tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9104438299615734732024-03-21T09:26:54.794-07:00The Cycling Scrap BookBike memories from the pastLeon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-66147442286019171922016-05-19T00:16:00.000-07:002016-05-19T00:16:01.996-07:00SIX DAY BIKE RACING in AUSTRALIA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Six Day Bike Racing in Australia</span></b> is the working title of research I'm doing, hopefully that will eventually become a book documenting our history of this gruelling discipline of track cycling.<br />
Australia's first documented Six Day Bike Race was dated as in 1881 and between then and the end of the 1800s, to my knowledge there were six marathon events. Jack Rolfe (Sydney x 2, Melbourne and Adelaide) celebrated four wins, the other two were won by W.J Press (Melbourne) and Sam Clark (Melbourne).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCP8A2ORaSFetZdIvfUDY2mAXEryyx3gwAGvbL24aldYE2ukufAazXysZv11Kh5UPRLt6p5hLnkEJ68iOTQWUzRctbultQ76NqxHcNIYZoPFxWj4J1I5D-JSI1W9I_uErFUuzeRyOHLU5/s1600/exhibition.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCP8A2ORaSFetZdIvfUDY2mAXEryyx3gwAGvbL24aldYE2ukufAazXysZv11Kh5UPRLt6p5hLnkEJ68iOTQWUzRctbultQ76NqxHcNIYZoPFxWj4J1I5D-JSI1W9I_uErFUuzeRyOHLU5/s200/exhibition.PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>From the Australian Sketcher depicting Australia's first Six Day Cycling Marathon</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-_nqnLunARJlMfwrTHWpLy_rLeVaGhKD8hqXoFC3lomtn7UnpGjQI6t5U2TB22kjcu644wrxkUP5zyh75kEIkuwW3GNo456644h8hyR3oTTxmnyI5ld8-CrVx9ipCjAJabfL0g-wXOGH/s1600/MelbArgus18811123Wed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-_nqnLunARJlMfwrTHWpLy_rLeVaGhKD8hqXoFC3lomtn7UnpGjQI6t5U2TB22kjcu644wrxkUP5zyh75kEIkuwW3GNo456644h8hyR3oTTxmnyI5ld8-CrVx9ipCjAJabfL0g-wXOGH/s320/MelbArgus18811123Wed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Australia's first Six Day Marathon Bike Race</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You might notice that contrary to Six Day events after the 1800s these marathons were ridden by individuals, not two man teams and the first few were ridden on High Wheelers - Penny Farthings.<br />
The beginning of these cruel one man rider Six Day cycling marathon's seems to have originated in 1875 when George Waller won the London event. The USA were not far behind having their first marathon events in 1879. Chicago and Boston were there chosen venues with Charles Terront winning two of these American events and going on to add a further four wins to his Palmares.<br />
The name Charles Terront appears in our early Australian Six Day Marathons - not as a rider, but a promoter.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNVtT1EXzJ-kj056KuYCE9OUZFZBVhUTk8GKr9VatQNhlWAosMU_0idkYo_C9IahAo6k5JEUCepUZoOiQOv7jaq6gtSY-zlOoy2qxMkKVaZq1nW4iMgc5gELJieGSH9BB28RC2R0FeFO_/s1600/Terront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNVtT1EXzJ-kj056KuYCE9OUZFZBVhUTk8GKr9VatQNhlWAosMU_0idkYo_C9IahAo6k5JEUCepUZoOiQOv7jaq6gtSY-zlOoy2qxMkKVaZq1nW4iMgc5gELJieGSH9BB28RC2R0FeFO_/s400/Terront.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Charles Terront - French Six Day Marathon Champion</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BbXqHMfXIK41ptv7vmSpIthEYFElA99qPtEBEXu884ZfUNGrxOP4uWt8xpqN-QWkN3YO8LG-eK7rc2X7jBUMS7FSc2cbq1Rp-DMa7PRd8MFIjS72uFxMhRB-Taf7FiQTxZxO3-yGLf22/s1600/wallerposter-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BbXqHMfXIK41ptv7vmSpIthEYFElA99qPtEBEXu884ZfUNGrxOP4uWt8xpqN-QWkN3YO8LG-eK7rc2X7jBUMS7FSc2cbq1Rp-DMa7PRd8MFIjS72uFxMhRB-Taf7FiQTxZxO3-yGLf22/s400/wallerposter-2.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">George Waller - English and Champion of the World.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another contact with Australian cycling history, Plugger Bill Martin who won an Austral Wheel Race in 1901 also raced in these one man marathons. He added five wins throughout the USA before making his way to Australia to win his controversial Austral. Martin settled in Australia and finished his life in Perth, Western Australia.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxWrdoKsq3q5AQNpTWJvUGauElRO9UKD2CeLf5BWN2MSJtgwO31awvJqN91IUQ3MTd0RcYb4NP1y7CGO6smnnAwR9grfcA-IwBcuxKdUQQ-FYPWXnwFeSJZsPdZVnCEYQBSYzRcAQAIhn/s1600/plugger+bill+martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxWrdoKsq3q5AQNpTWJvUGauElRO9UKD2CeLf5BWN2MSJtgwO31awvJqN91IUQ3MTd0RcYb4NP1y7CGO6smnnAwR9grfcA-IwBcuxKdUQQ-FYPWXnwFeSJZsPdZVnCEYQBSYzRcAQAIhn/s400/plugger+bill+martin.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"Plugger"Bill Martin - winner of 5 Six Day Marathons in the USA and the Austral Wheel Race at the MCG in 1901.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This manuscript will be broken into several parts beginning with the late 1800s through to the Bill Long era of the Milk Six's in the 60/70s era.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
In the interim, I will be posting on this blog, my progress on a weekly basis. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I invite you to enjoy the "Ride" and please, offer input.</div>
<br /></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-37099483721147050812014-12-26T14:36:00.001-08:002014-12-26T17:15:30.901-08:00The WHEEL LIFE by Ben Scofield<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">I'm in this room and listening to a whole bunch of old bikies reminiscing, not so much about themselves - yes they are BUT, also about their mates and what it was like to be a bike rider in the 50/60s era.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
These old bikies may not have been champions in their own period, or maybe they were but what brings charm to this book by Ben Schofield is that they talk about the champions, Patto, Mocka and others.<br />
They lived the period, they rode with or against them - they knew them. They talk about the imports from Italy, Germany and Switzerland and the man that brought them here, Promoter Bill Long.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmVD1njNf_dwPIM30Ft4HOPLpZXD4CW7Fa_WIGP4938G0BncXgwmY7nrd_vVipcKlXTwCWdxeS8lZYpe7rZjhefSKJDdtMz-ty8CgqHyZJ70yCVLpgTHbJrZemA300eJFIs8RdcGg1nzn/s1600/IMG_441175835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmVD1njNf_dwPIM30Ft4HOPLpZXD4CW7Fa_WIGP4938G0BncXgwmY7nrd_vVipcKlXTwCWdxeS8lZYpe7rZjhefSKJDdtMz-ty8CgqHyZJ70yCVLpgTHbJrZemA300eJFIs8RdcGg1nzn/s1600/IMG_441175835.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The cover shows the North Essendon Velodrome where much of the action of Victorian track racing took part in the 50s.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUJkt9Z5BBoAIt7bs4dvU_XDhharKgLXp0Q2BrWTCK-Q45DrvubO8NR_QGhjxdAsxpliyNTihXnmlJwiGq6vErAOdWJV7e1ozdkGJva9agqUMrlaunPb0QIe8Pr_aVv7cH8jyRfeTZfu3/s1600/IMG_440324945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUJkt9Z5BBoAIt7bs4dvU_XDhharKgLXp0Q2BrWTCK-Q45DrvubO8NR_QGhjxdAsxpliyNTihXnmlJwiGq6vErAOdWJV7e1ozdkGJva9agqUMrlaunPb0QIe8Pr_aVv7cH8jyRfeTZfu3/s1600/IMG_440324945.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ben Schofield with those he interviewed for WHEEL LIFE.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Memories of North Essendon and the Melbourne Velodrome are brought to life through their words. Words mostly unedited by Ben Schofield. He has left them as they were recorded in the many interviews. On occasion I found this a little difficult to follow but it is their words.<br />
But then when I read the words of Ron Neiwand, Alfie Walker, Brian Dew, Jim Taylor, Ian Browne and John Grima amongst others, I hear their voices. The not so perfect grammar is theirs.<br />
<br />
Ben asks the questions such as;<br />
Where were they born, how they came to this sport of cycling, most memorable races, their heroes and experiences. That's what makes this publication unique. It's not a mass of results or details. It's just about a whole lot of old bikies chin-wagging to Ben and his tape recorder.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWkw1R-o5Ty_fRNT5PRYCmBAJGu3r6P7RZ3t1Z3F7t1ZuUwcY-_qfB63uMeATjJafZ_zssBMzvdpPW87FjYSnphszmybwWfY5wPr6X-G-Gfps13v7Q84wplCwaAaMQzh2sYK4LTPulqJA/s1600/IMG_441175864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWkw1R-o5Ty_fRNT5PRYCmBAJGu3r6P7RZ3t1Z3F7t1ZuUwcY-_qfB63uMeATjJafZ_zssBMzvdpPW87FjYSnphszmybwWfY5wPr6X-G-Gfps13v7Q84wplCwaAaMQzh2sYK4LTPulqJA/s1600/IMG_441175864.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Ian Browne relives his 1956 Olympic gold medal tandem ride with Tony Marchant and his relationship with Billy Guyatt who was instrumental in their win.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFHaLgZnMRbFCw1K_RGyK2DDXTW2Gwhya4x8PvXSTgggHhOERUWhdDP0ujRLx4BjqE2yBmVQMSEHxwgLXUppgQZQTFSlqjBgitwCdopm1q0hoJuFcsUR3r8SULReoxQXdVZtoH0UhlIfB/s1600/IMG_441175919-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFHaLgZnMRbFCw1K_RGyK2DDXTW2Gwhya4x8PvXSTgggHhOERUWhdDP0ujRLx4BjqE2yBmVQMSEHxwgLXUppgQZQTFSlqjBgitwCdopm1q0hoJuFcsUR3r8SULReoxQXdVZtoH0UhlIfB/s1600/IMG_441175919-1.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>There's a whole chapter where the main characters in the book reflect on their memories of Sid Patterson, the bike rider and the man. Here he is seen with the man he took the world pursuit crown from - Fausto Coppi.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIiEO9jpS9vPDt_Wyo5esEGl36VkIso1hSU1-kVQfJ9ih5L1oBMhVQfSemc8ENUxSNID00AFEWIKrLFcVsLNC4oqtNYm_1-1e4gJQ8HEzRDny5d5JQonpFQK3ZuxP-ZwM_NlShjjCh2Fg/s1600/IMG_441175944-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIiEO9jpS9vPDt_Wyo5esEGl36VkIso1hSU1-kVQfJ9ih5L1oBMhVQfSemc8ENUxSNID00AFEWIKrLFcVsLNC4oqtNYm_1-1e4gJQ8HEzRDny5d5JQonpFQK3ZuxP-ZwM_NlShjjCh2Fg/s1600/IMG_441175944-1.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>They also give an insight of the short lived career of Russell Mockridge.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Jim Taylor who was riding in the scratch bunch with Mocka in the Tour of Gippsland relives that tradgic day when Russell lost his life.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My father Jack is 93 and I'm sending a copy to him because I know that he'll enjoy reading about some blokes that he mixed with over the years. So if its for someone of the era or for someone that wants to have an insight to the 1950/1960 period of cycling in Victoria, then do yourself a favor and whack a copy in your library.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
You can purchase your copy of WHEEL LIFE by Ben Scofield by emailing him first on <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">benjschofield68@gmail.com</span></b> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and then depositing an amount of $29.99 plus $7.00 postage:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BSB 814 282 </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Acc 1050 9261</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiNnKCYDerCjYi_8oL4cJFQiPyFhLAg4ZJhGPGGr3WM2_YC8mrH5sTaSLEfE6wzH0E0YBvsNdfHbCQ0TZHEyjGlghGgE1ipn3gcZP8Fbt0JjyqOgUAqGA7cvuQIcI9f5og6IeIpo7L49N/s1600/IMG_441175992-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiNnKCYDerCjYi_8oL4cJFQiPyFhLAg4ZJhGPGGr3WM2_YC8mrH5sTaSLEfE6wzH0E0YBvsNdfHbCQ0TZHEyjGlghGgE1ipn3gcZP8Fbt0JjyqOgUAqGA7cvuQIcI9f5og6IeIpo7L49N/s1600/IMG_441175992-1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Many of the photos come from the rider's own personal scrapbooks - these two photos show Australian Team members for the 1952 and 1955 world championship.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-37313011896397482962014-10-11T13:15:00.002-07:002014-10-11T13:15:33.159-07:00Museo del Ciclismo in Ghisallo.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today in Italy, looking down on Lago Como and Lago Lecco was another tick off the bucket list. If riding L'Eroica in Gaiole Chianti with another 9 friends wasn't enough, on a wet and dismal morning, my day was bright and exciting.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Words do not express my day - I share these photos with you.</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOznmrPmruXQcNDFopmoAhTkorXx4qfHv0YqlH7VpaYZEM7Eamx7cYtbYjf_YJwvNyeIlq-127BiCW-rXBi15RwBJPCVlIW472lxMPypXqBs3MivXzXXzeHBzoW3kNzEfHMBV8A9zCF0b/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOznmrPmruXQcNDFopmoAhTkorXx4qfHv0YqlH7VpaYZEM7Eamx7cYtbYjf_YJwvNyeIlq-127BiCW-rXBi15RwBJPCVlIW472lxMPypXqBs3MivXzXXzeHBzoW3kNzEfHMBV8A9zCF0b/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRS5H9xJeu3c9Jvarg7968l-bpWWmAe-4yQEeGjgbnyXRg-jTa5Tja7xMdvUAM8as6JUpSJHVdls_UoBZbvgVV73ega7Rhlkkz27aP8318p3u6HsuK28aWBCviKVYYdhZXAHRkToHfjNz/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRS5H9xJeu3c9Jvarg7968l-bpWWmAe-4yQEeGjgbnyXRg-jTa5Tja7xMdvUAM8as6JUpSJHVdls_UoBZbvgVV73ega7Rhlkkz27aP8318p3u6HsuK28aWBCviKVYYdhZXAHRkToHfjNz/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We paid a visit to the Museo del Ciclismo and Madonna del Ghisallo overlooking the two lakes from far above the nebbio. We were awoken this morning by loud claps of thunder and torrential rain which put paid to my ride to what I think is so far the best cycling museum in the world - I've seen a few in our six trips to Italy and France. This one conjures up images in one's imagination of great cyclists - Coppi, Magni, Bartali who rode this climb when the roads were not in the shape they are today. Let's not take away the efforts of today's elite cyclists - they have their own demons to contend with on this brutal climb to Madonna del Ghisallo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6BTDL6Elna8JpLiSbC7jS_DKbxnwaSRPGalwuLiHycp7BpgtjpRKRGoIJ7EjF6-n_JBiqfbeHcIguzQO2uzdwL48fX4dE5PqlMWh2vTsOr1NX4gnahftIgoJDMkhlR5E-BqOifrtvwq1/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6BTDL6Elna8JpLiSbC7jS_DKbxnwaSRPGalwuLiHycp7BpgtjpRKRGoIJ7EjF6-n_JBiqfbeHcIguzQO2uzdwL48fX4dE5PqlMWh2vTsOr1NX4gnahftIgoJDMkhlR5E-BqOifrtvwq1/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkLPh1AlWfgOLA2Fq1fTnZ1ADHgRXap3bOooOfMsJV1QKdZBkbg4rDp9QHK_Wgot-N7fwKgv2sEq5KWiZJKmY-hwqLAp3c61zo0686uBeQZB2G93zaMOa6W_2gGnfOmm0k0f17XBBFhAz/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkLPh1AlWfgOLA2Fq1fTnZ1ADHgRXap3bOooOfMsJV1QKdZBkbg4rDp9QHK_Wgot-N7fwKgv2sEq5KWiZJKmY-hwqLAp3c61zo0686uBeQZB2G93zaMOa6W_2gGnfOmm0k0f17XBBFhAz/s1600/IMG_0489.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9wODEASa3ZoeC71qWICo-bTsyxKUiGIgG9r6GC7GST6c2943pZwTZ0pOWxR23QZrgAdIvMFQKUW_9s8dXOOZzWWSSZZxlL3lAlNQyoVY5WKTSyiOa5v1kCxDt5Gw854JaIlY0pDlI7u-/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9wODEASa3ZoeC71qWICo-bTsyxKUiGIgG9r6GC7GST6c2943pZwTZ0pOWxR23QZrgAdIvMFQKUW_9s8dXOOZzWWSSZZxlL3lAlNQyoVY5WKTSyiOa5v1kCxDt5Gw854JaIlY0pDlI7u-/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHHVbQgYrTT2n9cxMoy139axeGfK_iy8JTuUgBo13lRNT_xCsNVki0UazxfmkYCid-nCR9YWPV6hslClTP3SPWMUBX-5-l5hc9O1lpJi0O_x63z90_PYkVfHVXiQs2HG4Oh2sH9PQcmSV/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHHVbQgYrTT2n9cxMoy139axeGfK_iy8JTuUgBo13lRNT_xCsNVki0UazxfmkYCid-nCR9YWPV6hslClTP3SPWMUBX-5-l5hc9O1lpJi0O_x63z90_PYkVfHVXiQs2HG4Oh2sH9PQcmSV/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh2qqOdVXI1DN9kxA1EE2SM4JCYX7zyfzrx2S54yUR8ZLqtnmevZ9564Q8Jz_AOerH5D4PxJ6E_B-5bFjpGWrIpDQ9z4PUqGPfbpfxRtvWq_in4kBTQD12LjueWbc2DbuZ-iTvreqfA3p/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh2qqOdVXI1DN9kxA1EE2SM4JCYX7zyfzrx2S54yUR8ZLqtnmevZ9564Q8Jz_AOerH5D4PxJ6E_B-5bFjpGWrIpDQ9z4PUqGPfbpfxRtvWq_in4kBTQD12LjueWbc2DbuZ-iTvreqfA3p/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jf7ojZ8BvNGFJ3Xzy_bMBNNNgDDDnJcEZSJmvsyTNhu2tINkq3Ku2UJhFXjgD0k1VwNAKF9-9uVf8EwOAJtt-U3W7cARJB9oBglPqNWZlalHXBv1e_CONinHVdQ2tnxSXMbRbJpA4CWk/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jf7ojZ8BvNGFJ3Xzy_bMBNNNgDDDnJcEZSJmvsyTNhu2tINkq3Ku2UJhFXjgD0k1VwNAKF9-9uVf8EwOAJtt-U3W7cARJB9oBglPqNWZlalHXBv1e_CONinHVdQ2tnxSXMbRbJpA4CWk/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL34WpHP8_icMYB8lUGPF7_LER0Mt7yZg_eC4UFGIgv2mREFtI5ybxM-x3bf6gk9fYr4Pxn4DPEsw5_rhFCZNjRkMCwX6kZFZWWttgDuvLN7r7xrmQg3yoQ0rKJnlmYA0w8hK-ac2Q9iTy/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL34WpHP8_icMYB8lUGPF7_LER0Mt7yZg_eC4UFGIgv2mREFtI5ybxM-x3bf6gk9fYr4Pxn4DPEsw5_rhFCZNjRkMCwX6kZFZWWttgDuvLN7r7xrmQg3yoQ0rKJnlmYA0w8hK-ac2Q9iTy/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP4ogBuCYVTE00JlQHHekFayzYLYO_8iYDuKWxEII9nS6kIFF2Jx5NWu6PFp51JZLe-BD36kEK9_c6A6zWcvAF46SnSm6O744zdHboAANQUGaxSypY_VqeON01WlFN1zaEFkVyJlD2bK7/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBP4ogBuCYVTE00JlQHHekFayzYLYO_8iYDuKWxEII9nS6kIFF2Jx5NWu6PFp51JZLe-BD36kEK9_c6A6zWcvAF46SnSm6O744zdHboAANQUGaxSypY_VqeON01WlFN1zaEFkVyJlD2bK7/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahHdRvl0i-esL-hPsQc89eqbw_zjctRRBbcnZDhWF15PTF-TwhrUJKnalYbGEFdHaioCwyzNCpLk6EbVERtEcRroi4zVRqKT2YmGowOsQhVAOpP-QkPGERdW17GtdFLYsrufMY7gTEATn/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahHdRvl0i-esL-hPsQc89eqbw_zjctRRBbcnZDhWF15PTF-TwhrUJKnalYbGEFdHaioCwyzNCpLk6EbVERtEcRroi4zVRqKT2YmGowOsQhVAOpP-QkPGERdW17GtdFLYsrufMY7gTEATn/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqG7vQ1UzICpbXm01kQlrTTZAqQg_BbIFGkmkR8PodCrLN5n3Sdx2RSEEGQ2tSF4FJ-dpl-OVyjjTKd9jhCcUfx-3VQjz4nVhmjkp76ehzS3x-7XRgXaTFEKQ2Szf4LNQwMwb3Ty_049T/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqG7vQ1UzICpbXm01kQlrTTZAqQg_BbIFGkmkR8PodCrLN5n3Sdx2RSEEGQ2tSF4FJ-dpl-OVyjjTKd9jhCcUfx-3VQjz4nVhmjkp76ehzS3x-7XRgXaTFEKQ2Szf4LNQwMwb3Ty_049T/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_acf4PDRqinzII6vhKuPY-nOkubt4Kw5W3BoApMKJTby3EAiL_xdH2FMwrlMHEL6BltSUvSStp_MbFhOfzOgnfZRwMwe7L_rDapZnoTwhyphenhyphenmR7o7nNqAgti4YGgzb_Q6thkvs7ojLIch2/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_acf4PDRqinzII6vhKuPY-nOkubt4Kw5W3BoApMKJTby3EAiL_xdH2FMwrlMHEL6BltSUvSStp_MbFhOfzOgnfZRwMwe7L_rDapZnoTwhyphenhyphenmR7o7nNqAgti4YGgzb_Q6thkvs7ojLIch2/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqDodX-kHtwKFJ4qEUBU8_RoMic4LDPDRcNFkNGdjyKTCU-5ciVhBBvUKTKapMbEjD_ZCSogIDFOYi3uZN8llDz6T0NfqcobDe8O4NBQS7hWl6SikNZO3yA98AlLQ_0-fIVkjkYhuiWIL/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqDodX-kHtwKFJ4qEUBU8_RoMic4LDPDRcNFkNGdjyKTCU-5ciVhBBvUKTKapMbEjD_ZCSogIDFOYi3uZN8llDz6T0NfqcobDe8O4NBQS7hWl6SikNZO3yA98AlLQ_0-fIVkjkYhuiWIL/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YhKwwz_eZ7bD5ZR-TyTTEilC3nv1zyYKpoxR3TD1bZh-zLqD6koPM7pQi2zXsDqT6ZZRz6tV13ibhlhTVQA0bBy74cpbaqiJbJVcYYSqKv9rRAeA-ik9bXn0K1HeCS6iUNGQNUocv5vP/s1600/IMG_0463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YhKwwz_eZ7bD5ZR-TyTTEilC3nv1zyYKpoxR3TD1bZh-zLqD6koPM7pQi2zXsDqT6ZZRz6tV13ibhlhTVQA0bBy74cpbaqiJbJVcYYSqKv9rRAeA-ik9bXn0K1HeCS6iUNGQNUocv5vP/s1600/IMG_0463.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PZ9c2dET1l3WxS49ooHgjIcYpZkvHJHdS7TpOTrUG_-9JE-xEA5RW0Mf2AHbQoIesyyVb73LG-8GWBkNoNY9ku9tzEJJ3iwecPRQSDOsRfm0XDiPjuuEy3Z-DhSMuFBQtEE8dsZQmgtd/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PZ9c2dET1l3WxS49ooHgjIcYpZkvHJHdS7TpOTrUG_-9JE-xEA5RW0Mf2AHbQoIesyyVb73LG-8GWBkNoNY9ku9tzEJJ3iwecPRQSDOsRfm0XDiPjuuEy3Z-DhSMuFBQtEE8dsZQmgtd/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxYd3X6hUhoefVheDcc6HxWSacutysyUJPIbzjSYiMxsWpq9QGOlqyrOJ5uGy-FlDtAJYLUNdgKQpnNCx0VTpERaTK8oFO5FQ4YVyRg_AwlwNJFSXW29SH6Ctnj2y2b-n9x-oGU9RoVf1/s1600/IMG_0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxYd3X6hUhoefVheDcc6HxWSacutysyUJPIbzjSYiMxsWpq9QGOlqyrOJ5uGy-FlDtAJYLUNdgKQpnNCx0VTpERaTK8oFO5FQ4YVyRg_AwlwNJFSXW29SH6Ctnj2y2b-n9x-oGU9RoVf1/s1600/IMG_0467.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7XuOQxYPKA6Wmv0Bdaa-El4_nta_ydXicm2vRr7d6OBehtjD55i1RrHjTfsTBZLU3pbaY1MOtVGsVuIWYBngECUmfjSH5yT6H89-SMDIPvLgNhmLWo4qvSVcE3ezQw-uXYcNjTnQCWfi/s1600/IMG_0470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7XuOQxYPKA6Wmv0Bdaa-El4_nta_ydXicm2vRr7d6OBehtjD55i1RrHjTfsTBZLU3pbaY1MOtVGsVuIWYBngECUmfjSH5yT6H89-SMDIPvLgNhmLWo4qvSVcE3ezQw-uXYcNjTnQCWfi/s1600/IMG_0470.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fUgAvpwW7X8F9H6BqWjhc5nbkBDly0CRYiPpPhzBeppU9NE6_6_63VuG_m-dX4h3nvrK5L5ahUIrm6s0i3EnuJYB73q9hwjMNBBwVC2qXYiuOh4K37OSnRQW5strk_h6INE4ryrUHGln/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fUgAvpwW7X8F9H6BqWjhc5nbkBDly0CRYiPpPhzBeppU9NE6_6_63VuG_m-dX4h3nvrK5L5ahUIrm6s0i3EnuJYB73q9hwjMNBBwVC2qXYiuOh4K37OSnRQW5strk_h6INE4ryrUHGln/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTizzpuYF3pBLPeaAlvyxGlkkCMZxECO_ijgvvBOVHe9LDC6k_SLOWe-agzb3A4X2Ufx5BQfmz5cQuEQ6Zse_YWtPMT4wdMCnGrMMxSTgInOn-To9QBS7Zhl4jOBv5GJ4Dwxi7SlFwCY6g/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTizzpuYF3pBLPeaAlvyxGlkkCMZxECO_ijgvvBOVHe9LDC6k_SLOWe-agzb3A4X2Ufx5BQfmz5cQuEQ6Zse_YWtPMT4wdMCnGrMMxSTgInOn-To9QBS7Zhl4jOBv5GJ4Dwxi7SlFwCY6g/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUG1Zg3WnblCsCwxkLTf7PNpf9uMO6aJa2X6LXRYH1OFW7xGktSNyOfQhp2YUDu3oNBaCwTDRtfZGiEgKzRmh9CcL5NdaRqeflO8EWAb2SOvKXdF9ae6kDOCyjIfcjl285jA8n1OLeeF0/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUG1Zg3WnblCsCwxkLTf7PNpf9uMO6aJa2X6LXRYH1OFW7xGktSNyOfQhp2YUDu3oNBaCwTDRtfZGiEgKzRmh9CcL5NdaRqeflO8EWAb2SOvKXdF9ae6kDOCyjIfcjl285jA8n1OLeeF0/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90iUEsOWri0nGn0R2wRUExZb7J_iDa6mQ9PHZfh8_vzBOqiMHBp8rq_mgL2O7cIKbJoN_00JVJwI0wEal-uCWmZjbhyphenhyphenDTDpq4ZWYTpgXGToDBhsc-q6t_u5z11unV04hmuLA-2Xgh5n2h/s1600/IMG_0491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90iUEsOWri0nGn0R2wRUExZb7J_iDa6mQ9PHZfh8_vzBOqiMHBp8rq_mgL2O7cIKbJoN_00JVJwI0wEal-uCWmZjbhyphenhyphenDTDpq4ZWYTpgXGToDBhsc-q6t_u5z11unV04hmuLA-2Xgh5n2h/s1600/IMG_0491.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Funny how things connect - we went back down into Bellagio to do our laundry and as it was being done we went to the Cafe de Sport for coffee. There were some interesting photos and artefacts on the walls and as I wandered around looking, the owner came over to me to show and explain more of his treasures. He even opened a book that showed his cafe in years gone by when his father owned it.<br />
It had a wonderful pre-war car parked outside the cafe and from what I could understand, it was during the Mille Miglia. On the walls of the cafe was a wooden wheel built locally by Cerchio Ghisallo. The factory was no more than 150 metres from the Museum and I'm kicking myself for not being more aware. Nevertheless, I would not have had enough space left for a set of two on our return flight. Mind you, I will order on-line from home.<br />
<br />
As we left Bellagio, we walked back past Cafe de Sport and the owner saw us walk by. He gave us a friendly wave, not realising, he gave us a treasured memory.</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-76442863594482343932014-09-10T01:11:00.001-07:002014-09-11T04:10:08.532-07:00A BIKE THAT BEAT MOCKA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been some time since the last post on the CYCLING SCRAPBOOK. Since starting the Facebook page of the same name, things got busy and so I've decided to occasionally invite guest writers to the Blog. Our guest writer's marvelous collection has been shown on Facebook but here one of his bikes is studied in further detail with a story behind the purchase. The writer goes by the title of "the Mysterious Collector".</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone else out there have a good story to spin?</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact me by FaceBook message if you have.</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A BIKE THAT BEAT
MOCKA </span></b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was at a swap meet organised by
the Vintage Cycle Club of Victoria. One of the pioneers of bicycle collecting
was there, as always. Harry Clarke had been collecting for years, racing for
many more with the Richmond club and was also pretty damn handy on a penny farthing.
