year William was manufacturing two of his own bicycle brands: the ‘Scarlet Runner’ and ‘WA’ bicycles. The Scarlet Runner was the most successful brand.

The Scarlet Runner was used by many riders and William donated prizes for races including lap prizes of acetylene gas lamps.

William Furniss built a double story brick building at 45 Bayview Terrace, Claremont in 1927-28 called ‘Furniss Building’. The lower level housed Furniss Cycle Works (and Garage) as well as two other stores which he leased out. The upper level had a meeting room which was booked by local clubs and charities and residence for his wife Mercy (nee Newton a well-known family from Mandurah) and children. The Claremont-Cottesloe Cycle Club would meet at the Furniss Building prior to their races. Furniss chained tools in front of his shop so children could repair their own bicycles.

The building had a life-sized man in sheet metal seated on a bicycle and mounted on a beam over the laneway beside the shop. The brightly painted figure with glass sauce bottle stoppers for eyes signified the motto “A Square Man for a Square Deal”. The Square Man sign is now in the Claremont Museum.

The Furniss family purchased a parcel of land between Mandurah and Pinjarra in the 1920’s which was promoted extensively in newspaper advertisements as ‘Furnissdale’ and offered free camping along the shores of the Serpentine River. During holiday season hundreds of people would camp at Furnissdale. In 1950 the land was subdivided and riverside blocks sold. The suburb was officially was named Furnissdale in 1968.

William died from polycystic kidney disease in 1933 aged 48 years. His son Albert William Furniss and father continued to run Furniss Cycle Works for many years after William’s death. The building was eventually sold and subsequently demolished in 1973.

No Scarlet Runners are held by members of the WAHCC, however, a head badge is held in Merv Thompson’s collection.