Before I was “in the know” he apparently had a huge garage sale/clear out
(including one of Mocka’s Healings) yet at each swap meet there was always some
treasure that he extracted from his endless box of tricks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This day it was a locally made
Glen Eira track frame raced by Ken Croft. It was too big for me and I have
always lived the other side of the Yarra so why did I buy it? Initially it was
nothing to do with the great Russell Mockridge it was the beautiful hand cut
lugs, track geometry and angles as well as overall condition that were the
selling points. Harry told me his asking price (no haggling with Harry as he is
always fair and it would be an insult to him not to mention I couldn’t live
with myself). <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I paid the money and asked him to
tuck it away while I looked at other stalls and ways to spend more money. Upon
return I was told that I got in at the right time as there had been others
interested as it was still visible. While it was never in doubt with Harry’s
integrity that it would be sold to anyone else I was lucky to get there first.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX5QosJ_SVluzfGfyKLoN6BfVfFGy9FEfMSylqrusX5jB8cn-FvmeD9T3swpk38zUi_czJU4LK1w1PQ-g_mVaSDa5JdzjYo_Jm-EORlLJNaiE733-HuyUTa8nhZ5q1CPz2QeHwH1wgvAF/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(5%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX5QosJ_SVluzfGfyKLoN6BfVfFGy9FEfMSylqrusX5jB8cn-FvmeD9T3swpk38zUi_czJU4LK1w1PQ-g_mVaSDa5JdzjYo_Jm-EORlLJNaiE733-HuyUTa8nhZ5q1CPz2QeHwH1wgvAF/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(5%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The frame is in very good
original condition for its age. I suspect that Harry being much smaller than
Ken he never used it and it was tucked away in a dry place. One notable aspect
is what appears to be sand blasting of the paint from the down tube no doubt
due to the racing on outdoor tracks at speed with debris flying up from the
front wheel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As was the norm in the 50’s the
riders name was on the top tube. Ken Croft was a good friend of Harry’s and he
noted that he had won the Bendigo Golden Mile on it. While I didn’t take a lot
of notice (I was still in hunting for more rust mood) it was put in the memory
bank.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWwWkob-k9CRFUSPyyWitvHf13HfSm_JbabvFrSpIFmj7jx46afzLzTUVtIEtIE7cbSxutEXbjpDx9EM14T5qpsphCQGbQ218ynTkHyFwIFdkBtzV0r_gfYOA3qGJ-ky48MQyIdbV8hkO/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(4%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWwWkob-k9CRFUSPyyWitvHf13HfSm_JbabvFrSpIFmj7jx46afzLzTUVtIEtIE7cbSxutEXbjpDx9EM14T5qpsphCQGbQ218ynTkHyFwIFdkBtzV0r_gfYOA3qGJ-ky48MQyIdbV8hkO/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(4%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1LZbChRZuEKIdH2PdVt2BwJiOIUuXR85kqvQF3X_-Jlai2ZW_U3c-YhDNTqu7J5oqGBo5zSRu3qMEK8tVbe1T5ErJ1RnVRHRmDEWv17EurOoiPnnvx9e4kkcSkQkgGpRBpxKmS5Q2j2L/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(1%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1LZbChRZuEKIdH2PdVt2BwJiOIUuXR85kqvQF3X_-Jlai2ZW_U3c-YhDNTqu7J5oqGBo5zSRu3qMEK8tVbe1T5ErJ1RnVRHRmDEWv17EurOoiPnnvx9e4kkcSkQkgGpRBpxKmS5Q2j2L/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(1%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The frame hung in my garage for
some time while I attended to other projects. When it came to the top of the
list I needed to do some research. The first port of call was of course Harry.
Could he remember what components Ken used? Although his body is not as strong
as it used to be and the shaking hands due to Parkinsons make it near on
impossible to put ball bearing in a race he promptly rattled off Airlite high
flange hubs, Fiamme rims, 6 ¼ inch BSA fluted cranks, Brooks B17 saddle,
Williams chain ring using inch pitch/block chain running about a 92 inch gear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPGIvc-5szjjbMYlXE7eU1J0W27LOb-K4IIFtpGLnSuqX232kzHHUBluW-08e7TatD-m_55dhoaZXg75iRUi82qKDXm7kqLU47ARKd_SwrzXyvaj9KcZF8XFPcIc2vWT1id7G6snc45fR/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(3%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPGIvc-5szjjbMYlXE7eU1J0W27LOb-K4IIFtpGLnSuqX232kzHHUBluW-08e7TatD-m_55dhoaZXg75iRUi82qKDXm7kqLU47ARKd_SwrzXyvaj9KcZF8XFPcIc2vWT1id7G6snc45fR/s1600/MM+Collection+2014+(3%2Bof%2B5).jpeg" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I had a RHS crank and a Brooks
B17 Sprinter saddle (although road not track) some inch pitch cogs and the
frame. Harry could not recall the type of stem however I noted that I had a
Cinelli Milano badged stem and he reckoned Ken “would be happy with that”. The
hunt commenced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I had recently purchased a job
lot of parts that included a set of Airlite hubs however these had been on-sold
to a friend in order to recoup some of the initial outlay (and there were some
rarer hubs in the lot). These were bought back. Another friend had a LHS crank
and combined they had spare Fiamme rims in which I was able to make a set.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt3qZwHDXfjtfbyuYHybMAGxWpEouJf7OayinaYRBq4XZ8Y2ynICFsvyBsLCuyeOpSZDGlUFYIxw0t9Xxlqs7_QVXqayZdpNtQLT6ntbWj8kWKkO5e3qlSp_-n4cxqt93mt_7e4K6wkGw/s1600/Ken+croft+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt3qZwHDXfjtfbyuYHybMAGxWpEouJf7OayinaYRBq4XZ8Y2ynICFsvyBsLCuyeOpSZDGlUFYIxw0t9Xxlqs7_QVXqayZdpNtQLT6ntbWj8kWKkO5e3qlSp_-n4cxqt93mt_7e4K6wkGw/s1600/Ken+croft+2.PNG" height="400" width="233" /></a>The seller of the hubs is a very
handy wheel builder and this time he fortunately managed to damage one of the
rims so the chase re-commenced. After a few calls I was able to acquire a more appropriate
set of Fiamme sprint rims. Perhaps feeling guilty (but more likely just wanting
to do the job properly) had decided that given Ken was a “big bastard” (he may
have put fat in there but as we never knew him it was just two fat middle aged
blokes laughing at others to cover our own insecurities) he decided he must tie
and solder the wheels. A fantastic job was done and common practice in the 50’s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
An old Victoria Police bike (also
purchased from Harry) was used as collateral for an inch pitch chain from my
provider of the LHS crank. As it transpired when the replacement rims were
purchased a more appropriate chain was purchased but the police bike/chain will
be used on another project.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I had a nickel plated set of bars
that were OK but later swapped for a set of Cinelli bars that matched the stem.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Prior to another swap meet I had
been talking to Harry and told him I was just about ready to “put the pieces
together”. When we met a few days later pleasantries were exchanged and he
reached to his bag of tricks and handed me a set of pedals with strap and toe
clips. With a smile and shaking hand he said “put these on Ken’s bike they came
off it, I know as I used them for a while”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I was ready to build.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The finished product was taken to
Harry for his opinion and input. He was very pleased but noted that I didn’t
have the correct track wheel nuts and the cotter pins were the wrong (American)
way. I replaced the nuts but decided to leave the cotter pins as is to save on
the sometimes violent force required to remove (and they seemed to fit the
cranks nicely and without too much grinding of pins or force to insert).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiWtm1jTj9Gvc2OpLYIdvCxBXnOtJ76UiVpn8CVgWVpl6XZJSjoCYEMZzCTaPNrbj-hE8iBw9vC4SM6rGLHSEZyWm8x8cecgvXEz8yxfGfUuC_lInBJ21Eunft7sNPXKhDq-o15-ydvk1/s1600/ken+croft+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiWtm1jTj9Gvc2OpLYIdvCxBXnOtJ76UiVpn8CVgWVpl6XZJSjoCYEMZzCTaPNrbj-hE8iBw9vC4SM6rGLHSEZyWm8x8cecgvXEz8yxfGfUuC_lInBJ21Eunft7sNPXKhDq-o15-ydvk1/s1600/ken+croft+1.PNG" height="320" width="240" /></a>In my search for information on
Ken and the 1958 golden Mile I found a number of articles on trove, including a
wedding photo in which the best man was Jack Green. As noted with the frame size Ken was
a genuine 6 footer (or more) and a fireman so probably fit, health<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=910443829961573473" name="_GoBack"></a>y, tall and strong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am yet to obtain any information on the race from a local paper but I believe
the Bendigo library has copies of old papers so I need to pay them a visit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The best information came from
the May 1958 issue of Australian Cyclist magazine (the creator of this site has
previously written about Australian Cyclist). This gave a detailed description
of the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following month
included a photo of Ken with his wife Lois. If you are reading this you most
likely know the great Russell Mockridge. Unfortunately he was killed 5 months
later in a racing accident. Ken is also no longer with us. I’m sure that if
both Ken and Russell were with us they could tell much more exciting stories
than a bloke rebuilding a bike however it is very fortunate I was able to pick
Harry’s brain for information. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While there are more valuable
bikes and others with much greater provenance around Melbourne (including one
of Russell’s bikes) the luck of buying the frame, the thrill of the chase, the
ability to meet Harry’s standards and the joy of owning such a beautiful bike
that is in great condition has made this one of my favourites. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pity I’m not a trackie or a six
footer.</span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-27076847918265792742014-06-02T14:35:00.000-07:002014-06-25T16:07:54.936-07:00bob spears article no1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrHnEJfQ8SFgNnveWda6xZbQ0ekV0oWAFPGU6rw-j0yFiNGxCqahju_aUHwNfNUq2a9QXnutcTLJxkEhyphenhyphenR_OcydrLFfH_i3POKMpUfjC85887cFiodf7I2dIloXCFQKkrJufpnmaTk3tF/s1600/bob+spears+article.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrHnEJfQ8SFgNnveWda6xZbQ0ekV0oWAFPGU6rw-j0yFiNGxCqahju_aUHwNfNUq2a9QXnutcTLJxkEhyphenhyphenR_OcydrLFfH_i3POKMpUfjC85887cFiodf7I2dIloXCFQKkrJufpnmaTk3tF/s1600/bob+spears+article.PNG" height="241" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Dubbo Native Wins World-wide Honors.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><b>Though out of the big game for years,
Bob Spears, the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dubbo boy, still
commands full page top lines in Australian sporting papers., 'The Sporting
Globe,' Melbourne, is the latest to feature Mr. Spears, now in business in
Dubbo in the sport in which he has been such an ornament. Last trip to
the Southern capital, 'The Globe' got his life story, told in his own modest
way. Being a boy and a man who has helped put cycling on the map, who
remained an Australian, in spite of big financial offers, the story will be
re-printed in instalments. </b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Fate decreed that I should get mixed up in cycling at an early age. I was born at Coonamble (N.S.W.) on August 8, 1893, and when about 10 I had a desire to become a footrunner and a footballer. But although fleet of foot and a fairly good footballer, the attractions of cycling put other ideas out of my head by the time I had reached my teens. Well I remember my first bicycle. My mother gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday, 31 years ago. It was a second hand machine, and gave so much trouble that a few months later, when my mother found that I could handle one all right, she bought me a brand new bicycle for £18/10, a very big sum in those days. It gave her probably far more joy than it did me. But her joy was as nothing to mine when, at the age of 14, at Dubbo, I won the first race of my career. I was an only child, so you can imagine just how proud my parents were of my success. They even predicted all sorts of advance for me in cycling, and neither they nor I ever dreamed that their confidence would be realised. I had never ridden as an amateur because there was no amateur club in my home town. Thus I was in the "cash ranks" at an early stage. My first victory had given me such a thrill that when I was 15 Alf Garrett - one of the best riders in Dubbo obtained my mother's permission for me to go to Queensland. Judge the wild visions I had of travelling hundreds of miles to Rockhampton. Garrett's aim was for me to win the Wheel Race which carried £30, with the prospect of more through liberal betting.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Boy From Bush Beats Ring-In</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8K1P3TOZlQncDjkioJTfPHF8t0AtG8y3u5lSUVWjWDyyaorcEjn0cM4_nD1MyEPdDMFmv3tgKx-81xlz8VJ4uhV0coM5P3LPd-hrr53r9oICJZC_uDqAxSItFLWqF5TfGeFkhj2GvJbrq/s1600/1207339704Spears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8K1P3TOZlQncDjkioJTfPHF8t0AtG8y3u5lSUVWjWDyyaorcEjn0cM4_nD1MyEPdDMFmv3tgKx-81xlz8VJ4uhV0coM5P3LPd-hrr53r9oICJZC_uDqAxSItFLWqF5TfGeFkhj2GvJbrq/s1600/1207339704Spears.JPG" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I had an excellent mark but there was a ring-in named "Watts" from Tasmania who had many victories to his credit. My mentor became nervous about backing me-a raw, inexperienced lad from the bush against a tried performer who had been backed heavily, and it was decided that I would merely go for the prize. Acting under instructions, I sat in for the whole of the race. At the bell the ring-in was well in front. Just as he was being acclaimed the winner, I came with a rush over the last furlong and, heading him 50 yards from home, won with plenty in hand. The supporters of "Watts" were broke. We next made for Sydney to compete in the Eight-hour Day Wheel Race. The late Bede Carroll, a popular sporting journalist was handicapper for the League of N.S.W. Wheelmen. <i>"I think this kid Spears is a bit of a boom. His place is on the limit mark until I am convinced he has the goods,"</i> said the genial handicapper. I won the double worth £50, and Carroll, in his usual breezy style, said, <i>"Look here, son, who in Hades taught you to ride? You handle your machine like a general."</i> Carroll put a stop to my winning way by pulling me from 220 yards to 80 yards in the two-miler at Lithgow. Although I failed, I felt that I was going through a trying-out period which was to stand me in good stead in the near future. After meeting with much success in New South Wales I went to Melbourne where a cycling "war" was on with the L.V.W. I temporarily joined up with the outlaw movement and won the self-styled five, 10, and 15 mile track championships of Victoria. Actually there were better riders than I in Australia at the time who were unable to compete, so that the championship titles were more or less "Kid Magee." Following a well-earned holiday at Dubbo, I went down to Sydney where I met J. D. Williams, the moving picture magnate. who was also interested in cycling.</span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeUMPfhaal4enDrKHn8H5pPksxlhkXrUAjZHuV9-4dy_PIZou3KLhH0V5cYCWwwgZ9lHbeLu5eLfZMHPXWZQyQDUzl-OAsb1YcOFgPB4CBEwQgx8Yja2-Tq6PeFNvjTm9suUUE0fVnm0s/s1600/bob+spears+montage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeUMPfhaal4enDrKHn8H5pPksxlhkXrUAjZHuV9-4dy_PIZou3KLhH0V5cYCWwwgZ9lHbeLu5eLfZMHPXWZQyQDUzl-OAsb1YcOFgPB4CBEwQgx8Yja2-Tq6PeFNvjTm9suUUE0fVnm0s/s1600/bob+spears+montage.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mr. Williams was about to run an international six-day cycle race on the Sydney Cricket Ground, and had engaged from America Paddy Hehir, Alf Goullet, Iver Lawson, Worthington Mitton, and Gordon Walker. Sprint events also were included in the six-day programme by transferring the six-day men from the asphalt to the grass while the short-distance events were being decided. Percy Mutton, then amateur champion sprint cyclist of Australia, had decided to turn professional so that he could compete in the half-mile and one mile championships of New South Wales. At that time I was merely regarded as a handicap performer and to my own surprise and that of the public, I won both events. My mother was in ecstasy at my success and predicted even greater things for me. I was gradually climbing the ladder, but I had my reverses and never failed to have respect for my rivals. I was not foolish enough to think that I was unbeatable, and that I had conquered the world. I knew that my day would come when I would be defeated at a time when I thought I was a certainty.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.4px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Before Goullett left the United States for Australia, John M. Chapman (the then cycling magnate of America) gave the champion all-rounder two return boat and rail tickets to New York and left it to his discretion to engage two promising Australians for U.S.A. Grenda and I were the lucky ones, but there was a fly in the ointment. I was only 19, and my mother did not want me to travel so far away. Much against my will I gave way. There was a lump in my throat on the day I saw Grenda sail for America. My boyish ambitions were more or less dashed to the ground. Would I get an other chance? Had I done the right thing?<i> (Next Saturday Spears will discuss the ways and means he devised of going to the United States the following year-1913.)</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 8.4px; min-height: 14px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Follow this link for Bob Spears No 2 and see how he eventually made his opportunity to travel to the Mecca of the American Cycling circuit<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><i><a href="http://cyclingscrapbook.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/the-bob-spears-articles.html">http://cyclingscrapbook.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/the-bob-spears-articles.html</a></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial;"><b>Got something to say? Hit the comments link below - thanks for reading.</b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-58101297441618971532014-05-25T04:43:00.001-07:002014-05-25T04:43:39.629-07:00John Green - Six Day Rider - 1958/1962<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madison racing has always excited me. The history of Six Day bike racing in Australia and overseas has a rich history. Australia was quick to take on this discipline of bike racing from the late 1800s. Those early days were events with individual riders vying for the longest distance over the six day period ridden initially on high bikes or Penny Farthings. Our first true legend of those individual six day events was Jack Rolfe.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rolfe won four of our first six one man Six Day races from 1881 to 1890. It wasn't until 1912 that two man teams eventuated in Australia and in that year Paddy Hehir and Alf Goulett won both the Melbourne and Sydney sixes. Another two Sixes were held the following year and again one each in Sydney (Reg McNamara and Frank Corry) and Melbourne (Bob Spears and Don Kirkham).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post takes us on a further five decades to the 1960s and the "Green Train". The Green Train was John Green and John Young and I had the good fortune to ask JG a few questions regarding the team's experiences during those years.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He started by saying, </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: small;"><i></i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"In 1958 ,I won the Amateur Six Day Race in Sydney with Kevin Wylie.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Winning the six day race definitely made my mind up for me for my future, in Madison/Six Day Teams racing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">If you could ride Madisons/Six Day races, then you could ride all other Track Races well –Handicaps, Scratch Races, Omniums, but you would not necessarily be a good sprinter for Derbies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Training for endurance events, meant many miles in the saddle, after work".</span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LrE5cR7aBKTE8K10YfxR4ivSUQB2qj564veY54mHuFNCYmlm6PhJVLrMrtOCb-ycAAmiNbut_N6pQiFjfhHOSP2JzSVt90nb71iakpxgAxJPIed0WaIKJtcjaXlqRGVawkl3mQXopSXN/s1600/JG+and+KW.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LrE5cR7aBKTE8K10YfxR4ivSUQB2qj564veY54mHuFNCYmlm6PhJVLrMrtOCb-ycAAmiNbut_N6pQiFjfhHOSP2JzSVt90nb71iakpxgAxJPIed0WaIKJtcjaXlqRGVawkl3mQXopSXN/s1600/JG+and+KW.PNG" height="146" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>John Green's first Six Day win - 1958 with Kevin Wylie.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I asked John how many Sixes he and John Young rode together, he was able to remember the following but keep in mind these were amongst the many that they rode and not necessarily won and also keep in mind that they had other partners at different times.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"></span></span></i></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>"John Young and I rode lots of sixes together. </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>I do not know how many? </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>We
won the Melbourne Six in 1960".</i></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The 1960 Milk Six was advertised in the Australian Cyclist magazine, March 1960 as having a prize value of 10,000 pound ($20,000) with Sid Patterson and Peter Panton the favorites. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The promoter Bill Long wrote,</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> <i>"On Saturday Night, March 19, at 10.45 pm, I expect Sid Patterson and Peter Panton to have 2000 pound in cash. That's real money, but it will be their slice of the Milk Board's fabulous 10,000 pound six-day race."</i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Green and Young had just won the Astor 24 at the Melbourne Velodrome and Greenie was on a high from his Tasmanian Carnival success in the Aces 10 mile at Latrobe. The headlines in Australian Cyclist shouted <i>"GREEN ANNIHILATES 10 MILE FIELD"</i>. On Christmas day the writer said that Green rode all the champions, including Patterson "into the ground". On New Year's day he backed up his win at Latrobe with the 10 mile at Burnie.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PSvH-c3bWHN0UJfJv-HZbMtQ8GaJHPN2gSwjAAl9O99cK2T-tIBJBoB4YIPQ0aYEwL2bLjLoGrlRrrBlVeapbRGBmfFgWMPF8qaVk0MAAdEhzUlP66ALttG04uh-gO_3hxYDIVxvgNDh/s1600/john+Green+john+young+astore+24.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PSvH-c3bWHN0UJfJv-HZbMtQ8GaJHPN2gSwjAAl9O99cK2T-tIBJBoB4YIPQ0aYEwL2bLjLoGrlRrrBlVeapbRGBmfFgWMPF8qaVk0MAAdEhzUlP66ALttG04uh-gO_3hxYDIVxvgNDh/s1600/john+Green+john+young+astore+24.PNG" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Just prior to the 1960 Milk Six, Green and Young won the ASTOR 24 and came into the 1960 Milk Six with great form.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Although Promoter Bill Long, proclaimed Patto and Panton as the likely winners, that was not to be as Patto had broken his collar bone towards the end of the Tasmanian carnivals and so Oscar Plattner was flown in by Long to partner Panton. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Both Green and Young raced in green jerseys as they did in the Astor 24 which gained them the title of the "Green Train". </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As a team, this was their first Six-Day win but there were more to follow as "the Green Train". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They also won the Adelaide Six -1960, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Sydney Six in 1961 and the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Launceston Six in 1962.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">That year the Australian Professional Track Championships were held in Devonport and John Green's form was still on song. True to his Christmas carnival successes, he again took out the National 5 mile title, and adding a 2nd place in the 10 mile. All in all, 1960 was a great year for John Green.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I was fortunate to ask John a few more questions regarding his past memories and these were his comments.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>John
Young was a fantastic partner.He rode excellent position, and could put me in
the perfect position for the big money sprints, and vice versa, I could put him
in the perfect position for the sprints as well. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>He
could chase all night and sprint all night, and he never knew when it was hurting.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>He
could make a break and open up a gap, then throw me in to consolidate the break
to get a lap. We used to stop on the fence in our day as soon as possible, so one
rider was never in too long and we never missed a change in the chases or sprints. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>We
were the same height, and the same weight, and we were the perfect team together.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>We
had a very special understanding , coming up for the sprints, and we used to put
fingers up – one or two when we were going to change for the Sprints –it worked
well.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>In 1960 we raced Plattner and Panton in the Melbourne Six, which we won. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Plattner
was a great Cyclist, ex World Sprint Champion, and an All-rounder. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>He
was an excellent Six Day Bike Rider and could do everything.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Peter
Panton was a great Track Six Day bike rider as well. He was so strong, and was a
superb pedaller, especially in the chases.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">We
did not have much to do with Oscar Plattner. After we won the 1960 Six Day race
in Melbourne, Oscar said he would organise Six Day Contracts for the Green Team
in Europe.This never eventuated.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-aiejQpiWKQbdU8qfymYg5n69Jy9V8IMe2Sfyrlt2p1vIq8fbPDE-KpaVVNkt1rQ-IP14TZKwuVYxPiz1tJZbSbEmIGbeyuRcsfnNQ_dWsbDB16e5Ov9lBUkK2L8-sZTeJ21tF5hlXDn/s1600/JG.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-aiejQpiWKQbdU8qfymYg5n69Jy9V8IMe2Sfyrlt2p1vIq8fbPDE-KpaVVNkt1rQ-IP14TZKwuVYxPiz1tJZbSbEmIGbeyuRcsfnNQ_dWsbDB16e5Ov9lBUkK2L8-sZTeJ21tF5hlXDn/s1600/JG.PNG" height="130" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheD1r3IUQsum8zaZkxyVVvmX25DYJw1eDgK-thU7WXvKHxpgdzxHU7G6N6JTVvRoFkbeSdPyJXyxwO2czHwKsqVVKv1QCEgGT8LvVFD9ES-ZIIuYXnDoyBIHvh__MMLEHBec_RK9LgDF5l/s1600/John+Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheD1r3IUQsum8zaZkxyVVvmX25DYJw1eDgK-thU7WXvKHxpgdzxHU7G6N6JTVvRoFkbeSdPyJXyxwO2czHwKsqVVKv1QCEgGT8LvVFD9ES-ZIIuYXnDoyBIHvh__MMLEHBec_RK9LgDF5l/s1600/John+Green.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">John Green - Cyclist of the year 1961</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This win had gained them a total prize money of 900 pounds each plus 327 pounds in primes. Young used his share to build a house and Green on the night announced his engagement.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The following are recent comments from<b> <i>Michael Goldie</i></b> who was only just 14 years old at the time and that Six-Day obviously left a great impression in his mind.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>"The 1960 Milk 6 Day bike race had in the field 11 winners of the Herald Sun Tour between 1954 and 1968. Hec Sutherland 1954, John Young 1958/61, Peter Panton 1959/60, Bill Knevitt 1962, Barry Waddell 1964 to 68 inclusive. This tells you there were some very strong endurance men in this field. The winning team was John Green and John Young. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>John Green did not ride the road but he did big miles for track training. I think he told me 50 miles (not kms) a night. As a combination they were about the best there was for speed and chasing. Second was Oscar Plattner and Peter Panton. Oscar Plattner was one of the greatest showmen you would ever see on a bike and a former World Sprint Champion. Third Barry Waddell and Dick Ploog (Dick won a sprint bronze in the 1956 Olympics). Hec Sutherland and Bill Knevitt were fourth. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>I recall the last night of this race was just full on and very good teams lost numerous laps because Green/Young & Plattner/Panton rode so hard attacking each other. As a kid of 14 years I recall it was fantastic to watch with just about a full house in both the front and back straights".</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Results:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1. Green – Young 0 laps lost & 771 points</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Plattner – Panton 638 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">3. Waddell – Ploog 3 laps lost - 469 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Sutherland – Knevitt 9 laps lost - 416 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">5. Stiefler – Wylie 9 laps lost - 373 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">6. Oriani – Grenda 10 laps lost - 535 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">7. Willis – Ousley 10 laps lost - 293 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">8. Morre – Horder 12 laps lost - 439 points</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">9. Harrison – Middleton12 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">laps lost - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">255 points</span></span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">10.Anthony – D. Patterson laps lost13 -129 points</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">11.Clark – Stout 15 laps lost -172 points</span></div>
</div>
<div style="display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>Note; these races were held outdoors for the 6 days but given that March was the most stable time of year I don't think this race lost any time.</i></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVRVhw-JnegLcxQwr2hqcUPEFD4eJnDBX4i_9y8SApWtayw206OuyohKRgbq2ic5kTJwG8qoSZP4wEpFcXWVtto1Fnh7Q2J3udAXo2anKPkH36xuem9tPia5tUjbjm98R8WE3IUgAecR-/s1600/the+great+john+green+%5BTHE+GREEN+MACHINE%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVRVhw-JnegLcxQwr2hqcUPEFD4eJnDBX4i_9y8SApWtayw206OuyohKRgbq2ic5kTJwG8qoSZP4wEpFcXWVtto1Fnh7Q2J3udAXo2anKPkH36xuem9tPia5tUjbjm98R8WE3IUgAecR-/s1600/the+great+john+green+%5BTHE+GREEN+MACHINE%5D.jpg" height="400" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">John Green only just manages to throw his front wheel to the line to take the last sprint at the Melbourne Milk Six of 1960.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There were several further questions in my interview with John Green which he reflected on and they will make for additional fodder for future editions of the <b>Cycling Scrapbook Blog</b> and possibly what I hope will become a book on <b>"Six Day Bike Racing in Australia".</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I'm always interested in the beginnings of our past Champions and how they came under the spell of our great sport. Many of our great riders didn't always start out as shining lights but worked hard to gain their successes. John was one of those who admits in his own words that success didn't come initially.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"My brother Alan Green (deceased March 2011) was a cyclist
before me. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">He started racing as an Amateur for Prahran when he was 14. Alan was a year older than me and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> raced at Prahran on a grass track opposite the football
ground.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Later Alan transferred to Richmond Amateur Cycling Club (RACC)
and was a good track and road rider. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Retiring from Cycling when he was only 18, I bought his
equipment. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">The bike was an Orion, built by Ken Weir in Windsor. This was my
first bike.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>I started riding for RACC when I was 17 at the start of the
1954 Track Season.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Starting as a limit rider, off the front mark, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">I did not do too good in my first track season, as I had
Hepatitis.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>I then rode the Junior Road season in 1955".</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f497d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was noted in Australian Cyclist magazine August 1955 in Club News (written by June Long - Bill Long's wife) that RACC stated that their junior members, J. Lack, J. Green, D. Good, A.James, T. Davis and K. Mullins were doing very well in that season's road races.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During the Xmas Track Carnivals of 1956, John came in a good third at the Echuca meeting handicap against Clive Middleton, 1954 Junior Australian Champion with Ken Trowel second.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His track racing career was moving forward.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">John continues;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"In 1961, I crashed on Austral night in the Aces Scratch Race, 5 or 6 riders
crashed with 5 laps to go. I was the reigning 5 Mile Australian Champion and I
broke my collarbone. This put me out of the 1962 Melbourne Six Day Race, which
John Young won with </span>Faggin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">. </span>(a story in the making. Author)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>John
Young was going so well that year, he carried Faggin for the first 5 days and
they won. A costly fall for me.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ywB1ZQfvqdAxmmzWszMyxY20M4_66WXa4Mlg3R_610-KwAfJLuyOXxPlJvJGcDiDYfupA0zdE1pY7cb0BdHcdfl4UrNCktMnN97ShnrU4ExpzOnIztrtyKoUMK167MGXFnNUYAzc_o-8/s1600/john+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ywB1ZQfvqdAxmmzWszMyxY20M4_66WXa4Mlg3R_610-KwAfJLuyOXxPlJvJGcDiDYfupA0zdE1pY7cb0BdHcdfl4UrNCktMnN97ShnrU4ExpzOnIztrtyKoUMK167MGXFnNUYAzc_o-8/s1600/john+green.jpg" height="400" width="167" /></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">John and I rode the 1962 Melbourne Six together, we finished second to
Patterson and Grenda. Two Falcon Cars were their first Prize. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This
was their first win together – and they won again in 1963. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This
was my last Six Day race, as I retired from Cycling in July 1962.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ywB1ZQfvqdAxmmzWszMyxY20M4_66WXa4Mlg3R_610-KwAfJLuyOXxPlJvJGcDiDYfupA0zdE1pY7cb0BdHcdfl4UrNCktMnN97ShnrU4ExpzOnIztrtyKoUMK167MGXFnNUYAzc_o-8/s1600/john+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I went to Bill Long the Promoter in July, and asked him for contracts for the
1962/1963 Track Season. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I
was asking him for a guarantee of 200 Pounds a Six Day race, for as many Sixes
as he would promote in the coming Season.</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>He
did not agree.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
told him I would get a proper job, and give up bikes. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">He
told me John Young was going to ride. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">He said you will ride Greenie – and he was wrong .</span></span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bill Long was a good Promoter,and a man of his word. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">My decision to retire from cycling, was a business decision. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">He thought I would ride on, but I did not. </span></span></i><i><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had no regrets to retire so early from Cycling.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">I
started with Robert Bosch Australia in August 1962 in Clayton, and worked for
them until December 1993, when I retired from Work at the age of 56 years. I have
now been in retirement 20 and a half years, and have been lucky enough to grow
up with my grand children".</span></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sport of cycling offers many great memories and friendships way past those days of fierce competition. John reflected on those personal friendships that still are part of his life today.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>"David Good, Peter Crooks, Robin Daubeny and I, all started at
Richmond at the same time in 1954.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>David Good won the 1960 Austral.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>Peter Crooks was second to Vin Beasley in the 1959 Austral,and
was second in the Bendigo Golden Mile.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>I turned PRO in Jan 1959 to win the Austral, but I finished
fourth. I had a 40 yard gap in front of me, and a 40 yard gap from the two
scratchmen, Waddell and Reynolds. I did not wait for them, and it took me two and
a half laps to get onto the back of the middle markers. Vin Beasley won in
record time of one min. 49 secs for the mile.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>Robin Daubeny was in many Austral Finals, and I think, he finished
third once?<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>Tony Marchant was a good mate of mine, and he won gold in the
1956 Melbourne Olympics, on the Tandem with Ian Browne.Tony lived in Chelsea.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>Also Ron Murray from Richmond PROS, was another good mate and
Champion Cyclist.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>He won the 1955 Austral, and two Burnie Wheelraces and six day
races as well.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><i>The five of us are still very good mates".</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">John Green today is a motivating force in bringing past cyclists together through regular luncheons at the Skinny Dog hotel and his involvement of the Maillot Jaune Club.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Thanks to John for his honest answers and to Michael Goldie for his insight to his thoughts on John Green from his childhood memories. Also thank you to Suellen Loki for the loan of her club's (Wangaratta CC) collection of Australian Cyclist magazines from the 60s.</b></i></span></div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ZoNLThwEH3Q%2FU4GJog5VFFI%2FAAAAAAAAPlU%2FOc33iQzlE4Q%2Fs1600%2Fjohn%2Bgreen.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ywB1ZQfvqdAxmmzWszMyxY20M4_66WXa4Mlg3R_610-KwAfJLuyOXxPlJvJGcDiDYfupA0zdE1pY7cb0BdHcdfl4UrNCktMnN97ShnrU4ExpzOnIztrtyKoUMK167MGXFnNUYAzc_o-8/s1600/john+green.jpg" -->Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-79626760633610473022014-05-21T05:08:00.001-07:002014-05-21T05:08:16.627-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A contribution by Cycling Victoria's History & Heritage Committee Member, <b>Ray Bowles.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgO_tfrLxJLTF-XSwMEEcEEbNxCzhNsV8MDdPbwquA1OraHna1v7lvhaKD90g59v2PcKeRdVuAwgENSMCIwNpq4Zecoly08NOkpUEopIKdk4F9G7QgQGbfUh01kS5cLLUCZkaHYYha6fP/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgO_tfrLxJLTF-XSwMEEcEEbNxCzhNsV8MDdPbwquA1OraHna1v7lvhaKD90g59v2PcKeRdVuAwgENSMCIwNpq4Zecoly08NOkpUEopIKdk4F9G7QgQGbfUh01kS5cLLUCZkaHYYha6fP/s1600/Capture.PNG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt;">FINNIGAN’S 1898 AUSTRAL WIN<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 15.0pt;">.… and The Birth of </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Forte; font-size: 16.0pt;">Malvern Star<i> </i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Cooper Black","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWY_U8jt3iJOvuemO8boN01HRgyERYXMbIhds3KmbLbkDqtMv9BMAGGYDiNHG59bBT-rlXgRVEOIin8hMLbQbu7yMVOQEB02OBOlhhEDW6TTlM-dR0SAgwXzRtVopLXhSi9ZqHrutSaQ9y/s1600/C+05.02+CROP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWY_U8jt3iJOvuemO8boN01HRgyERYXMbIhds3KmbLbkDqtMv9BMAGGYDiNHG59bBT-rlXgRVEOIin8hMLbQbu7yMVOQEB02OBOlhhEDW6TTlM-dR0SAgwXzRtVopLXhSi9ZqHrutSaQ9y/s1600/C+05.02+CROP.jpg" height="185" width="400" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Heats for the
highly prized two mile handicap at the MCG began with some controversy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the backmarkers and the press were
expressing great concern about the quality of the frontmarkers out on such big
starts. The press commented ;<i><b> </b></i></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>“It was remarkable to see how some of the men who
have almost qualified themselves to ride alongside a hearse, suddenly
brightened up and did wonders.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i> <b> </b></i> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Only
heat winners and some fastest seconds qualified for the final and in slightly
unusual form, many frontmarkers had agreed to work together to ensure the
elimination of the better opponents behind them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfcJIsBhcN_pThmyw3QkTKB1MUV4DOTIFgAaMVhMPlpqUH5PBuT4UscU434lX9Anuq00DcouIMFaNFHB6F2XWh0te58J7yBljhEhWKqjEwSY2h7BfHAYpj7RQ0xxr51xOgllE02oMWawM/s1600/1896-Austral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfcJIsBhcN_pThmyw3QkTKB1MUV4DOTIFgAaMVhMPlpqUH5PBuT4UscU434lX9Anuq00DcouIMFaNFHB6F2XWh0te58J7yBljhEhWKqjEwSY2h7BfHAYpj7RQ0xxr51xOgllE02oMWawM/s1600/1896-Austral.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tom Finnigan,
born in Gisborne, only in his third season of racing at 26 years of age, was one
such marked as generously handicapped on 220 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He won the fifth of the eleven heats easily,
by a margin of five lengths, although he only had one double win at Sale
previously to his credit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Betting on the
event, legal, but beyond the control of the League of Victorian Wheelmen, had
an unpredictable influence on the conduct of the heats evidenced by the sea of
torn and discarded tickets littering the betting enclosure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There were
30,000 spectators at the final including His Excellency the Governor and Lady
Brassey who were great cycling fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Argus newspaper was very enthusiastic about the day with comments
made ; “The meeting was one of the most pleasant that had yet been held by the
Melbourne Bicycle Club”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“the best day ever known … fast and
brilliant."</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMwjlhcVc0grE-eE679yOuc_KiaHzKdu6OKZeJIbmSpGHpvoaJvxqZGSeW7CXUHIhgOtGLb2OJCjI2YnCYpztzcxIh6Pd2ZinXzCfGZ-a0pVFUpKCyDzxkzo1REa2Xs6J8MSQQZZxO7y-/s1600/1896-Austral-pics-Fitzpatrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMwjlhcVc0grE-eE679yOuc_KiaHzKdu6OKZeJIbmSpGHpvoaJvxqZGSeW7CXUHIhgOtGLb2OJCjI2YnCYpztzcxIh6Pd2ZinXzCfGZ-a0pVFUpKCyDzxkzo1REa2Xs6J8MSQQZZxO7y-/s1600/1896-Austral-pics-Fitzpatrick.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBU5eoI05yaqZzsmobElIOEAugkZo8lx7sWNHMeGd30WasDWJxRZB3cV0SYGKF7BXTc9hpSCeakxNKYO733vIdimWppABllo6QNyqseRz3x-jt-SXmy-FJEhJ3DQNmN9lpqkYtj0FXMam/s1600/1896-Austral-pics-Fitzpatrick-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBU5eoI05yaqZzsmobElIOEAugkZo8lx7sWNHMeGd30WasDWJxRZB3cV0SYGKF7BXTc9hpSCeakxNKYO733vIdimWppABllo6QNyqseRz3x-jt-SXmy-FJEhJ3DQNmN9lpqkYtj0FXMam/s1600/1896-Austral-pics-Fitzpatrick-2.jpg" height="330" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbo8S5zVWoNIoi8leWLVjifen-6TuLv-8uk16zmd2SbuCjqR-KHI_W34HcSf0zK-CwInrJITfHDbeTBud8VEw5OwaCAxBMOwITpZyXuzZ4OnThaCpw07tLth5hl7LRgyT120ESlBhZmEg/s1600/C+08.01+CROP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbo8S5zVWoNIoi8leWLVjifen-6TuLv-8uk16zmd2SbuCjqR-KHI_W34HcSf0zK-CwInrJITfHDbeTBud8VEw5OwaCAxBMOwITpZyXuzZ4OnThaCpw07tLth5hl7LRgyT120ESlBhZmEg/s1600/C+08.01+CROP.jpg" height="185" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the final,
the backmarker was W.C Jackson on 40 yards and out front was A.W. Bennett on
the arguably excessive 300 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
frontmarkers worked fairly cooperatively again but bunches variously formed and
disintegrated during the eight laps on the grass track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There also appeared to be a little bit of
outside assistance happening as whistle signals were being blown from the
spectator area, apparently telling certain riders to go faster or wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Finnigan was
said to be one of the recipients of those signals but he did much of the front
running over the last few laps and led from the bell for his narrow win by half
a length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His winning time was 4 min.
30.8 secs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second was W. Middleton 190
yards and third G.C. Macgibbon 230 yards.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SIVu6ImL4cwOy8jjlTfqeKNlwv_MoPPSKTkyL43L7-DQbso0dzU-QlKigCGazJz2BoWJSFg7SbOElLynYvJ04jGpm9pRyAQEi5hmT1p6a_F9G5vzHz_L5o3Bn4GCrwXYOyYlQb12gnRi/s1600/C+09.12+CROP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SIVu6ImL4cwOy8jjlTfqeKNlwv_MoPPSKTkyL43L7-DQbso0dzU-QlKigCGazJz2BoWJSFg7SbOElLynYvJ04jGpm9pRyAQEi5hmT1p6a_F9G5vzHz_L5o3Bn4GCrwXYOyYlQb12gnRi/s1600/C+09.12+CROP.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The win was
worth a huge 240 Gold Sovereigns and with that, Finnigan set up his own bike
shop in Malvern and in 1903 began building and selling his own brand bikes
which he named Malvern Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
successful business and name was sold to Bruce Small in 1920 who greatly
expanded it including the racing aspect, notably supporting Hubert Opperman and
Sid Patterson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Australian foursome
who won the Olympic Teams Pursuit gold in Los Angeles in 1984, rode on Malvern
Stars and the iconic name remains evident in racing today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The descendent
Finnigan family still conduct a bicycle shop today in suburban High Street
Northcote.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-QqRUNe3wck19TFCVyjycd9zl2-Dyshc2qTxJSn7xcWjIs9Q1SfUQUGYZyDBXPrwc1sTXqE5Ioiqpba_04ayGvjXdEWddcd8dCg_VswcIA0pggIj3Sp9vjrnH4zv9hX9_1ZP1TxGj1HF/s1600/finnigans_bike_shop_nc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-QqRUNe3wck19TFCVyjycd9zl2-Dyshc2qTxJSn7xcWjIs9Q1SfUQUGYZyDBXPrwc1sTXqE5Ioiqpba_04ayGvjXdEWddcd8dCg_VswcIA0pggIj3Sp9vjrnH4zv9hX9_1ZP1TxGj1HF/s1600/finnigans_bike_shop_nc.jpg" height="128" width="400" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-38908559488521678332014-05-18T05:16:00.000-07:002014-05-18T05:16:32.690-07:00The Bob Spears Articles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bob Spears memories of the 1913 Sydney and Melbourne sixes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
From a series of articles that Bob Spears wrote for the Adelaide News during the 1920s. </div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDVb4jsC8IS59Bawdye4Gm618Co1eLlCeU1ZUyjMYvpqiNlbSutAUiDsDrtzBqna1Yg-2ARUP-pFOrN-i_qTeWPOx5hxKpm_DrEHDaMwVoSQ6QM1QLPiqspDqluPo9OGLIvV1kVNyeuFd/s1600/bob+spears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDVb4jsC8IS59Bawdye4Gm618Co1eLlCeU1ZUyjMYvpqiNlbSutAUiDsDrtzBqna1Yg-2ARUP-pFOrN-i_qTeWPOx5hxKpm_DrEHDaMwVoSQ6QM1QLPiqspDqluPo9OGLIvV1kVNyeuFd/s1600/bob+spears.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 8px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How Bob Spears Won Big Six-Day Race
With Don Kirkham</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">How Don Kirkham, one of the
greatest long distance cyclists Australia has known, helped him to win his
first big six-day bike race in Melbourne,
is told by Bob Spears, former world's champion track rider ,in the second of
his stories written exclusively for "The News."He says that this
great win only made him more eager to go overseas in search of fame and
fortune.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A visit to the United States was planned
for 1913. I had bowed to the wishes of my mother the previous year not to accept
the invitation of John M. Chapman, the American promoter, who had offered me a
contract and two return tickets. And now I set out with the determination to
earn enough to provide my passage and a few pounds to keep me going. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1912 J.
D. Williams, the American picture magnate, promoted six-day races in
Sydney and Melbourne, which were won by All Goullet (now promoting in U.S.A.)
and Paddy Hehir (who is associated with Fred Keefe
another international, in the bicycle-building business at Footscray). </span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>The bike shop did move but was was actually in Commercial Rd, Prahran.</i></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Goullet and Hehir won the first traditional 2 man team six day bike races in Australia - prior to their wins, sixes in Australia and overseas were run as one person "teams" and the rider that rode the longest distance was the winner. Paddy seems to have become a forgotten Australian six day star with six wins to his credit, two in Australia and four in the USA. (author note)</i></span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></b>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 10px;">More on Paddy Hehir - http://cyclingscrapbook.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/connections-through-communication.html</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 8.1pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
The
success of these races had induced a promoter in Sydney and
another in Melbourne to stage similar events. I had improved a lot as a sprinter,
but as I was an unknown quantity in six-day races,
most of the aspirants for the "sixer" shied off me when my name was mentioned as a likely partner. I was depressed because I had visions of being
teamed up with some mediocre rider, but eventually was overjoyed when the late
Don Kirkham came to the rescue."I have been impressed with your riding on
the track," said Don. "I do not know whether you have sufficient
staying power to last out a week's hard riding on account of your youth, but I know
that you have courage and ability and so I am prepared to take the risk."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAj9ofKPmwqAz8fVFENPmFtDeBuHxIzOuKpA87mAR6W-O6iH_woCXnlBS-QM2Xy41awSHKb7GdaO9MFr50sqjgnlVHmeO4TmeIJvEBUqb2SkxQnDUJJV6pkSWxNnvPy3HBqw0nwbCm8X8/s1600/Sydney-Sports-Ground-name2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAj9ofKPmwqAz8fVFENPmFtDeBuHxIzOuKpA87mAR6W-O6iH_woCXnlBS-QM2Xy41awSHKb7GdaO9MFr50sqjgnlVHmeO4TmeIJvEBUqb2SkxQnDUJJV6pkSWxNnvPy3HBqw0nwbCm8X8/s1600/Sydney-Sports-Ground-name2.jpg" height="124" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjN2OpUNl4yKgJju4M05-X4__M_9iAdo8bzmAJ_INz73zII_oxYqrTK_0bS8jdsGbQ83BwrO_FCKPo61lTdqDCmK2BZ8uwS-fTn4G_uaZNTWirAGA6DupPugljsh522CCHv-9UouNQGGy/s1600/Sydney_Sports_Ground_1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjN2OpUNl4yKgJju4M05-X4__M_9iAdo8bzmAJ_INz73zII_oxYqrTK_0bS8jdsGbQ83BwrO_FCKPo61lTdqDCmK2BZ8uwS-fTn4G_uaZNTWirAGA6DupPugljsh522CCHv-9UouNQGGy/s1600/Sydney_Sports_Ground_1937.jpg" height="191" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sydney Sports Ground - the scene of Bob Spears first Six Day with Don Kirkham in 1913.<br />They finished second to Reggie McNamara and Frank Corry.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
shall never forget that great and gruelling experience. In many respects it was a nightmare to a newcomer,
but Don Kirkham was an inspiration from start to finish. His words of encouragement
acted like magic, for my limbs were very tired. The going was terrific-wind,
rain, and then heat-but I was determined not to quit. Suddenly Don would appear
on the track to relieve me. saying, "Go on Bob, go and have a good rest. I
will keep the field busy for a while."Believe me, the big crowds would be delighted
when they saw me changing over from Kirkham, whom they cheered because they
realised his great work in nursing me over a trying period and allowing me to
conserve my energy. I won the 500th. 1,000th. 1,500th, and 2,000th mile sprints,
so I had a great following for the final sprint. Don't think that I am
boasting, but, though Reggie McNamara was a great pal of mine, and I was only a
kid, as far as cycling was concerned, I believe that if I had had put more
heart into the final spurt. I would have won it from "Mac." </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI_HkQLR6YrP0zrxiX0eebKYDIuCziIs56AP-tyUHZR1KmyeiXT2VMyytRWl6h8nsI1oPPG9gpkJ7uULJoEj9D2mRdYBQUYOHdlLZ3s6ZtSxDQ5pDEoQ5QvZVCGwTIAdn929E9tQXR7TD/s1600/5861927831_b866eea7b1_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI_HkQLR6YrP0zrxiX0eebKYDIuCziIs56AP-tyUHZR1KmyeiXT2VMyytRWl6h8nsI1oPPG9gpkJ7uULJoEj9D2mRdYBQUYOHdlLZ3s6ZtSxDQ5pDEoQ5QvZVCGwTIAdn929E9tQXR7TD/s1600/5861927831_b866eea7b1_z.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reg McNamara did later partner Bob Spears in the USA where they won the 1916 Chicago 6 Day together </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don
Kirkham was a happy old warrior, and he was delighted at finishing second with
the assistance of a youngster like me. After the race I
promised Don that I would win the Melbourne six-day race
for him and thus atone for what I considered was my failure at
Sydney. "You did wonderfully well." he replied. "You must
remember that it is not good for any young rider to strike success at the
outset. It sometimes has a disturbing effect and perhaps sweeps a young chap
off his feet." </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV3xb3Ki1B8DXj4puA2MPEakdjCf4mY7WF9wq1eP2UmJFgdET_YSIYj88gmoydsicecxgZbEaFplN-XoD0rkUWTNVa0Ik3m4rppiu17Yt5tVQ7fvW-yD9iRR1tR-LITzRQKVy0uyF47QF/s1600/Australian+Natives+Association+bicycle+sports+at+the+Exhibition+Oval,+Melbourne,+Australia+Day,+26+January+1899.+Photograph+by+Thomas+Beckett..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV3xb3Ki1B8DXj4puA2MPEakdjCf4mY7WF9wq1eP2UmJFgdET_YSIYj88gmoydsicecxgZbEaFplN-XoD0rkUWTNVa0Ik3m4rppiu17Yt5tVQ7fvW-yD9iRR1tR-LITzRQKVy0uyF47QF/s1600/Australian+Natives+Association+bicycle+sports+at+the+Exhibition+Oval,+Melbourne,+Australia+Day,+26+January+1899.+Photograph+by+Thomas+Beckett..jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The scene of Bob Spears and Don Kirkham's 1913 Melbourne Six Day win - The Exhibition Oval</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1RuPDmyq2tNSReHeeBN5eq19EYFimafk3R8OhHaVpGxTRyPn6Mfwco99noGmkcFEzbkRUq3v4XkulQzuVci-dKJIQpckFHY5dCUy_O0SlUqELHMrTBaMGtK0Gf-wokVSr4ygenaSYpkw/s1600/Don_Kirkham_photo_small.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1RuPDmyq2tNSReHeeBN5eq19EYFimafk3R8OhHaVpGxTRyPn6Mfwco99noGmkcFEzbkRUq3v4XkulQzuVci-dKJIQpckFHY5dCUy_O0SlUqELHMrTBaMGtK0Gf-wokVSr4ygenaSYpkw/s1600/Don_Kirkham_photo_small.GIF" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don Kirkham with partner Bob Spears competed in Australia's first two (2 man teams) Six Day Bikes races in 1913.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was Robbed of 100 Sovereigns</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were words of wisdom and I never
forgot them throughout my career. I rewarded Kirkham by winning the Melbourne six-day race before
an immense crowd which went crazy with excitement. I think that it was the greatest
thrill Don ever got out of the bike game. But victory came our way
only because of the courageous riding of Kirkham. I had taken ill one night and
had to rest for hours, but Kirkham came to the rescue by staying on the track
and keeping his rivals in check until I had recovered. When I dismounted after
winning the final sprint I was dizzy with excitement. The cheers almost
deafened me. I was sore and weary-ready to fall asleep . . . Then words of
encouragement from Kirkham who predicted great things for me. My American trip
was now certain, and I had visions of sailing from Sydney to win fame and
fortune. The thrill I got when I was handed100 sovereigns for my win was
somewhat diminished a few days later. I had put the 100 sovereigns in my suitcase,
which I locked and placed under my bed at the boarding house. A few days later
I went to get some of my hard-earned money but to my astonishment I found that
the bag had been burst open and that the money was gone. I almost fainted as I
reeled on to my bed in anguish. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fancy riding a whole week for
nothing. This incident nearly stopped my trip to U.S.A. But I had saved a few pounds,
and with a lot of scratching and scraping and assistance of my mother I was
able to make the trip. On my return to Dubbo (N.S.W.) after winning the
Melbourne race I was hailed as a hero. But, believe me, I was
not too happy at my big loss, though I cracked hardy. No one ever knew of the
incident, which I am now relating
for the first time in print.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 10px;">More on Paddy Hehir - http://cyclingscrapbook.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/connections-through-communication.html</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 8.1pt; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-91519850020350654592014-04-20T22:28:00.000-07:002014-04-20T22:28:12.075-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwTiu5OEMKdW3Ucm7PiDh1toh3whLYuQKEuwjjNaw1mTI45mhzG7LVLUYwMTYMttbb47_Zv5is1iSzyyZDsXqcfMs7oV4EtBaILYOCyulfwVbjugXnwD63zbqm3ZbfAVpslni89MFAAj6/s1600/major+taylor.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwTiu5OEMKdW3Ucm7PiDh1toh3whLYuQKEuwjjNaw1mTI45mhzG7LVLUYwMTYMttbb47_Zv5is1iSzyyZDsXqcfMs7oV4EtBaILYOCyulfwVbjugXnwD63zbqm3ZbfAVpslni89MFAAj6/s1600/major+taylor.PNG" height="400" width="237" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The career of Mitchell (Major) Taylor has always intrigued me, particularly his two visits to Australia in 1903 and 1904.</span></b><br />
Jim Fitzpatrick's book "Major Taylor in Australia" had me totally engrossed. It also introduced me to some of the Australians that have been forgotten from our early track racing history - in particular, Don Walker who was our first professional World Track Championship entrant in 1904. With the Major, other international riders were invited to compete with the "Black Flash" and our local boys during 1903 and 1904.<br />
These events were staged at the Exhibition Oval track in Melbourne, the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval.<br />
The Major was unfamiliar with our large oval tracks in Australia compared to the banked wooden velodromes of America and Europe. Essentially our "OVAL" tracks were just that, a basically flat or slightly banked racing surface around a cricket or football ground. The tracks of Europe, even the large concrete 500 metre velodromes had straights and banked bends to hold the speed for the dare devil motor pacing events.<br />
<br />
Text from the newspaper clipping above;<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">Major</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;"> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Taylor</span>, the champion of the world, at present racing on the Sydney
Cricket Ground has an unrivalled record on the path. What everyone is asking with
interest just now is: Will Don Walker wrest the championship from him before
his departure from our shores?</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">The world's champion is a magnificently built man, with a line physique,
wonderful constitution, and a happy temperament and iron nerve. No combination
of adverse conditions in a race ever affect his riding, and his marvellous
skill on the bicycle make what would be to other riders situations of danger
and difficulty mere trifling inconveniences. An instance of </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">this was
the manner in which he recovered himself after brushing Lewis' wheel in the
sprint </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">in the final of the quarter-mile championship.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: dashed; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: dashed; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: dashed; border-top-width: 1pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">Australians will be delighted if after having met and defeated the
champions of all the countries of the world, he should meet his Waterloo in Don
Walker, and Australia add another to the long list of splendid achievements
which her sons have made in the world of sport and, judging by the performances
of Don Walker on Saturday, this is quite within the bounds</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">of probability.</span></i></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><br /></span></i></div>
<br />
Melbourne's Exhibition Oval track was built in 1891 and it was only in 1893 that the League of Victorian Wheelmen was founded to foster the professional ranks of racing cyclists. The first Austral Wheelrace was held in 1886 on grass at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This new track on the edge of Melbourne's city precinct was easy walking distance or a short cable car ride to watch the great feats of the Major and his international and local competitors. Some of these meetings during the Major's two visits drew crowd's estimated to be as much as 30.000 spectators, all decked out in their best attire for an exciting night of top racing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc8oqMzDJfZbYEQLwSA6MSE2KOVqrAf2eBIwZDsqUKS0OihA5YZ5DUjg2wXGX7hn0P-8dhtJXJ0D5sSGbBS9bfNOg2OAjshSM2aaEc8lzpq-rbwa8S8iPNlTBmHq9EXpuiC095vQvNga4/s1600/sydney+cricket+ground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc8oqMzDJfZbYEQLwSA6MSE2KOVqrAf2eBIwZDsqUKS0OihA5YZ5DUjg2wXGX7hn0P-8dhtJXJ0D5sSGbBS9bfNOg2OAjshSM2aaEc8lzpq-rbwa8S8iPNlTBmHq9EXpuiC095vQvNga4/s1600/sydney+cricket+ground.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Sydney Cricket Ground - the venue of several of the Major's appearances.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHmn6H-dLw9zGPEKNHU7mH4Fwn4Ta8zM55tpMraBQGA7McSEUaH0iZQg1gg-tDsRt9m4EWGfGNYmIpna6LyKNQnCjab2H-lJUPGxDffRJsERdWfguqOQnz2Hsexlj7ou8DCvII02PC4V0/s1600/Exhibition+buildings+bike+racing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHmn6H-dLw9zGPEKNHU7mH4Fwn4Ta8zM55tpMraBQGA7McSEUaH0iZQg1gg-tDsRt9m4EWGfGNYmIpna6LyKNQnCjab2H-lJUPGxDffRJsERdWfguqOQnz2Hsexlj7ou8DCvII02PC4V0/s1600/Exhibition+buildings+bike+racing3.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Melbourne's Exhibition Oval track.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEVK4_JslQEUMVEiCG5Y-vfQVZ_IajEA4AP07akm6X2lBPEbMdzRDTCyJeprEhCmNHmKh_v9dY7qSCVH8NnM_r7FdzQ4qpiMZasrpqAKyuuY6IMZWSo1hwb3mSmSboCcIo44yo0JT2xP/s1600/adelaide+oval.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltEVK4_JslQEUMVEiCG5Y-vfQVZ_IajEA4AP07akm6X2lBPEbMdzRDTCyJeprEhCmNHmKh_v9dY7qSCVH8NnM_r7FdzQ4qpiMZasrpqAKyuuY6IMZWSo1hwb3mSmSboCcIo44yo0JT2xP/s1600/adelaide+oval.jpg" height="222" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The third venue that the Major competed at was the Adelaide Oval. The oval was actually more of a "D" shape much the same as the Bendigo track of today with the finishing straight but the rest being a large sweeping oval.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtIfB_YzeR9qJQMCB__mrVFtFnoSA2QemgZJXUxzw_mrdkpLJuMMESYKsuzCj7VBCwrz7cQBBeXYxrxGHUT9Q3RbPpbP7vWO07SFtug-xScrhPUfMyNgC3_WB86ikONliHqQi9QJAutcC/s1600/Taylor+and+Walker-descreen+good+jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtIfB_YzeR9qJQMCB__mrVFtFnoSA2QemgZJXUxzw_mrdkpLJuMMESYKsuzCj7VBCwrz7cQBBeXYxrxGHUT9Q3RbPpbP7vWO07SFtug-xScrhPUfMyNgC3_WB86ikONliHqQi9QJAutcC/s1600/Taylor+and+Walker-descreen+good+jpg.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Major with Australian Don Walker. A warm friendship developed between the two during the Major's two visits.<br />Walker was one of the very few Australians that was a true competitor for Major Taylor.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDTS4R4MRV3JCrPc8bE4MlTkeHZBuQL3pSDiXL3RPkQ6ffHOmJWGYEXPh3lcFcpGrrflEWS2IB7VIopmiUDKhrGAjN9-G8BT5gyhTXOfxexGRD6jj9i1v2my1uxUbcITtl6z0A9rc1o4u/s1600/Cycle+racing+at+Adelaide+Oval+Broadbent+leading,+Dons+second,+Walker+third+and+Gully+last+1895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDTS4R4MRV3JCrPc8bE4MlTkeHZBuQL3pSDiXL3RPkQ6ffHOmJWGYEXPh3lcFcpGrrflEWS2IB7VIopmiUDKhrGAjN9-G8BT5gyhTXOfxexGRD6jj9i1v2my1uxUbcITtl6z0A9rc1o4u/s1600/Cycle+racing+at+Adelaide+Oval+Broadbent+leading,+Dons+second,+Walker+third+and+Gully+last+1895.jpg" height="273" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>An early photo (1895) of Don Walker 3rd placed and George Broadbent 1st placed at the Adelaide Oval.<br />This would have been one of his very early races as far as I can determine and he possibly retired not long after returning to Australia after the 1904 World Championships.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On these to visits to Australia, The Major and his petite wife were warmly welcomed in Australia - a complete contrast to his situation in America where segregation was still prevalent. During the Major's 1904 trip his friendship with Australian grew to the extent that he was invited to America and stay at the home of Taylor to prepare for the 1904 World Track Championships being held at the Crystal Palace, London.<br />
Unfortunately for Walker, he was eliminated in the early heats. The Sprint crown that year was won by American Iver Lawson who had also been racing in Australia during the 1904 season with fellow countryman Floyd MacFarland. Possibly one of the reasons that Walker and Taylor formed a close friendship was because Walker refused to be influenced by the ganging up tactics instigated by MacFarland. With the Major being so quick and his refusal to join the "Jokes" in the races, MacFarland would employ other riders to block the Major whenever possible. There was also that underlying racial tension with the Americans against the "Black Flash".<br />
MacFarland with his "Jokes" earned a reputation as a top handicap rider and won much prize money in Australia. He extended his stay in Australia racing in most states including WA for the Westral Wheelrace.<br />
MacFarland was also instrumental in the building and promotion of cycling at Melbourne's Saucer board track where the Victorian Arts Centre now is located.<br />
<br />
Having researched a little of Major Taylor, Don Walker, Iver Lawson and Floyd McFarland, there is probably another three future blogs awaiting to be written. Hopefully I can publish future posts sooner than this one.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suggest you get hold of a copy of Jim Fitzpatrick's book - Major Taylor in Australia and also a copy of the DVD based on Jim's research.</span></b><br />
<br /></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-9797624169947776252014-03-09T03:51:00.002-07:002014-03-09T03:51:43.348-07:00Lost and Forgotten Tracks and Velodromes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here in Melbourne and the regional towns around Victoria there are both lost and forgotten cycling tracks and velodromes. I've come across many in my time as a cyclist, even raced on some that do not exist any longer.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRkAAT8EccJS8sv7AJvPaHmhBXD8XDCh2hOlwVJK9UVMMZQAwbxkepVjaaRwalCePnbNpASUpOnJFKTTvuIb9rDNyAWnb1pS3h-Gb8riAhMyve-L4Cy1o9_5OsQfpC1NjvnHUaaFuFiaR/s1600/parkdale+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRkAAT8EccJS8sv7AJvPaHmhBXD8XDCh2hOlwVJK9UVMMZQAwbxkepVjaaRwalCePnbNpASUpOnJFKTTvuIb9rDNyAWnb1pS3h-Gb8riAhMyve-L4Cy1o9_5OsQfpC1NjvnHUaaFuFiaR/s1600/parkdale+1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gates to Parkdale Cycling Track and home to the Mordialloc Cycling Club.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One such track brings back memories of my very first State Track Championship as a 14 year old. I rode past it today (9/3/2014) in fact. Parkdale Track was a sealed asphalt track around a footy oval on Nepean Highway and home to the Mordialloc Cycling Club. I decided to take a look at it as I must have passed by thousands of times in the car and on the bike since that State Championship in 1964.<br />
I remember during the 60s, the other "Kids" I raced against from the Mordialloc Club in those years were David Kelso, Geoff Cunningham and the Whiting brothers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL34vyHxKHLkMQtk6RfDW6wBsEjLQBdrragQABUOsW-CXBNebO7nKm2gY2R14iITeVVy4zy7utoaOG0KbvTqUtwZC7Q1Nz2oroZqRsZScmgguGk9qsnZvWVIk2fY7gYPzSEQSYK37zCZm/s1600/parkdale+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL34vyHxKHLkMQtk6RfDW6wBsEjLQBdrragQABUOsW-CXBNebO7nKm2gY2R14iITeVVy4zy7utoaOG0KbvTqUtwZC7Q1Nz2oroZqRsZScmgguGk9qsnZvWVIk2fY7gYPzSEQSYK37zCZm/s1600/parkdale+2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Today it is home to Cricket and Football and very little sign of the track remains. There's that slight banking that the old track had but today its no more than a slight sloping of a grassed surface. Unbeknown to me at the the time, I discovered that the track was actually established in 1934. So thirty years later I was competing on the same track - little did I know at the time its history.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcm2g-kHxx4MYLaLOPGYJcnhnVj5riZ2121c9so4Lw8Eoh398hTzLVzhrWQHK1ORSEn1k-vTaUO7LAK2PZuQI5cI_SwpO0XoKx6rm3jO4qd9AjbhV-EGhMs-lH776NFh-EqNhOc0RKUBm/s1600/parkdale3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcm2g-kHxx4MYLaLOPGYJcnhnVj5riZ2121c9so4Lw8Eoh398hTzLVzhrWQHK1ORSEn1k-vTaUO7LAK2PZuQI5cI_SwpO0XoKx6rm3jO4qd9AjbhV-EGhMs-lH776NFh-EqNhOc0RKUBm/s1600/parkdale3.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
When I rode there it didn't seem to be much of a track but after doing some research today, I discovered that it was in fact a very important part of Victorian track racing history. The major track of Melbourne at the time, the Exhibition Oval had seen better days and was used for Speedway events. The Exhibition Board track was yet to be established and the Motordrome was not suitable for Championship events other than motor pace. The Parkdale track therefore was used for those State Championships while Melbourne searched for a new venue.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below cuttings are from the mid - 1930s</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimesanmR8e3fsTrneCJ3QNF8n-BTvur4pC2VkWaUmsadcAWDq0D1kYWZ2ZVExscbk396x2Ir2uVNKBnBZvYBIfZQ4tqVlx4BpYqKhR95WH0uh4Saad_EXP3wjAyiPDRYG-MvVChny0Ww-U/s1600/MACC5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimesanmR8e3fsTrneCJ3QNF8n-BTvur4pC2VkWaUmsadcAWDq0D1kYWZ2ZVExscbk396x2Ir2uVNKBnBZvYBIfZQ4tqVlx4BpYqKhR95WH0uh4Saad_EXP3wjAyiPDRYG-MvVChny0Ww-U/s1600/MACC5.PNG" height="320" width="250" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-chvQvVbrFkoe_L3FPqJHu8P_OH8UbEJa9o4QPt4S99tOnBdqfYt0n-U2NdhIsEWp8S1RFm_BMSwHE9MTaySWOnJA3uuCcMUyQgo1aN5O421zy4Au9x4wUru0Z4ZfTy6ToDsDY5Lm-3O7/s1600/macc8.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-chvQvVbrFkoe_L3FPqJHu8P_OH8UbEJa9o4QPt4S99tOnBdqfYt0n-U2NdhIsEWp8S1RFm_BMSwHE9MTaySWOnJA3uuCcMUyQgo1aN5O421zy4Au9x4wUru0Z4ZfTy6ToDsDY5Lm-3O7/s1600/macc8.PNG" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Q9-FFkyVKGnMv-plLfzwy5xMsH596z_maKvs7HfqJtorc6m7i0LReXeNxYTb30Bwx8dmebr6bapUXeJQBrBh_5jsJ6v2YnsrrKNN7g-qMuqpmx592F2KpJwc08oBLDI6hIXfNTGjCJqR/s1600/MACC3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Q9-FFkyVKGnMv-plLfzwy5xMsH596z_maKvs7HfqJtorc6m7i0LReXeNxYTb30Bwx8dmebr6bapUXeJQBrBh_5jsJ6v2YnsrrKNN7g-qMuqpmx592F2KpJwc08oBLDI6hIXfNTGjCJqR/s1600/MACC3.PNG" height="320" width="178" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_715wCgYkRMcvTZHdN5lKMLkUKMG-qx9MKhIPMPcH6nAW6BBIvjrN4vka-Z1oy0pQus6GkF0oMpYm4hCxrdrWVhmLkqkDUQ8CT4AoDIqQvJOiumkkEcUizNvkTdZOogz-lzxbB-g00ejc/s1600/512_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_715wCgYkRMcvTZHdN5lKMLkUKMG-qx9MKhIPMPcH6nAW6BBIvjrN4vka-Z1oy0pQus6GkF0oMpYm4hCxrdrWVhmLkqkDUQ8CT4AoDIqQvJOiumkkEcUizNvkTdZOogz-lzxbB-g00ejc/s1600/512_8.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mordialloc Carnival Committee were a driving force to establish the track.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpkPWI_1k74nFHnndufVF9Kfc9z3515Agqom94HoTBdlG9CX2zSz5-OrLG1_CjKoSekttr60_mr8dort_oi2nyNVW6KjHph40lqRmBlHUX-vFlhKqKFuvT60fjwlh_aBLihaudGUrTcTc/s1600/macc6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpkPWI_1k74nFHnndufVF9Kfc9z3515Agqom94HoTBdlG9CX2zSz5-OrLG1_CjKoSekttr60_mr8dort_oi2nyNVW6KjHph40lqRmBlHUX-vFlhKqKFuvT60fjwlh_aBLihaudGUrTcTc/s1600/macc6.PNG" height="320" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T Johnson - That's Gordon Johnson's Father.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONyq2uA5otcbVHcpw46MhZS4nvtrZGXWnkfMDwitw1sRtl0XKpgehYplcy0dCcbNjc8atlucZ8Dda52dJi0zG-nrXaY6LW258KUdK1mJz7df0x_jGoZjR7xuDgHJLZwoK_7WQt3SnhW0_/s1600/macc7.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONyq2uA5otcbVHcpw46MhZS4nvtrZGXWnkfMDwitw1sRtl0XKpgehYplcy0dCcbNjc8atlucZ8Dda52dJi0zG-nrXaY6LW258KUdK1mJz7df0x_jGoZjR7xuDgHJLZwoK_7WQt3SnhW0_/s1600/macc7.PNG" height="400" width="145" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUFOgkHB9kla7q5CK1zT7jg9fP6G13FSIAj34xyUH1t7dHxRUFCYhCWpd3EIw0KNlQdxtWMOZLuCg3GMZpMaWzgOZJqLuJVCa3udloKb44n3-GIC9Yf0PAQGy_hvkwg-DCDaOBq02cBm1/s1600/nla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUFOgkHB9kla7q5CK1zT7jg9fP6G13FSIAj34xyUH1t7dHxRUFCYhCWpd3EIw0KNlQdxtWMOZLuCg3GMZpMaWzgOZJqLuJVCa3udloKb44n3-GIC9Yf0PAQGy_hvkwg-DCDaOBq02cBm1/s1600/nla.jpg" height="320" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oppy campaigned for the local council to build a Bike track in Parkdale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-43698108472787438412014-02-16T03:27:00.000-08:002014-02-16T03:27:31.230-08:00The Saucer Track and the board tracks that followed.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Track racing has alway's intrigued me, particularly its early history. We've had such a history of great track riders and track racing. American and European riders would come to Australia in their off-season to be rewarded with great financial returns, particularly in the early 1900s. At the beginning of the 1900s, SA, NSW and VIC observed the cycling prowness of Major Taylor, the "Black Flash" against fellow Americans Lawson and McFarland on the big oval tracks at the Sydney and Adelaide show grounds and in Melbourne at the Exhibition oval track. These meetings drew crowds in the tens of thousands and contemporary photos show the crowds more than ten deep.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Through the years, I'd heard rumours of board tracks in Melbourne prior to the Exhibition Board Track that replaced the oval track. Many remember and talk glowingly of the North Essendon Board Track which was the Exhibition track relocated to near the train station. I'm told by those who raced and went as spectators that special trains were allocated to take spectators to the more prominent meetings.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3K9irKr1ykUaYAtQL4M19IKj13ge9Go3tHlFkTSTKAe7WEzD22ESh-j9WIZegzKb8zV0QtkE6YfQECWBPQQSFPuhmTUmz3hL0ytIA7D3AfCR_cFwpZAMXu_gT7i4eaqOmKpaISy0jMFC/s1600/exhibition.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3K9irKr1ykUaYAtQL4M19IKj13ge9Go3tHlFkTSTKAe7WEzD22ESh-j9WIZegzKb8zV0QtkE6YfQECWBPQQSFPuhmTUmz3hL0ytIA7D3AfCR_cFwpZAMXu_gT7i4eaqOmKpaISy0jMFC/s1600/exhibition.PNG" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This page (top left) from the Australasian Sketcher, June 17, 1882 depicts cyclists competing in what was the very first 6-Day Bike Race in Australia on their Penny Farthings</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then of course the Olympic Velodrome was rebuilt after the 56 Games from Olympic standard when it was actually a wood track with a concrete covering. I'm sure many riders of my era would be carrying their bike over their shoulder in readiness for the warm-up session. The sound of those vertically slanted boards rattling gave the venue a unique atmosphere that can't be replicated on todays smooth in-line wooden tracks.</div>
</div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm still searching the internet to prove that our very first board track was built within the Exhibition buildings during the late 1800s for a very special event. Supposedly from the scant feedback to date, it was built for the very first 6-Day bike race in Australia - not a 6-Day race as we know it today.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These were hardy riders - no rest for them. It was a one man event on Penny Farthings.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc22O-MGJPr9nvSaHLGeImQbgV5BUQw_da6hFlhCh2kf5PpaNusp6WGZmt5NgJZQuDmqA8-S8yw_u0BY3_gH4WeoAZEI3jtASPHKei53uxkVX5H8kIdGMH5nFcYPYRqw-IVFt8A7ouHj1Z/s1600/Singer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc22O-MGJPr9nvSaHLGeImQbgV5BUQw_da6hFlhCh2kf5PpaNusp6WGZmt5NgJZQuDmqA8-S8yw_u0BY3_gH4WeoAZEI3jtASPHKei53uxkVX5H8kIdGMH5nFcYPYRqw-IVFt8A7ouHj1Z/s1600/Singer.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack Rolfe, winner of the early single man six day bike races rode a singer,<br /> similar to the Singer above.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqKC9NZV-QGNJUgh6BPnjkCERWsq2gd5DbuOk9wvmEGJiCWVQGzTdZx0VY_hcLZBtEt3a51vGMafbwXAYw2w2UJTcuMUavf9nY0F5LU5y6lLMv1Odj9Y9N_ZP9HVnN2JhxDSP3qVxTUKH/s1600/MelbArgus18811123Wed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqKC9NZV-QGNJUgh6BPnjkCERWsq2gd5DbuOk9wvmEGJiCWVQGzTdZx0VY_hcLZBtEt3a51vGMafbwXAYw2w2UJTcuMUavf9nY0F5LU5y6lLMv1Odj9Y9N_ZP9HVnN2JhxDSP3qVxTUKH/s320/MelbArgus18811123Wed.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Advertisement promoting the 6-Day bike race in the Exhibition Buildings.<br /> Commencing December 5, 1881</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Excerpt from the Melbourne Museum website;</span></b><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: start;">
<i><b><span style="color: blue;">The Exhibition Building was the focus of cycling events from 1882 when the Australian Cyclists' Union organised a 'Bicycling Tournament' at the Exhibition Building. The event attracted 250 cyclists from metropolitan Melbourne bicycle clubs. The tournament included 'trick' riding as well as a six-day Champion race. All of which were done on penny farthings!</span></b></i><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>The placings for this 6-Day bike race were;</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>New Pavilion, Nicholson Street, Melbourne </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>1. Jack ROLFE; J PRESS; 3. C IRISH</b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"></span></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="S16,S58" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.8em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The article below is from the South Australian Advertiser - April 15, 1887.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Visiting cyclists from the England were contracted to race in "the Colonies" and this excerpt confirms that they raced on an indoor track at the Exhibition buildings, Melbourne's first.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: georgia, serif;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">CYCLING</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: georgia, serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: georgia, serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">During an interview one of our
representatives had with Messrs. James and Wood some ideas were elicited from
them as to their movements in the colonies. Their first race was at</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">the Highland sports at Sydney on New
Year's</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Day; the
next at the mixed meeting on February 12; then at Bathurst on January 26, and
at <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Melbourne</span> on
Saturday last. They ride here on Saturday next. Their next venture is in the
great six days' race in the <b>Exhibition</b> <b>Building</b> on
April 25, at <b>Melbourne</b>. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><i><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: georgia, serif;">
</span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS,Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Towards the end of the 1880s there was talk of another indoor velodrome inside the Exhibition Buildings but my research to date can not confirm that the project ever eventuated.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Petersburg Times, June 23 - 1899</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS,Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Melbourne
syndicate is talking about</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">running a series of in-door cycle contests</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">inside the Melbourne Exhibition
Building.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A special banked batten will be laid if the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">patronage of the L.V.W. can be
obtained.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is proposed to run some twelve hour</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">contests, two hours a. night,
also some long</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">distance races. Indoor racing has long been</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">a winter sport in England, and
there is no</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">reason why similar contests should not be</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">successfully run in the Melbourne
Exhibition provided a suitable banked track is built.</span></span></b></i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Wi54fthnxYa9KjCpnMaSLjyvE467GL__rBiHBXcGle3kTEOl5OgvhNohbNkvtDoCUJT8QzWuBX3fhC5JIIiHZS2BYt4N2eRT6b9dCYq_61STxlij8iWKrufG99rg6HS-ziEd7U2NQbQI/s1600/MelbArgus18820918Mon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Wi54fthnxYa9KjCpnMaSLjyvE467GL__rBiHBXcGle3kTEOl5OgvhNohbNkvtDoCUJT8QzWuBX3fhC5JIIiHZS2BYt4N2eRT6b9dCYq_61STxlij8iWKrufG99rg6HS-ziEd7U2NQbQI/s320/MelbArgus18820918Mon.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">THE SAUCER TRACK</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEs32lsvsSqtky1ojM1FYdUHVF12QlzH2kibtByFdNn6Ju_dQXc7WkQMqBXZhDAD0C0ruEiI_4ybmNAH23yZqaHy2pXxh-b3PysD1oaVUSu54sdcQpqg2P5plAB1Zlr_a1uB8uXSzL72Q/s1600/al000809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEs32lsvsSqtky1ojM1FYdUHVF12QlzH2kibtByFdNn6Ju_dQXc7WkQMqBXZhDAD0C0ruEiI_4ybmNAH23yZqaHy2pXxh-b3PysD1oaVUSu54sdcQpqg2P5plAB1Zlr_a1uB8uXSzL72Q/s400/al000809.jpg" height="235" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you look closely towards the back left hand side of the illustration you can pick out the Saucer Track as it was known. </span></b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second board track in Melbourne that I'd heard rumours of was on the south south side of the Yarra River on a site that is today the Victorian Art Centre. It was known as the Saucer Track<br />
My research has been a little hazy but what I have been able to confirm is that it was on the Princes Park site as it was known back in the first decade of the 1900s. Initially it was used for both cycle and motor cycle racing. The photos below show individual motor cyclists at the Saucer track. Races were run in a pursuit manner with the riders starting on opposite sides of the track.<br />
Although I have located some articles on cycling races being held on the track, the Exhibition oval track was more popular at the time with capacity for larger spectator crowds.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b>The Sydney Mail – Jan 1, 1908</b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<i>Splendid progress is being made with the wooden saucer
cycle racing track that is being erected at Prince’s Court, Melbourne. The
contractor has over 100 workmen engaged in rushing the work along, and there is
no doubt that it will be finished in good time for the opening meeting on
January 11. A recent inspection of the new track amazed the writer who had no
idea that the saucer track as it is termed in America, was to be such a
gigantic affair. A glance at the batten track conveys a good idea of speed
possibilities and one can easily realise that 60 miles an hour can be obtained
on a track of this description by fast motorcycles. The surface is constructed
2 inch Oregon battens running with the track which is 18 feet while banked up
to 12 feet on the turns and tapering off to 4 feet in the two straights. At the
turns the banking is so steep that it would be almost impossible to crawl up on
one's hands and knees but, it is just the thing for exciting and speedy racing.
Around the inside of the wooden track a 2 feet strip of flat cement has been
laid down from which contestants start preparatory to sweeping up on the banked
track. Brilliant lighting is to be installed and every provision made for the
comfort of spectators and racing cyclists. The track is oblong shaped, eight
laps to the mile, the measurements being 150 feet wide from outside edges of
trade and about 306 feet long. Massive structures are now being erected around
the arena which will provide comfortable seating for 5000 spectators, every one
of whom will be able to see the racing which should prove a real factor in
popularising the sport. All told the costs of the new track will be open for
training purposes the first week in January, will be about £2500. It is
proposed to hold frequent meetings on the saucer and the promoters intend
making a big effort to bring back the old time interest in cycle racing and
judging from the programmes they intend putting forward, comprising cycle,
tandem and motor-cycle racing, they have every chance of success.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF58fco-ETf154soUpwMGF2MBL8HvEtLegLhv9pmxvcj5TSqbTt2WLe4tUjPgdurxikriiVtHNPChzxdfmHsB7qxgZz8_qioB_Ol2zl5oXUkwMZViBQUo4a1ozoGt3VkDFavI1CZbOvcK/s1600/saucer1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF58fco-ETf154soUpwMGF2MBL8HvEtLegLhv9pmxvcj5TSqbTt2WLe4tUjPgdurxikriiVtHNPChzxdfmHsB7qxgZz8_qioB_Ol2zl5oXUkwMZViBQUo4a1ozoGt3VkDFavI1CZbOvcK/s1600/saucer1.PNG" height="277" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNzFYEupoTeltudr2aMIEpuT8ua07zBJrLIz18fbZmSZwX8oKZ0tEKuYmVi0SlecP3cCOYbO8Hrum4nv4Ud2ViWSy99q0nD9xOxtyU_HKXs-gVzyJtHhHBaiK30iksu887azmIf2F7ddw/s1600/saucer2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNzFYEupoTeltudr2aMIEpuT8ua07zBJrLIz18fbZmSZwX8oKZ0tEKuYmVi0SlecP3cCOYbO8Hrum4nv4Ud2ViWSy99q0nD9xOxtyU_HKXs-gVzyJtHhHBaiK30iksu887azmIf2F7ddw/s1600/saucer2.PNG" height="320" width="297" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EUfCvOVZHmblN_AzIYNjj4ioNYFK-JeAYjmFcVQPxnnIEI40YT4OXMLwwmqNusrtyoihZNttRW7j51bblNZFzvb3aDJTyPrnIXb6QQzfINOTGwPjBKUNchaNGy3dMQeX8wzUVBaKKRWm/s1600/saucer3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EUfCvOVZHmblN_AzIYNjj4ioNYFK-JeAYjmFcVQPxnnIEI40YT4OXMLwwmqNusrtyoihZNttRW7j51bblNZFzvb3aDJTyPrnIXb6QQzfINOTGwPjBKUNchaNGy3dMQeX8wzUVBaKKRWm/s1600/saucer3.PNG" height="320" width="304" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the 1930s, Melbourne’s third wooden velodrome was
built at the Exhibition Buildings in a similar position to the old oval track that
had served the Melbourne cycling spectators so well from the late 1800s. The
establishment of this wooden velodrome only had a short life at this venue
before being forced to move to the North Essendon venue.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The move was purely instigated through political reasons and
pressure from an underworld figure with strong ties to the local politicians of
the time – that subject I will leave for another post in the future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqMTPzIob3Ttoiau39ZTYVE8GQIjQQ14dqzqtH702SW6v_QilvttMcAqO6a8tdrgzpn3qkGqaMPpQ3I31GmxYEnKQdct9HsxcmfRNdpOR6FgJ4xBnX7juukc0CDyt2_MkWJCCCtmf-9Wr/s1600/exhibition+board+track.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqMTPzIob3Ttoiau39ZTYVE8GQIjQQ14dqzqtH702SW6v_QilvttMcAqO6a8tdrgzpn3qkGqaMPpQ3I31GmxYEnKQdct9HsxcmfRNdpOR6FgJ4xBnX7juukc0CDyt2_MkWJCCCtmf-9Wr/s1600/exhibition+board+track.PNG" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Below is an excerpt from the Referee Newspaper which was devoted to sport, similar to the "Sporting Globe" in a more recent past.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i><b>Messers. Jack Campbell and Jack Lukey, to whose enterprise owes its first board cycling track since the demolition of the old Saucer which was established years ago, where now is the Wirth's Park, have reason to be satisfied with their opening meeting.</b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxz-Bo9LMns_bhG49czVyJfDG4oA1ldvs2Zd3aJGu2pf-dObEzlYnBsGy-6jItXajelXNsjowDjuzuBfoehBhzNEsn8cQ76DpZfLAiCC_G2OiOtF_FQZtbO_bVJcHpTJgMHT7zX1SdDOL/s1600/Ted+Easton+Australian+Australia+cyclist+cycling+champion+history+healing+(4)+with+Bill+Moritz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxz-Bo9LMns_bhG49czVyJfDG4oA1ldvs2Zd3aJGu2pf-dObEzlYnBsGy-6jItXajelXNsjowDjuzuBfoehBhzNEsn8cQ76DpZfLAiCC_G2OiOtF_FQZtbO_bVJcHpTJgMHT7zX1SdDOL/s1600/Ted+Easton+Australian+Australia+cyclist+cycling+champion+history+healing+(4)+with+Bill+Moritz.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Exhibition Board Track.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Behind the riders is the Melbourne aquarium which was annexed to the Exhibition buildings.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vm8rkus_72FN4J9G63e7SXwx4f3xhL-OFms_3qnz9rPbOeTHBfgSY6FF2kniHqPEnurX3OEqJc7rFjbg2Kq3X4Sxc2qZb5yG45muuEUcmy1E9BzCmyvghOsQWtmqPMxgnRqlRi2Mb9Fm/s1600/featureimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vm8rkus_72FN4J9G63e7SXwx4f3xhL-OFms_3qnz9rPbOeTHBfgSY6FF2kniHqPEnurX3OEqJc7rFjbg2Kq3X4Sxc2qZb5yG45muuEUcmy1E9BzCmyvghOsQWtmqPMxgnRqlRi2Mb9Fm/s1600/featureimage.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plan of the Exhibition Buildings and the track.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDE1o62kMKH1fwBRYHjzDHqGBlTac3ja9NOzr-08EwTgPdJFV18pT9lzDv3CHkuCoBbSyRj8-VjcxZ-GUUl1MLWEJD3gL2mGfc62UmncnMzJqFlYFmKVHC5E1CckboKpHhllOL4TIeywh/s1600/bill+nino+walkerritter.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDE1o62kMKH1fwBRYHjzDHqGBlTac3ja9NOzr-08EwTgPdJFV18pT9lzDv3CHkuCoBbSyRj8-VjcxZ-GUUl1MLWEJD3gL2mGfc62UmncnMzJqFlYFmKVHC5E1CckboKpHhllOL4TIeywh/s1600/bill+nino+walkerritter.PNG" height="400" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nino Borsari, Cecil Walker, Charlie Ritter and Bill Moritz<br />at the Exhibition board track.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The relocated track to North Essendon was serviced by a train station nearby and from what I've heard, special trains were in service when there were large meetings at the Velodrome. With the advent of Melbourne's successful bid for the 1956 Olympic Games, Cycling and the fifth board track would be located in central Melbourne.<br />
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglrE-hWBLODO2KrP5mAAJ4SMaRwMZrz1eNRU22niXhZ7_vDwL-K-HposC32L66LNnKE6WHc3HBql-_lTTevWv1w6vlEPaWtSxluHbI3VdFDfA8eVWEzPBNyzWQauJ18KC-qDeaJSsBHfU/s1600/EssendonTrack-s_zps89d19241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglrE-hWBLODO2KrP5mAAJ4SMaRwMZrz1eNRU22niXhZ7_vDwL-K-HposC32L66LNnKE6WHc3HBql-_lTTevWv1w6vlEPaWtSxluHbI3VdFDfA8eVWEzPBNyzWQauJ18KC-qDeaJSsBHfU/s1600/EssendonTrack-s_zps89d19241.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The relocated Exhibition board track at North Essendon</b></span>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSg4W7ezIvegh7e7GMVWIqn1YimszrHN61-YIrUwXCxq9cIdkbGfKYqOV8P5eMx8T_8bdy19m0r8RKcejqalCnuqlq2yBrGQ7xs-OsEApGsKHkBxOtZmINoHOYd00qkXy501h7VkgyaDh/s1600/BoardTrack-s_zpsdf7b4eda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSg4W7ezIvegh7e7GMVWIqn1YimszrHN61-YIrUwXCxq9cIdkbGfKYqOV8P5eMx8T_8bdy19m0r8RKcejqalCnuqlq2yBrGQ7xs-OsEApGsKHkBxOtZmINoHOYd00qkXy501h7VkgyaDh/s1600/BoardTrack-s_zpsdf7b4eda.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8CMwTSDXDzryFJhwdAYbe5T7NGb2e6eL6yQK6wBOnsBHo-drhRe-3ULkJCAZwFebr7bVls1uRwh_gpBwt0DhxLFGmcOS50KTY-2N5HtoEvmZyMXc25DAbQxKdFKhGwLpHdhUGxtgo33u/s1600/Whitehorntrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8CMwTSDXDzryFJhwdAYbe5T7NGb2e6eL6yQK6wBOnsBHo-drhRe-3ULkJCAZwFebr7bVls1uRwh_gpBwt0DhxLFGmcOS50KTY-2N5HtoEvmZyMXc25DAbQxKdFKhGwLpHdhUGxtgo33u/s1600/Whitehorntrack.jpg" height="307" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Riders at North Essendon board track</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This fifth board track actually started life as a concrete surface on a wood base. The 1956 Olympic Velodrome was built to the then Olympic standard but later dismantled and rebuilt to 250 metres.<br />
The boards as the Exhibition and North Essendon Velodrome ran opposing the riders so that they would rattle as the riders travelled around the steeply banked track. As the spectators were arriving at the track they would hear this rattling din as the riders were warming up. It was like a Mexican wave of sound.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOieZgKSB_JFsYKqFk12c9aIW6AU4IWY0DQch7I56PqN2-bP2MHYo02S-eXlCoh7IP7iA5nkR0JLK7d3DIOBWSVXliMlOqPgrK73qF5Q9HV1LwL-KdZ7OGilsfO4-oylrpRNJIB9cVzwc/s1600/melb+velo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOieZgKSB_JFsYKqFk12c9aIW6AU4IWY0DQch7I56PqN2-bP2MHYo02S-eXlCoh7IP7iA5nkR0JLK7d3DIOBWSVXliMlOqPgrK73qF5Q9HV1LwL-KdZ7OGilsfO4-oylrpRNJIB9cVzwc/s1600/melb+velo.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Melbourne Olympic Velodrome as a rebuilt board track. Behind the track is the Dog track that caused the demise of the velodrome as the area was required as a car park. The track was eventually dismantled in 1972.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWyyBvanzCOSvpJnPPrHSfTOgEtZGqqBz0_ONqR6D2IuvNyAO51mCKp8wTghTpkECGlfJEiAj7AKx9SAO9dtBD_P3hoy05Tt4mRSqukJlv_2COsagjPcme1LjKlPWd1RFdifNbS0KqktL/s1600/patto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWyyBvanzCOSvpJnPPrHSfTOgEtZGqqBz0_ONqR6D2IuvNyAO51mCKp8wTghTpkECGlfJEiAj7AKx9SAO9dtBD_P3hoy05Tt4mRSqukJlv_2COsagjPcme1LjKlPWd1RFdifNbS0KqktL/s1600/patto.jpg" height="400" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sid Patterson victorious at the Olympic Velodrome.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a 15 year old, I had the opportunity to ride in the opening events which Promoter Bill Long added to his program for us budding cyclists, some of whom went on to be future champions of the sport. Two from an old program I still have include John Trevorrow - 2 times Sun Tour winner and Australian Road Champion, and John Nicholson - 2 times World Sprint Champion.<br />
<br />
As kids, after our events we remained in the centre if only to watch our heros at close quarters. There were no VIP areas back then and we all just sat on the grass within the steeply backed velodrome.<br />
Nearby could be four times World Champion Sid Patterson or one of the many overseas imports that Bill Long brought to Australia. There were Italians, Faggin, Teruzzi, Turrini, Cardi that come to mind.<br />
<br />
With additional attractions such as pop concerts, boxing and running at the Velodrome, Bill Long couldn't save the track from those who wanted more parking space for the dog racing patrons and cycling moved to the concrete banked velodromes of Brunswick, Northcote and Coburg.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1QIKFoTM2OW20eD0i6mnHEVEp-uxMFiXgmOqKDTP8bk4MGCpbaOxi6imKesX1L8Ytsn8zxN0tS5Ky_qHXsLRKkmt9ZAsZFgY-hJosDr06wYBD-yDwLA1FyqoRpyunJ4DDKUiEIY9Y_t4/s1600/HA_velodrome_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1QIKFoTM2OW20eD0i6mnHEVEp-uxMFiXgmOqKDTP8bk4MGCpbaOxi6imKesX1L8Ytsn8zxN0tS5Ky_qHXsLRKkmt9ZAsZFgY-hJosDr06wYBD-yDwLA1FyqoRpyunJ4DDKUiEIY9Y_t4/s1600/HA_velodrome_21.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melbourne's Hisense multi-purpose arena.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It wasn't until three decades later that Cycling returned to Melbourne's inner precinct at Olympic Park. It took Melbourne's successful bid for the 2006 Commonwealth Games for a new indoor 250 meter board track to be built. Ironically the track is just opposite the location of the previous Olympic board track and the dog track has long gone - more parking space was required for Hisense multi-purpose arena.<br />
<br />
Since the establishment of the arena, it has hosted cycling events for the World Masters Games, 2006 Commonweath Games and the UCI World Track championships of 2010 and 2012.<br />
Unfortunately due to the costs involved in setting up for cycling, the velodrome is only used for major international events.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fXFuR0NN2bp27-5gjOwzmxhtByUFAETab3IgxtfXfGY6yv6PmUTm0ED02o1IuIzx3vqftl_Q5KzI3zu74L-DLwUMyqY_wSTDnetFSvDaHMmxe83xNBWPwOtrFqr3mzl1gG6DZv-ZNvlB/s1600/disc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fXFuR0NN2bp27-5gjOwzmxhtByUFAETab3IgxtfXfGY6yv6PmUTm0ED02o1IuIzx3vqftl_Q5KzI3zu74L-DLwUMyqY_wSTDnetFSvDaHMmxe83xNBWPwOtrFqr3mzl1gG6DZv-ZNvlB/s1600/disc.jpg" height="158" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DISC or Darebin International Sports Centre offers Victorian track cyclists a training and race venue where they can hone their race skills.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Leading up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games a second indoor board track was built as a facility for lawn bowls and as a training venue for the international cyclists. Today it is in constant use for training and major track racing events such as the historic Austral Wheelrace and the Melbourne Cup on Wheels.<br />
<br />
So if I've missed a board track built in Melbourne, I figure that my count is seven. Today in Australia we now have six indoor international standard indoor board tracks. Tasmania, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth all have one with Melbourne having two.<br />
<br />
In future posts I might take a journey on Victorian outdoor tracks and the major carnivals associated with those tracks. Wangaratta, Echuca, Bendigo, Charlton, Geelong are among the many.</div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-19747583154222560742013-12-24T01:46:00.001-08:002013-12-24T02:56:21.681-08:00Jack Hoobin - the Forgotten World Road Champion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We all rejoiced when Cadel Evans won the World Road Championship and why shouldn't we. It was an amazing effort by a true Champion. Newspapers across Australia announced that we now had a World Road Champion, most proclaiming him as the first. Sure, we've had many World Track Champions but never a World Road Champion. But that's not the case - those knowledgeable in the sport know that our first World Road Title holder was Jack Hoobin, albeit during the time when there was a title for both Amateur and Professional cyclists.<br />
As a racing cyclist back in the late 1960s, I was actually aware that Jack Hoobin was our very first World Road Title holder but was never aware of the circumstances leading up to his victory. These Australian Cyclist magazines on loan to me from Jae Omara of Omara Cycles has opened up new knowledge for me - hope this post does the same for you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN69nNUpMRxkfHVWNiDLHT8g9MG0_BBWoYbGaARtzX_dGO9xBoKEotbFzxxNvEpVSUfbdgduCyRAsZSrLjefmHefGCapuzEbyhg-p2qg3pp8pNbxrdb4x5mcsAGsXIsSD6fN0xHAEqgql/s1600/Photo1-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN69nNUpMRxkfHVWNiDLHT8g9MG0_BBWoYbGaARtzX_dGO9xBoKEotbFzxxNvEpVSUfbdgduCyRAsZSrLjefmHefGCapuzEbyhg-p2qg3pp8pNbxrdb4x5mcsAGsXIsSD6fN0xHAEqgql/s400/Photo1-36.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The cover of the magazine that segments have been reprinted below.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">From the pages of Australian Cyclist December 1950.</span></i></b><br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"Those of our readers who have followed the cycling career
of Jack Hoobin through these columns since he first flashed into prominence in
1946 would not have been terribly surprised at his world title because since
that first open road race win in 1946, Jack has showed an aptitude for
overcoming adversity and an unconquerable spirit which has carried him into
victory on more than one occasion.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">In case some of you may have forgotten some of those
incidents, let us skip briefly back through them - in fact let us go right back
to the time when Jack first learnt to ride a cycle which was when he was four
years of age on a small cycle with 12 inch wheels and solid tires (it's still
in the proud possession of the Hoobin family).</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Perhaps elder brother Ted Hoobin can be thanked for first
attracting Jack's interest to cycle racing. Ted became champion of the
Cheltenham club when 16, and Jack, accompanied by their father used to be a
regular barracker for Ted. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Not yet into his teens young Jack decided to have a go in
a juvenile 3 mile race and going flat out for the first 3 miles collapsed over
the line exhausted but an easy victor. Jack still lays claim that the
three-miler was the hardest race of his career.</span></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG8KIbiM04djstKQl9Lffk50P4bjeOvTI46OgLhsQ4ToWxHWMpZ1EdzH-BE1X8zW6zARcE3eA2Yak_SNyru-J8iiESxuBtLyoAZFzYJgRwn17EYlVgw8NAX1Ba1qZ802MNjirBrz7kySd/s1600/Photo1-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG8KIbiM04djstKQl9Lffk50P4bjeOvTI46OgLhsQ4ToWxHWMpZ1EdzH-BE1X8zW6zARcE3eA2Yak_SNyru-J8iiESxuBtLyoAZFzYJgRwn17EYlVgw8NAX1Ba1qZ802MNjirBrz7kySd/s320/Photo1-35.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Then followed a few more wins with Ormond juveniles, then
a win on the board track when 17, and his enlistment in the army at 18 towards the
end of World War II when stationed at Balcombe Camp, a distance of some 35
miles from his home, Jack use to ride home at night and back to the camp again
at 6 am. Not only that, but he used to go AWL in order to race on Saturdays. </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">1947 saw him make his debut on the mark of honour, and it was during this
year that we saw the first glimpse of the real Hoobin.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8ZC2KE4zZ5MLuRGGRfmQkrTdX-zAc8lEMykDYF4x-z9S8J6rvxmiz9g6wBfo8JCYhLys2Rli84xCaT_ovGXxjzRFdRuITyLWSTHjcIZGCcLqHCK4jT8eMXrYOGU0fP4z0Ylbnu9fGhzN/s1600/Photo1-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8ZC2KE4zZ5MLuRGGRfmQkrTdX-zAc8lEMykDYF4x-z9S8J6rvxmiz9g6wBfo8JCYhLys2Rli84xCaT_ovGXxjzRFdRuITyLWSTHjcIZGCcLqHCK4jT8eMXrYOGU0fP4z0Ylbnu9fGhzN/s320/Photo1-34.jpg" width="240" /></span></b></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Following fastest time honours in the VACU 50 mile and 75
mile Opens, Jack started in a 100 mile scratch race with a selected field. Just
after the halfway mark he rode away from the field but punctured 20 miles from the
finish. Undaunted Jack continued to ride on the flat tyre and many followers
still talk about how Hoobin rode up the notorious Wheelers Hill on the flat
tyre whilst, a prominant rider in Jack Berry of Carnegie club in hot pursuit of Hoobin had to
walk up. Of course, Jack Hoobin won not only this event, but the following week, the "Sun" classic of 125 miles and one week later the Victorian 125 mile
Championship with a brilliant sprint. In the Australian Championships that year he
fell and sustained a broken wrist.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">The following year immediately prior to his
departure for the Olympic Games, he won first and fastest, fastest time, and fastest
time again respectively in the first three open races of the season.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">His sixth placing
in the Games road race in face of terrific odds, mainly due to inexperience
against the tough Continental cyclists; his 10th placing in the 1949 world
championship race in Denmark in spite of illness, strange conditions in a
strange country and a severe crop of boils; and his wins in many of the English road
classics during his preparation for the 1950 title, in spite of falls and
punctures and the teaming of the English riders against him; are all typical of that
Hoobin determination to win at all costs. But to quote Jack again, "In Europe
that is the only slogan the cyclists know to win at all costs".</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbgUbin30dE0roEcq3An42sC2vVhOh_34gPzUbE-sC7Z4A7SZLCBBFeYWj7FTOZ-4u53t-mSvWc-4Qi1d_WihsKYWfEDaECHW4Ftws9m6XLsIOQGH8yW3APdkx1bRkK-Rb0_XGeYztyND/s1600/hoobin+crash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbgUbin30dE0roEcq3An42sC2vVhOh_34gPzUbE-sC7Z4A7SZLCBBFeYWj7FTOZ-4u53t-mSvWc-4Qi1d_WihsKYWfEDaECHW4Ftws9m6XLsIOQGH8yW3APdkx1bRkK-Rb0_XGeYztyND/s400/hoobin+crash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><i>Jack Hoobin gave a lot of credit to Alf Strom as a mentor and wrote the following in Australian Cyclist;</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">“Alf Strom apparently took a fancy to me and, in his
blunt manner told me that if I did as he instructed me, the world title was
mine. He packed me off to England in January to get 15,000 training miles into
my legs by the end of May, have a couple of races, then return to Belgium. It
was during this period when in London that Charlie McCaffrey and his wife gave
me a second home and nothing was too much trouble for them.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">On my return to Belgium, Alf instructed me on which races
to ride in, where I could study the riders who would be my strongest opposition.
He gave me strict instructions not to show my best form and on one occasion
when I showed signs of rebelling against this latter order, for I was rearing
to make a name for myself with a few wins, he threw a bucket of water at me, bucket
and all. undoubtedly Strom is a tough man.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">He packed me off to England again to compete in some
track events to liven up my sprinting. Then back to Belgium for more roadwork
and it was here that our plans were almost wrecked. Three days before the title
race when competing in an event over the same course as the big race, I crashed
into a car and wrecked my machine. I lost a lot of skin, and seemed to be one
big bruise from head to toe.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">But here again experience of Strom and Arnold came to the
fore, and they patched me up, and on the big day I was free from stiffness.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Incidentally my weight when racing in Australia was 10.4
but Strom had me fined down to 9.6 and I definitely felt better for it. (Jack
is about 5'8" tall)</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Strangely Alf was a nervous wreck on the day and stayed
home while Roger and I journeyed to the start in Moorslede in his car. The rest
you know."</span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dV2_bNHtboxgyYGKwry3Sfv9FkZz7T5fInXn6mVyC0XbHu9ebZpHjcAnQ6Wh7fDdN35776_rhMmPSDWSPrNdkUzSvw6nHdJ_D7DNTccGscFPJWzw19pIbhf02B65Ac1WyyUpMq9tgOom/s1600/hoobin+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dV2_bNHtboxgyYGKwry3Sfv9FkZz7T5fInXn6mVyC0XbHu9ebZpHjcAnQ6Wh7fDdN35776_rhMmPSDWSPrNdkUzSvw6nHdJ_D7DNTccGscFPJWzw19pIbhf02B65Ac1WyyUpMq9tgOom/s400/hoobin+ad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><i>From the October 1950 issue of Australian Cyclist - an excerpt from the article describing the last lap.</i></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"These tactics broke up the field and on the final tour
there were only 10 riders left with a chance - three Italians, Ferrari, Moresco
and Piazza; one Frenchman Varnjo; Australian Hoobin; two Belgians Bastie and Desmet;
one Hollander Roks; one Swiss Hutmacher; and the Luxembourg Blintz.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">These riders kept close formation right up to the last and
were making very fast time as the total time for the distance proved, for they rode
the 174 miles (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">obviously a misprint as
the race was actually 164 kms</i>) in four hours 29 minutes and 24 seconds.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">In the final sprint the Italians led out and the pace was
a demon. When the barriers were reached near the finish, the two favourites Varnajo
and Ferrari, were elbow to elbow with less than a furlong to go and they looked
easy winners.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Then from the back came Hoobin, and like a jet plane he flashed
past the leaders as if they were glued to the ground and the world championship
was his!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">What a scream from a few who knew who he was. The
supporters of the French and Italian pair were going mad with joy then came
this unknown to snatch victory in the last few yards. The roar of the crowd
subsided as if a bomb had been dropped then came cheers from those who
recognised Hoobin’s masterly performance.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Hoobin showed good sense in coming over to Belgium to
stay with his friend Strom, the great six day rider, three weeks before the big
race. He became acquainted with the circuit, and settled down in readiness for the
big day. Strom no doubt had him well tutored on the dangers and the
possibilities of the race.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Great homage was paid to the new champion of the world by
the French people and the small band of Australians, Strom, Arnold, Reynolds
and Patterson who witnessed the event. It was a great hour for the latter as
the country’s cycling predominance was again established. Within a week two
world championships have been taken by the irresistible Australians."</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
The other World Championship was taken by Sid Patterson in the Amateur Pursuit after being knocked out of the Sprint. He was the reining World Amateur Sprint title holder from the previous year. </div>
<br />
I was reading in Cycling Tips an excerpt of the 1956 Olympic Games road race where our Aussie riders were decimated by the opposition. John O'Sullivan said that the Aussies were totally outclassed. They had no idea of how Europeans raced, they had no experience.<br />
So how astute was Jack Hoobin to enlist the help of such an experienced Aussie of Alf Strom. Surely this was the key factor in Hoobin's success.<br />
How I wish I'd met the man when I had the opportunity when I was a young bloke.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"></span><br />
<div id="body-left" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 726px;">
<div id="body-left-body" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-top: 20px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Jack Hoobin - Cycling - Sport Australia hall of fame</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Born in Victoria, Hoobin made Australia's 1948 London Olympic team after wins in the 125 mile Sun Classic (Victorian) and the Victorian championship. He was also placed second over ten miles in the 1948 Australian Amateur Track Championships and third in the five mile event. Despite a series of punctures, he finished sixth (the first Australian) in the 124 mile Olympic event at London's Great Windsor Park.<br />
<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" />
Hoobin returned to Europe in 1949 and 1950 to contest the world amateur road title but was plagued with illness and injuries. He did well to finish seventh in 1949.<br />
<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" />
In 1950 he tried again, under the coaching of Alf Strom, and performed the near impossible when he took out the title and beat the best amateurs in the grueling 175km race at Moorslede near Ypres, becoming the first Australian to win the world amateur road cycling championship. Hoobin overcame the blatant blocking tactics of the strong European teams to out sprint French champion Robert Varnajo and the 1947 world champion Ferrari of Italy in the upset of the decade.</div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 7px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 7px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 7px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 7px; color: midnightblue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 7px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 7px; color: midnightblue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/memories-remin-howard.html</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 7px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 7px; color: cyan; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One race we watched c1950 was won by an Australian, Jack Hoobin, he was riding a borrowed bike using a single free wheel !! The same, or following year he won the Amateur World title, again I believe on a single-speed machine. Jack Hoobin apparently became a well known political figure in Australia and, so I was told by a Museum in Australia, was due to open the Olympic Games in Sydney but passed away shortly before the ceremony, I have an idea his wife did the opening instead. He must have been quite a character. </span></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-30641168069047301602013-12-01T01:42:00.000-08:002013-12-01T01:42:21.339-08:00How many Cycling Magazines were there?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a young bloke when I first started racing in 1963, the first cycling magazine I bought was Australian Cyclist. There were others after the magazine folded and many before it. They are a wealth of cycling history.<br />
At the time when I purchased AC it was published by Promoter Bill Long. Bill had his finger in many pies over the years. I remember my first encounter with Bill as a 14 or 15 year old. He gave us the opportunity to race at the Melbourne Olympic board track under the lights with all the big stars. We were billed as Melbourne Midgets and naturally we were on the early part of the program but we could sit there in the middle of the track amongst our heroes, many being among the Internationals that Long brought to Australia.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9iP_DSHYL4zZLc6HObLvMDi_p1Codq6QYCNDRWGmVyB4m6i_XY7h0hVpiSjjuwkxd7Xet2n9jORp12HmdWPMRLt0stk5t3Nm-zfdKwH1NqMpXuTiAMDMiN6VE-LCaq3SpUwnU6gJVVcy/s1600/Photo1-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9iP_DSHYL4zZLc6HObLvMDi_p1Codq6QYCNDRWGmVyB4m6i_XY7h0hVpiSjjuwkxd7Xet2n9jORp12HmdWPMRLt0stk5t3Nm-zfdKwH1NqMpXuTiAMDMiN6VE-LCaq3SpUwnU6gJVVcy/s400/Photo1-30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Cyclist magazines spanning from March 1947 to January 1957.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But I digress. Recently I happen to mention to Jae Omara (Omara Cycles Black Rock) that I had a great collection of Australian Cyclist magazines but over the years and many moves I finished up giving them to a friend who in turn passed them on to another cycling enthusiast. I know they are in good hands today.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpANaDRmQNcjRc9EkKPe9NrZt1Ik0Z0_fge8pbm33J4UdPhMjtckZBMQxEp4qRH_0Bao0cKTPBX14tp0EO6kvsFuBzo5WqBeLXqc83H2V5eXDVIibYIWvF7LSzlobyeBoG3NoFiSTfQrI/s1600/Photo1-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpANaDRmQNcjRc9EkKPe9NrZt1Ik0Z0_fge8pbm33J4UdPhMjtckZBMQxEp4qRH_0Bao0cKTPBX14tp0EO6kvsFuBzo5WqBeLXqc83H2V5eXDVIibYIWvF7LSzlobyeBoG3NoFiSTfQrI/s400/Photo1-23.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vol 1 - No 1, March 1947</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-nHIMZ7rfbALkRJF5rOxoO3nce08CxiiPDSka8H6lMg2Fg-8srJDqiQLmATBdBOKGUz18sUcD-fLcvFaUI8SxTWiZ9BsNwGOfggTa8MV-CsKEkQbh8-BnUSZurAIppekb3QUx_jg9wJQ/s1600/Photo1-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-nHIMZ7rfbALkRJF5rOxoO3nce08CxiiPDSka8H6lMg2Fg-8srJDqiQLmATBdBOKGUz18sUcD-fLcvFaUI8SxTWiZ9BsNwGOfggTa8MV-CsKEkQbh8-BnUSZurAIppekb3QUx_jg9wJQ/s400/Photo1-24.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very first editorial<br />
Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway Jae told me he also had a collection that belonged to his "Pop" Les Omara. My father Jack and Les knew each other and raced occasionally on the same programs. Jae brought out this wonderful collection of magazines entrusted to me for my research on this Blog. The magazines include the very first Volume 1 - Number 1, published in March 1947.<br />
Australian Cyclist was published by Wheel Publications at 503 Elizabeth St, Melbourne. A.B. Dawson was the Managing Editor. It sold for sixpence. Within a year, Dawson upped the price to 1/-. That's one shilling to young folk.<br />
<br />
In October 1951 Bill Long took ownership with Stan Mullany continuing as the Feature Writer. Mullany was a font of cycling journalism although with a sense of humour that you would consider to be "Dad Jokes" these days. His humour was full of puns. I have actually been on the end of his sense of humour in a 1965 edition which I won't repeat here……..<br />
<br />
<i>An example of Stan's humour:</i><br />
<i>Wider powers are sought for Officials at ladies' meetings - Powers to suspend-her?</i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar5LvLQdpT0eA4AlUZXnUdRood97EBoPnubx4uPcZbUDiJnASd0nl7oIhG51OAqWZ9fz1LF8UGv-mann_YV3n4nHtu6bcOmWEhFj4G_u93M_XNiS3_PBYJ2-E-8oiH8TjhrHvV0BKCydl/s1600/Photo1-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar5LvLQdpT0eA4AlUZXnUdRood97EBoPnubx4uPcZbUDiJnASd0nl7oIhG51OAqWZ9fz1LF8UGv-mann_YV3n4nHtu6bcOmWEhFj4G_u93M_XNiS3_PBYJ2-E-8oiH8TjhrHvV0BKCydl/s400/Photo1-25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From that very first issue.<br />
Preston Velodrome 1947 with amazing crowds all around the track I'm told from people who attended these meetings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During those early editions, there wasn't much of political correctness amongst the cartoon content. I'm not sure that things have changed much. All fairly harmless I guess.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMwSl1yluRmvAiaa6D9uYtM8UeSi3PRXPTfs-iQyKS6EMwcwcJ-WWaXHHf-bh9RcuHYUozM5ExrwKAinVrI5-2G0HLstZd5W0XD207avWCLg0AcwHxOVHY8cAVjUpk3mQyGfHYq7KO0H_/s1600/Photo1-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMwSl1yluRmvAiaa6D9uYtM8UeSi3PRXPTfs-iQyKS6EMwcwcJ-WWaXHHf-bh9RcuHYUozM5ExrwKAinVrI5-2G0HLstZd5W0XD207avWCLg0AcwHxOVHY8cAVjUpk3mQyGfHYq7KO0H_/s400/Photo1-26.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1StL_m92aHZowV6RCg69ZZ9ntHVAucf2YspWpTQfsZTOIivvigP80kUehwavvRdpJqbLhbBxkKZaUN2YITIpMPoNBqt-htfxjMGPUwXYBdOEYJveeZ6djl8X8DEcYb_btArTYyNJkpv4q/s1600/Photo1-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1StL_m92aHZowV6RCg69ZZ9ntHVAucf2YspWpTQfsZTOIivvigP80kUehwavvRdpJqbLhbBxkKZaUN2YITIpMPoNBqt-htfxjMGPUwXYBdOEYJveeZ6djl8X8DEcYb_btArTYyNJkpv4q/s400/Photo1-27.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Stan Mullany did however write a great introduction piece titled "<b>These Made Wheel History</b>" which included some gems.<br />
I'd always heard rumours that we had a board track inside the Exhibition Buildings - I knew we had one somewhere prior to the one outside the Exhibition, possibly located within the old Olympic Park and known as the saucer track.<br />
Mullany confirms the indoor Exhibition Board Track in the below excerpt.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><b>Victoria had indoor racing.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><i>How many times have we heard wheel enthusiasts ask if Australia is ever likely to stage an indoor bicycle racing as it is in vogue in America? Present day enthusiasts will learn with interest that Australian history has made in this regard when our first indoor solo six day race was held inside the Melbourne Exhibition Building on an eight laps to the mile track from April 25, 1897 four years after the LVW was formed.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><b>Oldests Clubs in Victoria</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><i>In every State the question of which are the oldest clubs never seems to have been answered with any authenticity. Of Melbourne clubs functioning today under the original names we know that Richmond and Carlton were prominent units of amateur bodies of two centuries (1800/1900s) but it will surprise even hardened critics to learn that Fitzroy is the oldest of all present-day Metropolitan and that Northcote can go back to the 1880s.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b>Note: Today only Northcote survives</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><i>Of Victorian country clubs, the most traditional ones are Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine and Warrnambool. </i><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b>Yet all of these country clubs have survived</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnQHmstthoQnBxVL86UfElPE7MKlFOCwCmjfgDuNZxZx3h8qudifwzMbbGPKkgQSJT6kEChPygMxFc7Lu3GBxGAdj9Suez_E17JGoyPYQbVVdf1-CqFeKnf0ws7FyIursIFTIfgZSeP_9/s1600/Photo1-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnQHmstthoQnBxVL86UfElPE7MKlFOCwCmjfgDuNZxZx3h8qudifwzMbbGPKkgQSJT6kEChPygMxFc7Lu3GBxGAdj9Suez_E17JGoyPYQbVVdf1-CqFeKnf0ws7FyIursIFTIfgZSeP_9/s400/Photo1-28.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sid Patterson, then our National Sprint Champion shares the Malvern Star add with Oppy - Australia's Greatest Cyclist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxtl-H6THoXDKTiBq7ku-QILe8J8-wP1SYJ1DVlsjM-sg_qH18Pl5EI8QFpy5IFYbI56Er7TCcSL0FjYUPhf2jQ8Pz0lcUIOmhOveY0n9dywPfynXck1ByLHgWXDd8bleO2jI2VUdYgQN/s1600/Photo1-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxtl-H6THoXDKTiBq7ku-QILe8J8-wP1SYJ1DVlsjM-sg_qH18Pl5EI8QFpy5IFYbI56Er7TCcSL0FjYUPhf2jQ8Pz0lcUIOmhOveY0n9dywPfynXck1ByLHgWXDd8bleO2jI2VUdYgQN/s400/Photo1-29.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle of the Bike Builders. Max Rowley rode for Hartley.<br />
Healing were another supporting advertiser in Australian Cyclist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: yellow;">With two decades of Australia Cyclist magazines, I have a lot of reading to do and a lot more fodder for "The Cycling Scrapbook". Hope you can join me.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-78267703169761347382013-11-28T22:22:00.000-08:002013-11-28T22:22:39.902-08:00George R Broadbent - Father of Cycling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who was George R Broadbent? </span></b></div>
Considered to be the father of Australian Cycling, Broadbent had a cycling career spanning from 1895 to 1903 but he didn't take up the sport competitively until he was 32 and retired at 40. George was born of English parents at Ashby near Geelong in 1863 and later moved to North Melbourne with his father George Adam Broadbent and mother Elizabeth. He went to school at nearby Errol Street.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQfhF2err_J_QseT8SIp2gi11dONM3xMsunuud5LFTDfi0bqDvSGHeO8c1MtTuZWUtxJBFxL96uA2_ArFaqcH9ATEXVupcINSxsTjfC0EhKZf9kwxEZORPsGZmQkMt0yUQIubyM5znLsh/s1600/penny-farthing-races-medium+qld.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQfhF2err_J_QseT8SIp2gi11dONM3xMsunuud5LFTDfi0bqDvSGHeO8c1MtTuZWUtxJBFxL96uA2_ArFaqcH9ATEXVupcINSxsTjfC0EhKZf9kwxEZORPsGZmQkMt0yUQIubyM5znLsh/s400/penny-farthing-races-medium+qld.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
George followed his father into cycling when the sport was in its infancy. In those early years George raced penny farthings and a little later the safety cycle with much success. He held Victorian and Australian long distance records in the late 1890s. Two records that are documented in Wikipedia include 203 miles on a penny farthing and 100 miles in 6 hours and 20 minutes on the new safety cycle.<br />
These records would confirm that Broadbent was a rider of some endurance yet he also won the Australasian 5 mile championship in the 1893/1895 season and followed that up in the 1895/1896 season by winning the State 5 mile title. These were track titles and one might assume that they were possibly have been conducted at the Royal Exhibition Buildings flat oval track.<br />
He did however establish records on that track in May 1894 for all distances between 130 to 220 miles and times for between 8 and 12 hours.<br />
This venue drew huge crowds as can be seen from the post card below.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbiGw14A3ewF8_SmINqj-fnDOUjue5Fwxv6aHYo37YGkTr-odAoPVlVmA7mM77XiqwfseY3fTd536A2aF-eGtls8oklSI_8EBSyveF2g83RgprskeXyp3LyZcvMonEq5_m4TlP3xuuImm/s1600/Nov+1890.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbiGw14A3ewF8_SmINqj-fnDOUjue5Fwxv6aHYo37YGkTr-odAoPVlVmA7mM77XiqwfseY3fTd536A2aF-eGtls8oklSI_8EBSyveF2g83RgprskeXyp3LyZcvMonEq5_m4TlP3xuuImm/s400/Nov+1890.PNG" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1890 100 mile record</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wYdbYAsBilj3m1XGf9u8KV4qr-ez8cn3jU8Y74_8vIWOBIFj-dBP_RiySUl4D5dns_v7Vym1xpjJyOQLinSxeft0ci_KfMHBnLr-s706Cq5GY2yt-7Wg4ArLV5YN4M2Gl9XvE_O22gfm/s1600/A.N.A-Wheel-Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wYdbYAsBilj3m1XGf9u8KV4qr-ez8cn3jU8Y74_8vIWOBIFj-dBP_RiySUl4D5dns_v7Vym1xpjJyOQLinSxeft0ci_KfMHBnLr-s706Cq5GY2yt-7Wg4ArLV5YN4M2Gl9XvE_O22gfm/s400/A.N.A-Wheel-Race.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Americans Arthur Zimmerman (1895) and the Black Flash, Marshall "Major" Taylor (1902) both raced in Melbourne during the time of George Broadbent's career and if he didn't race against them, he would at least have seen them race at the Exhibition.<br />
<br />
After establishing those records it would be assumed that George Broadbent would be in fine form for the very first Warrnambool Road Race that was conducted in 1895. Unfortunately not! It was won by A. Calder in 11h/44m/30s. Only seven riders completed the distance from twenty four starters. George Broadbent was third.<br />
<br />
Hard to believe but this week I picked up a bundle of old Australian Cyclist magazines from Jae Omara of Omara Cycles/Corsair Cafe. Amongst these magazines was a tribute to George Broadbent by Stan Mullany - a contributor to the magazine for as long as I can remember.<br />
<br />
He introduced his tribute with the following words;<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">After 60 years continuous association George Broadbent
and his life long friend, his bicycle must part on medical advice. This grand old
man of Australian cycling leaves in his wake a priceless legacy of service that
richly entitles him to have his name kept evergreen in Australian cycling
annals with the fitting title "Father of Australian Cycling".</span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Mullany continued;</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<i></i></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">My phone rings and then - hello is that you Stan? - what do
you think they won't let me ride my bicycle any more.</span></b></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnzN1wlaLQ2T9LejtzpH306dFj5ziAYCgmPh5wDfyaCcXw4NmFOEMYwgRm7t7uvMH8DYpfi5dj7GGlche74DEUZVMYKSrC9jnbpyMyyIMQraZkLdPlfO1CD5nxyyXTssu3QuHWmyMJzLY/s1600/G+Broadbent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnzN1wlaLQ2T9LejtzpH306dFj5ziAYCgmPh5wDfyaCcXw4NmFOEMYwgRm7t7uvMH8DYpfi5dj7GGlche74DEUZVMYKSrC9jnbpyMyyIMQraZkLdPlfO1CD5nxyyXTssu3QuHWmyMJzLY/s640/G+Broadbent.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hope you can read the rest of this. click on the image for a larger view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTLoqfyVEUF7GbIjLKPNcSbK0nNhoYafGEAmjwbDN2q3MhubNNFnyq-V0dTASxht4ExBdZR0cG1k4Y6couswnc3s_4s1w-whLpTBQbM0YFaI1xNi9n3tBfKOxqxL_SCUnkALTAZHfEW0x/s1600/Photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTLoqfyVEUF7GbIjLKPNcSbK0nNhoYafGEAmjwbDN2q3MhubNNFnyq-V0dTASxht4ExBdZR0cG1k4Y6couswnc3s_4s1w-whLpTBQbM0YFaI1xNi9n3tBfKOxqxL_SCUnkALTAZHfEW0x/s400/Photo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on image for larger view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Broadbent was also a foundation Councillor of the League of Victorian Wheelmen which was established in October 1887. I remember walking into the LVW when the office was in North Melbourne, Victoria St, just around the corner from Errol St from where the Father of Australian Cycling grew up.<br />
<br />
Initially with his love of cycling he became a member of the Eureka Bicycle Club which was formed in Hotham (later Nth Melbourne) in 1882 and became its Chairman in 1884. If this was not enough of his efforts to Cycling he was also a major motivator behind the Victorian Touring cycling boom which no doubt inspired his map publishing interests. Another role he filled was as handicapper for Melbourne Amateur Wheelers when they ran the early Australs and later as a handicapper for the LVW.<br />
No wonder they called him the Father of Australian Cycling - he left a great legacy behind that many of our current cyclists would unfortunately have no knowledge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnduSY1NWfbqsFw9qbVmG-UO_9RNyaZfIPPoIm5pUg_AISRW0OJ3pApcEdubQ0KhNtZFlYT8sJ3eZcWZvsQtwPgTbp06hr79lzx4f1YErWMvZ6BR688DW7M6z7qGPhtEht4HFdmS4GU6c/s1600/547826_162671243893626_1573296695_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnduSY1NWfbqsFw9qbVmG-UO_9RNyaZfIPPoIm5pUg_AISRW0OJ3pApcEdubQ0KhNtZFlYT8sJ3eZcWZvsQtwPgTbp06hr79lzx4f1YErWMvZ6BR688DW7M6z7qGPhtEht4HFdmS4GU6c/s640/547826_162671243893626_1573296695_n.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRHgvXGe64ueR2jhfSHMUmYK-Dw8B-I9ZGJzjx98piwVdj-wO123pEwVkLfI5HpBHuBVHqQYjl3uLcpAM_ODTVagfleKZE4yE-fotNzvWYw_hUdtgYHwEy1dg7E_Q5SqSDyxLT4WZYSer/s1600/177525_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRHgvXGe64ueR2jhfSHMUmYK-Dw8B-I9ZGJzjx98piwVdj-wO123pEwVkLfI5HpBHuBVHqQYjl3uLcpAM_ODTVagfleKZE4yE-fotNzvWYw_hUdtgYHwEy1dg7E_Q5SqSDyxLT4WZYSer/s400/177525_medium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
George's competitive cycling career came to an end in 1903 to concentrate on his map publishing business when his interests were drawn more towards motoring. In 1898 he had purchased a steam driven vehicle and travelled much of Victoria writing articles for the Argus newspaper for both cycling and touring. Around the time of his retirement he attended a meeting that established the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria. His contributions as a Founding Member rewarded him his RACV Life Membership.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWo4pSS_a8CfQJn08Ti3suTNY_g80vu1nwQIrmn5_ZhyswMbBva_LDvANWA3IYc_Zt0igOXc2LOIJf5iSBDLbI4POmvS1T-DqaohM_1Uw7BVF_dk-ES4-E2SiC7wRIAx_hzlDrjefRhpq/s1600/nla.map-rm3137-s1-v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWo4pSS_a8CfQJn08Ti3suTNY_g80vu1nwQIrmn5_ZhyswMbBva_LDvANWA3IYc_Zt0igOXc2LOIJf5iSBDLbI4POmvS1T-DqaohM_1Uw7BVF_dk-ES4-E2SiC7wRIAx_hzlDrjefRhpq/s400/nla.map-rm3137-s1-v.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<br />
George and Elizabeth Broadbent had three sons and seven daughters. Their second son Robert Arthur followed his father's passion for the bike and represented Australia at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games but that's another story for the future.</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-67025530494848844702013-11-18T03:19:00.000-08:002013-11-18T03:50:09.110-08:00Connections through Communication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What does that mean?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Connections through Communication!</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its amazing when you are researching a subject or persons and paths cross. One such subject was Paddy Hehir. Who was Paddy Hehir you may well ask?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paddy's name came up when I was researching the origins of my motor pace bike or stayer as they were known in Europe. Stayer bikes with cyclists on huge gears pedalling furiously behind the big motors travelling at 60 mph on large oval tracks - here in Australia it was at the motordrome in the 30s.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway my stayer frame had a large "i" bronzed to the head. I thought it was an Ideal but later I was told it may have been an Ixion so I researched Ixion bikes. From there I found that Ixion bikes were connected to a racing cyclist in those early years by the name of Paddy Hehir. Paddy wasn't too shabby as a racing cyclist in fact he rode against, and with the best of his era.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BNwy9pzq3wnsb2CCXRtiUZnr248kEAAt8HmWWDWmk0XwnJxckCmIv3C3z-cDKPGExFLbGfoSL4FYwIbrhRwtJXLkJSQWIjoWHoMHfe72t5WfmQYZoxppAx0jO8IkXXREK2ZcfBGqAZD7/s1600/800px-Hehir_4605960633_d07218fe8f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BNwy9pzq3wnsb2CCXRtiUZnr248kEAAt8HmWWDWmk0XwnJxckCmIv3C3z-cDKPGExFLbGfoSL4FYwIbrhRwtJXLkJSQWIjoWHoMHfe72t5WfmQYZoxppAx0jO8IkXXREK2ZcfBGqAZD7/s400/800px-Hehir_4605960633_d07218fe8f_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only known photo of Paddy Hehir I could find in my research.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 4.8pt; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>Patrick O'Sullivan Hehir</b> was an Australian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling" title="Cycling">cycling</a> champion. He participated in the 1912 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_Track_Cycling_World_Championships" title="UCI Track Cycling World Championships">UCI Track Cycling
World Championships</a> at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark_Velodrome" title="Newark Velodrome">Newark Velodrome</a>. He won the American Derby event in 1912.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Hehir#cite_note-1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> In 1910 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_L._Kramer" title="Frank L. Kramer">Frank L. Kramer</a> beat Hehir in the one-mile open
professional event.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Hehir#cite_note-2">[2]</a> (Wikipedia)</sup></span></i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paddy made his career by riding the sixes in Australia and the USA and from 19 of the gruelling events he participated in from 1909 to 1915 he actually had 7 wins and 5 seconds - not a bad effort. So why don't we know much about Paddy O'Sullivan Hehir?</span></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two wins were with Alf Goulet in 1911 but that was after the pair teamed up at Madison Square Garden in 1910 for a fourth place.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three of those victories were in the USA with Peter Drobach at Buffalo, Newark and Indianapolis. After returning to Australia in 1911, Paddy and Alf teamed up for two Six wins. One in Melbourne, the other in Sydney.</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4WDM91EwsqH9MKSmOaUWSZrMgSIxlGD8IHLDy8XPeY-a_8gLjyqt-uVE2uBB7LigDj802D24yWjCLGn_aYvK9vQJe4PyG22b-vgXcJbCMaON_vUHs2kCxPGymeI3-0WwldzzesFvwW0w/s1600/velodrome-newark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4WDM91EwsqH9MKSmOaUWSZrMgSIxlGD8IHLDy8XPeY-a_8gLjyqt-uVE2uBB7LigDj802D24yWjCLGn_aYvK9vQJe4PyG22b-vgXcJbCMaON_vUHs2kCxPGymeI3-0WwldzzesFvwW0w/s400/velodrome-newark.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newark Velodrome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poor old Paddy suffered from Cadel Evan's misfortunes of breaking collar bones and in one season he had a trifector.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Referee journal of 1913 and 1914 published his letters about his six day races in the USA. In the April 1913 edition he stated that his win at the Buffalo Six Day was a fairly easy victory. He was invited to team with Goulet in Paris but found the financial rewards more enticing on the American circuit and had an easier time earning it.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjGOxEGUl1_3VPgIIxto9rdmhrrkFOgu5EaLEKloS9JHjPt3v7crh7cTfGjlE4UqlhBHDHKUSKqLuuKKDf8VQveLR-4J694nQ3jtFGklxAzxZ9Di51pQ_69tpUrS-Uiz8dPJlPOv3dOHa/s1600/PH2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjGOxEGUl1_3VPgIIxto9rdmhrrkFOgu5EaLEKloS9JHjPt3v7crh7cTfGjlE4UqlhBHDHKUSKqLuuKKDf8VQveLR-4J694nQ3jtFGklxAzxZ9Di51pQ_69tpUrS-Uiz8dPJlPOv3dOHa/s400/PH2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goulet and Hehir win the Six in Sydney - 1912</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His January 1914 contribution to the "Referee" under the title of "Paddy Hehir Returns - Fortunes and Misfortunes of an American Racing Season" he tells of his three broken collar bones in one season.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He talks of Reggie McNamara, Spears, and Alf Grenda - all Australians making their name on the American Circuit.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another article in the New York Times echoed the headline "Kramer's Sprint Wins" with the sub-title "Champion defeats Hehir on the Newark Velodrome". Kramer, a world sprint champion may have had Paddy's measure in the sprint match but our Irish/Australian beat Kramer in the 1/2 mile handicap on the same night, but had to take second again to Kramer in the one mile handicap.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOgq-Cd16WYkkyckLVuqewWzl3Bbbr3_RExYRQDfuiEdJAr0_LwcqbG-Ti9qqRKpY3AVzzVyg52Yp7OQ4G7BqAaZbI-isCOO_JzYNZpIXF7UHkMGq-4Vf_MfuxjyMiaM_CNNogQ_v0WSd/s1600/ixion.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOgq-Cd16WYkkyckLVuqewWzl3Bbbr3_RExYRQDfuiEdJAr0_LwcqbG-Ti9qqRKpY3AVzzVyg52Yp7OQ4G7BqAaZbI-isCOO_JzYNZpIXF7UHkMGq-4Vf_MfuxjyMiaM_CNNogQ_v0WSd/s400/ixion.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ixion Track Bike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHyV6unWGFfwf6IKrjWBRbbymxwmvMUI_E9gMra_BgWu8M1G-DcxKyvHxGeoJSLA3QALwI3o7-3_-_bgfzgWbzGfCaQDhbJ3H7fgSOD6yxL9Z4eIPghP42oYePkcT8ielOCd3IPJNh-KN/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHyV6unWGFfwf6IKrjWBRbbymxwmvMUI_E9gMra_BgWu8M1G-DcxKyvHxGeoJSLA3QALwI3o7-3_-_bgfzgWbzGfCaQDhbJ3H7fgSOD6yxL9Z4eIPghP42oYePkcT8ielOCd3IPJNh-KN/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paddy returned home and founded Ixion Bicycles with his partner a chap by the name of Blair at St Kilda in Melbourne. It was back then that a young Rupe Bates (Bates Cycles) learnt his trade working at Ixion. This is where the Connections through Communications comes about. Only last weekend I was talking to Leo Bates who bought a bike shop from another bike shop owner, Pop Storran in Thornbury. Pop's brand was Ideal, the name on my stayer frame. I asked Leo Bates about the bike, Pop and conversation got around to my earlier thoughts that the bike was an Ixion and the fact that it may have been connected to Paddy O'Sullivan Hehir.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was then that Leo exclaimed, "I remember Paddy, he worked with us down at Clifton Hill at Rupe's bike building factory". Could Rupe have repaid the favour to Paddy in later years for giving him his introduction the the bike business. This is all conjecture on my part and the truth is most probably lost in time now that so many years have passed.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe someone out there may know more about Paddy - certainly Leo Bates knew very little of his amazing racing career in the world of Madison and Six Day racing in that magical era in the early part of the 1900s.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 4.8pt; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #663300; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-23764194084382833482013-11-05T00:41:00.002-08:002013-11-05T01:54:19.029-08:00W.K. (Bill) Moritz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry that this post comes almost a month after the Billy Guyatt post - W.K. Moritz was a fascinating cycling personality to research and one wonders where to stop before publishing on "The Cycling Scrapbook".</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy the read but maybe grab a cup of coffee or a glass of red before you start.</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Research credits at the bottom of the post)</i></span></b></div>
<br />
The 1930s had many great stars in the sport of cycling such as Hubert Opperman, Fatty Lamb and Ossie Nicholson.<br />
The track had Cecil Walker at his best in the USA but during the mid and late 1930s, a new breed of cyclist was entering the domain of the establishment. Bill Moritz, Keith Thurgood and Deane Toseland were all from South Australia and were part of that new breed. As the huge oval tracks were being replaced by steeply banked board tracks in Melbourne and Sydney, these three were among the young riders to dominate track racing as well as the road.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><br /></i></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>BILL MORITZ</i></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Born
at Torrensville, suburb of Adelaide, March 19, 1916. Attended Christian Brothers College,
Adelaide. Joined Payneham Cycling Club
as junior aged 14.y.o. At age of 17 won
25 mile road championship of South Australia. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>From H.’Curly’ Grivell’s ‘Australian Cycling in
the Golden Days’ (published circa 1950). Supplied by Ken Mansell</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
Having great success in his home town of Adelaide, Moritz ventured to the mecca of cycling in Melbourne. At the time of his arrival from South Australia, the big meetings were being held at the Olympic Park Motordrome and the Exhibition oval track. As a 19 year old he showed promise in a 50 km scratch race at the Motordrome despite taking a tumble in the closing stages.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b>Moritz
won the 25 kilo scratch race at Olympic Park on Saturday night under almost the
same conditions as when he was victorious in the 50 kilo cycling Derby on the
same track early in the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crashing
on Saturday night in the last two laps, he rose, partly stunned, ran for one
lap with his damaged cycle, and then with the permission of the referee of the
LVW, completed the last lap on a borrowed machine – the victor. </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Sporting Globe, Wednesday, February 19, 1936. Supplied by Ken Mansell</span></i></span><br />
<br />
It was 1935 at the age of 19 he made his mark on the national scene. By 1936 he was the scratch marker with a field of 150 riders in the Austral Wheel Race at the Motordrome. The previous Austral was held in 1929 and after a hiatus of six years, there were two stagings of the race in the same year. The gaps were too great for Moritz to make up distance on the outmarkers but his compatriot from South Australia, Keith Thurgood riding from 100 yards took the win. This would not be the first time that a fellow South Australian would take success from Moritz in the classics. The 1936 Austral marked the demise of the Olympic Park Motordrome. It proved to expensive to maintain and was falling into disrepair. Promoter Jack Campbell had built a new board track at the site of the old Exhibition oval track and this would become the mecca of track cycling in Melbourne.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18qoGYNrk11EPpycgXb5aWnrW2B3JrF9mjbaBujWnYhgWirQz7hIHY93TABk8NhUjf97c7mjVTM6g03nQackt2sagwp6Rw4XHZ4y0_5TZt_jpBrgtd8sbF2XKzqqColypl815WV8_SbTW/s1600/port+pirie.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18qoGYNrk11EPpycgXb5aWnrW2B3JrF9mjbaBujWnYhgWirQz7hIHY93TABk8NhUjf97c7mjVTM6g03nQackt2sagwp6Rw4XHZ4y0_5TZt_jpBrgtd8sbF2XKzqqColypl815WV8_SbTW/s400/port+pirie.PNG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
Moritz seemed to have a preference for the steeply banked board track and proved this for the second Austral Wheel Race within the same year. Again the scratch marker, Bill Moritz was outsmarted by the limit rider, 19 year old Harry Webb who held out for the win with Moritz taking second place. Second place was beginning to become a habit for Bill. The Austral would never see his name on the Austral Wheelrace honour board.<br />
<br />
He was however successful in the longer European style scratch races (Point Score). It was not uncommon for Moritz to clear out from the field to take a lap on the field and on one night at the Exhibition, not content with one lap on the field, he took a second against a field that included Cecil Walker, import Franz Deulberg and locals, Clinton Beasley, and fellow South Australian Deane Toseland.<br />
Not content for that win, he did the same the following racing night at the Exhibition boards against a cracker field.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCA6ur69xt0_Immlm0L2TJDse7KkZAk1RY74nHoaMMb5gylb6Fv2vCWkQiFw6C0NKi55V6B6BhDtcg-_9BuInt6Keimi67ki9iuFwr7IQKjdP9z9ZD8wn4kSOv6c063OMl0N6N-ibSHle/s1600/Bil+M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCA6ur69xt0_Immlm0L2TJDse7KkZAk1RY74nHoaMMb5gylb6Fv2vCWkQiFw6C0NKi55V6B6BhDtcg-_9BuInt6Keimi67ki9iuFwr7IQKjdP9z9ZD8wn4kSOv6c063OMl0N6N-ibSHle/s400/Bil+M.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Healing boys with Moritz second from the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a road rider he was also a scratch man. He took fastest time in the League of Victorian Wheelman sanctioned Melbourne to Bendigo but unfortunately he had to settle for another second place with an outmarker able to hold out for the win. The scratch bunch did lose Hubert Opperman due to gear malfunction. With Oppy's ability to suffer, maybe the scratchmen may have got up.<br />
<br />
The Melbourne to Bendigo was a precursor to the 1939 Warrnambool and once again it was a strong scratch bunch of Oppy, Moritz, Angus, Thurgood and Toseland. The Argus Newspaper picked Bill Moritz as the favorite due to his good form in the Melbourne to Bendigo.<br />
There was a field of 247 starters and one of those was to have a mishap 50 yards from the start. Oppy had the misfortune to fall early and after 15 miles of chasing the strong pace set up by the scratch men, he retired with no hope of catching.<br />
<br />
As it was with the scorching pace, the scratchmen did get up with the three South Australians, Moritz, Thurgood and Toseland left to fight out the finish for the winning garland. It was Moritz that was once again the bridesmaid with Deane Toseland adding his name to the record books for 1939.<br />
The time of the race was 8 hours and 18 minutes, 16 seconds with only 25% of the 247 starters finishing the race. The day's conditions proved to be one of the toughest for many years.<br />
<br />
The road season came to an end with the Warrnambool and a new track season at the Exhibition Board Track began. The record books show that Bill Moritz had another successful season. Again he took out the 5 mile scratch race in November by lapping the field, then in January he won the International 5 mile and the following weekend the ANA Gold Stakes being the crowd pleasing final race for the night.<br />
These fields boasted of some of our best locals as well as International riders from England, USA, Germany and France. Syd Cozens from England was one, and Nino Borsari from Italy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIwdiniV6tf7wzuS14EbbGg4HhGf8-gdnxe-9Mf4i2rOG1XnNLHjHV0DuD67iYboVq_vIMS4NYcwATZtoWcKxj0geCOTlFEwNZOqxP6qDeES4oCp1RlVHCiLqkjMMZ2OKMmyBWBsNuxVd/s1600/1349686793_5133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIwdiniV6tf7wzuS14EbbGg4HhGf8-gdnxe-9Mf4i2rOG1XnNLHjHV0DuD67iYboVq_vIMS4NYcwATZtoWcKxj0geCOTlFEwNZOqxP6qDeES4oCp1RlVHCiLqkjMMZ2OKMmyBWBsNuxVd/s640/1349686793_5133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Moritz (SA) to the left - Ted Easton (QLD) to the right.<br />
The two combined to win the 100 Empire Teams Race at the Exhibition Board Track.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was the 50 km Pro Teams Championship of Australia during the 1939 season at the Exhibition Board Track that Moritz, teamed with Stan McPhee took the title against the classy field. He also won the Empire 100 km Team Race with Queenslander Ted Easton. Bill Moritz seemed to be a natural with the endurance events yet he was able to break the track furlong (220 yds) record, lowering it by 1/10th to 11.9 secs in a training session in preparation for the Australian Sprint Title.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxD4rH1i1VOf2qnN4c5xiKtP6Wcf9FqXOcWGFCnA7KcvnqQXXdP5_ljMZVOGDgxOeVF4aew2X8C0GP2WCgNIwUgQaNU1cX7snPg73_lFHrV8kfxuoviNm_TFI8ZL-ltP9yfCMQIHMtKcq/s1600/Photo1-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxD4rH1i1VOf2qnN4c5xiKtP6Wcf9FqXOcWGFCnA7KcvnqQXXdP5_ljMZVOGDgxOeVF4aew2X8C0GP2WCgNIwUgQaNU1cX7snPg73_lFHrV8kfxuoviNm_TFI8ZL-ltP9yfCMQIHMtKcq/s400/Photo1-18.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was possibly one of the last meetings held at the Exhibition Board Track before Jack Campbell relocated to Nth Essendon. Note at the bottom of the program that the following Saturday night's racing featured the 50 kms British Empire Teams Race that Moritz and Easton won.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8YxapAeTBmn3eDSD05bDT2NBsh2_-tPHFiq6eI4LJQlEppz0kCa8hQmK-_q8xDneYsFjjF0JLi5WbjbV3B8Q1bJ9C_9-kVLorMZpTmjtDt4jEsbV2PK4FaQjm4PPGCDMuQe2pUivcxz-/s1600/ex+program.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8YxapAeTBmn3eDSD05bDT2NBsh2_-tPHFiq6eI4LJQlEppz0kCa8hQmK-_q8xDneYsFjjF0JLi5WbjbV3B8Q1bJ9C_9-kVLorMZpTmjtDt4jEsbV2PK4FaQjm4PPGCDMuQe2pUivcxz-/s400/ex+program.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last event for the night's program was the featured 5 Mile Pro International Scratch Race. This program from my collection shows in pencil the placings with Moritz the winner. Tassie Johnson was second. Many riders from our old Pro days probably earned a fine or two from Tassie in his days of being Chief Referee at most meetings in the 60/70s.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The following track season saw Promoter Jack Campbell move the boards out to North Essendon. Bureaucracy and the state government demanded the change, whether it was due to locals complaining about the noise of the rattling boards or crowds of 10,000 spectators was unknown but Jack Campbell had a limited amount of time to demolish the board track after the end of the 1939 season. The boards were dismantled and the track was reconstructed just near the North Essendon station and there it remained for the next 16 years until the 1956 Olympic Games. Within that time the events of Melbourne track cycling was run under the management of Jack Campbell until 1952 when Ted Waterford took over as owner and promoter of track cycling at the North Essendon Board Track.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9OO5vBdVFyo5yeeN8DH6U7QrLvZyA7NqBMqngabXGXVYZ0a3odpW2UE9_5V-koRT17IRhuwDZfjv2cD9JeH2n4nwKXMnRgdzH7mxX10YKK2rHS5MKUMR-mc3_3PZyvNcl9TFxhkEICfU/s1600/Photo1-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9OO5vBdVFyo5yeeN8DH6U7QrLvZyA7NqBMqngabXGXVYZ0a3odpW2UE9_5V-koRT17IRhuwDZfjv2cD9JeH2n4nwKXMnRgdzH7mxX10YKK2rHS5MKUMR-mc3_3PZyvNcl9TFxhkEICfU/s400/Photo1-6.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1940 and the Exhibition Boards finds a new home just outside the Railway Station at North Essendon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp76BMHgfRZybuRUeD4EYPzEWhQTO4ORNryIFca-puz9Hi-JCmm2OtEOQE5bKeD1O9eieqXohORdeWTAbE_xTNzpuHMKcRIvRdAt2iF9h4iZAzzbjeTNT26JQZjedtlvJaqsJekrKT5uz/s1600/cyclist+weds+aug+39.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp76BMHgfRZybuRUeD4EYPzEWhQTO4ORNryIFca-puz9Hi-JCmm2OtEOQE5bKeD1O9eieqXohORdeWTAbE_xTNzpuHMKcRIvRdAt2iF9h4iZAzzbjeTNT26JQZjedtlvJaqsJekrKT5uz/s320/cyclist+weds+aug+39.PNG" width="305" /></a></div>
<br />
Moritz did compete at the relocated board track during the 1940 season and there was also talk of him going to America and England to further his cycling career. Just prior to the end of the 1939 track season he became engaged to Miss Mary Slattery and it might be presumed that they were to marry before taking off overseas. Whether this happened or not is not clear however war was looming in Europe and Bill Moritz was one of those that signed up for duty. He never returned. As was a tail gunner, his plane was shot down over the English Channel.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiERx4va1aRNGqOt6V34nVZI3z5KlhJQ8LorhGIBHgcXqsgo5_pQTvtYQgWPvtQEnjH-k3wRlOvIBCjTlVM7v6wpIxp4oSQ9azESCYEAYILfAkVA2Pfm6Q1Sdl5VBWuodxqDgFLgzc8sw-/s1600/Photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiERx4va1aRNGqOt6V34nVZI3z5KlhJQ8LorhGIBHgcXqsgo5_pQTvtYQgWPvtQEnjH-k3wRlOvIBCjTlVM7v6wpIxp4oSQ9azESCYEAYILfAkVA2Pfm6Q1Sdl5VBWuodxqDgFLgzc8sw-/s400/Photo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">W.K. (‘Bill’) Moritz,
the greatest racing cyclist in the Southern Hemisphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A real wizard of the wheel, Moritz, by his
amazing speed and generalship, capped brilliant achievements in each of the
seven years since his entry into the sport by winning all of the major events
in Australia and New Zealand during the last two path (sic?) racing seasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is equally versatile on the road, having
won fastest time in the historic Goulburn to Sydney 129 miles road<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>race, and the Australian 100 miles road
championship two years in succession in the annual Healing Midlands Tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moritz, who always rides a Healing bicycle,
is a cyclist who has indisputably won the leading place among the foremost
Australian wheelmen.</span></b> </span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Supplied by Ken Mansell from a Healing advertisement. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><b>Research Credits</b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Ken Mansell - History & Heritage Committee (Cycling Victoria)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>TROVE Newspapers - National Library of Australia (the www)</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Personal collection of programs of L.D Sims</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>And of course the memories of my 92 year young father, Jack Sims who rode at both the Exhibition and Nth Essendon Boards.</b></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-82958431264503086012013-11-02T03:42:00.003-07:002013-11-02T03:42:34.810-07:00Bill Moritz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been much too long since my last post on Billy Guyatt. There's a reason, I've been holding back due to further research. Since my last post I had a call from a rather well known photographer in the world of cycling during the 60s and 70s. His name is Ray Bowles and many of us have photos of ourselves in our scrapbooks that Ray took. I know I have a few.<br />
<br />
Ray invited me for a chat to introduce me to the History and Heritage Committee of Cycling Victoria. Having only recently started the "CYCLING SCRAPBOOK" Blog, it was perfect timing on Ray's part. The Committee have done a fantastic job of collecting an enormous amount of memorabilia which is being collated and filed for future reference.<br />
<br />
So, getting back to why I haven't posted for awhile! I started researching South Australian cyclist Bill Moritz and was fascinated by his exploits and as I read more, I discovered more about him, as a rider, as a person and his involvement in World War II - he never came back home. I hope to post the much too short history of W. K. Moritz soon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBej4-yB5kiSAUBHGL2p8kH_pwU1WmvgJnI8y6sU6UVWMVyJfd8hrUxA_0T6qUaeM3S4DqSzg7zr98EYF6Er4uZl8ceN2vofxyHR_kzdpjQZkOcsGPSC9aBD-2dn2vs-vE-i3ZnG13_a6/s1600/1349686793_5133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBej4-yB5kiSAUBHGL2p8kH_pwU1WmvgJnI8y6sU6UVWMVyJfd8hrUxA_0T6qUaeM3S4DqSzg7zr98EYF6Er4uZl8ceN2vofxyHR_kzdpjQZkOcsGPSC9aBD-2dn2vs-vE-i3ZnG13_a6/s640/1349686793_5133.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Moritz (Left) at the Nth Essendon Board Track</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">If you have any info of Bill Moritz - send it to me via leonsims@optusnet.com.au</span></b></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-48962318442304041912013-09-08T03:29:00.001-07:002013-11-19T02:42:23.282-08:00Billy Guyatt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP4u7MeTimFPhKaAOyz8B8xJDdzppZ2wobCHA6BmlGZG9pe07aZJ9_6qzcqhSuf4pbMLCO_hTMQBCJal733Rp8Ty1xFrS_npQKkAJfSefGvDXsApUkcQ5P2MhCMRRm68KYvHLOBMXZSlA/s1600/billy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP4u7MeTimFPhKaAOyz8B8xJDdzppZ2wobCHA6BmlGZG9pe07aZJ9_6qzcqhSuf4pbMLCO_hTMQBCJal733Rp8Ty1xFrS_npQKkAJfSefGvDXsApUkcQ5P2MhCMRRm68KYvHLOBMXZSlA/s400/billy.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
One of Billy Guyatt's greatest triumphs came towards the very end of his career but I'm probably starting this post from the wrong end. Billy Guyatt showed his potential very early as a junior rider.<br />
He and his brother Herb grew up in the Gippsland town of Sale. Their father Jim Guyatt was a cyclist and I guess this is where their passion for the bike grew from.<br />
<br />
Billy as a 11 year old actually borrowed a bike and rode out to watch his father compete at a local 32 mile Gippsland race. Riding beside his father and asking how he was going showed Mr Guyatt that he had a son with some future potential. This was 1931. It would seem that young Billy Guyatt had a desire to succeed and that passion for success would be part of his persona during his life time - both in sport and later in business.<br />
<br />
Success didn't always come easy though. Guyatt's cycling life did have its ups and downs. Starting his racing career as an amateur, he accepted a small cash prize and Mr Guyatt had to argue his son's case to ensure that he could continue as an amateur so that he may compete in both state and national competition during the pre-war years. Like many cyclists of the pre-war period, their careers endured a hiatus that put a stop to their progress and possible successes.<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In 1935 at 15 years old he won the Victorian junior road championship held on the Albert Park Lake circuit. During the pre-war period the lake was a mecca for training. At 16 years of age Guyatt won several track championships in Brisbane and was hoping to represent Australia for the 1936 Empire Games being held in Sydney but Dunc Gray beat him in the National Sprint Title. Missing selection, Guyatt turned professional at 17 years old. From that day he forged an illustrious career as one of Australia's most versatile track riders of his day.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmbeE28t7EvNZaDrElEF6DHsL2TVbK0j3F49j7YM34lxy-3RWdNDI2TAZxm3la9Qba7uLL9ARKEc_tmASpf8ZQ5I8mfruIz-3wctU35HkMTL-wABcA8Px-giDa92Iefw0bSXphKYa0jZo/s1600/1238404769GUYATT+Bill-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmbeE28t7EvNZaDrElEF6DHsL2TVbK0j3F49j7YM34lxy-3RWdNDI2TAZxm3la9Qba7uLL9ARKEc_tmASpf8ZQ5I8mfruIz-3wctU35HkMTL-wABcA8Px-giDa92Iefw0bSXphKYa0jZo/s400/1238404769GUYATT+Bill-1.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
Prior to WWII the mecca of track racing in Melbourne was the Exhibition Board Track situated beside the Exhibition Buildings close to where the current Melbourne Museum now stands. Many imports who came from France, Italy and America raced there during their off season and Guyatt was matched against all of them with success. Later the Exhibition Board track was transported to North Essendon where Guyatt continued racing.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
Trips overseas to gain a World Title were unsuccessful for Guyatt due to poorly prepared trips and sickness on arrival in Europe. The war intervened in his career as it did for many of our sporting greats. Guyatt did continue racing after the war however there were younger men on their way up. One of of them during the late 1940s was Sid Patterson. From what I've researched, there was an attempt to match the two however such was the age difference, it may be considered that Guyatt had too much to lose.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
He did however race well and had two Sydney 6-day wins in 1941 with Ray Brooking and 1942 with his great competitor Jack Walsh.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1PDUXLQTtY7CpDdR94OHLkScLHl0tykTKRZ12Ys2B0H2XFy34pet2zJHBc8yHHGzhigBCd5Rr-3M6Waikp82DnqSuCyXbnFPqPsdwGamizJcf4haGzPyj1DQw2KJJEJk4wO828G6UC0D/s1600/billy+guyatt+ken+moses.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR1PDUXLQTtY7CpDdR94OHLkScLHl0tykTKRZ12Ys2B0H2XFy34pet2zJHBc8yHHGzhigBCd5Rr-3M6Waikp82DnqSuCyXbnFPqPsdwGamizJcf4haGzPyj1DQw2KJJEJk4wO828G6UC0D/s400/billy+guyatt+ken+moses.PNG" width="158" /></a>During the 1950s, Billy Guyatt was coming towards the end of his career, he was in his 30s and although still a clever technician, his pace was dropping away. After a short retirement from racing Guyatt came back to ride the 1954 Warrnambool Road Race. Considered a sprinter, this 165 mile road race would seem an impossible task for the ageing sprinter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sitting at a lunch this week, I got talking to old cyclists who knew Billy Guyatt and they had many stories to tell me. One of them, Gordon Jennings claims that Guyatt was accosted by a group of Roadies who claimed that Guyatt was just a soft Trackie. Further discussion ended in a quite substantial amount of a wager being struck with Guyatt claiming he would win the 1954 Warrnambool Road Race. Gordon Jennings claims that both the wager and the winnings of the prestigious race, he was able to start his electrical retail business. History proves that he won the event. Billy Guyatt was given the handicap time of 27 minutes before the scratch men and the papers of the day considered him a favourite. That particular year was not an easy one - in fact due to headwinds all the way to Warrnambool, it was one of the slowest in contemporary times. It took Guyatt 8 hours and 24 minutes to win the 1954 Warrnambool. Most probably due to his success in winning Australia's oldest classic road race, Guyatt was lured back to the North Essendon Velodrome for the beginning of the season. This season was to be his last as he hung up his wheels at the end of the summer to concentrate on his business life.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-0zwTFe3WaFcr4hQJZHxThCNulP5cLyI9U7lIR6J-VMln7EqSGgFXV_fIKCVVzQD-nfOSB0eJZNLmmi2qMoU9_xln7vnD0K2ZrHXo2A-bYwPSNI0wAOYqJd0Pz9Wa-cRzyoH9iy8hv7t/s1600/guyatt+quits.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-0zwTFe3WaFcr4hQJZHxThCNulP5cLyI9U7lIR6J-VMln7EqSGgFXV_fIKCVVzQD-nfOSB0eJZNLmmi2qMoU9_xln7vnD0K2ZrHXo2A-bYwPSNI0wAOYqJd0Pz9Wa-cRzyoH9iy8hv7t/s400/guyatt+quits.PNG" width="161" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ86bQpexUCWgZgLY25NwyQeJUeqzYTUO6OFQKue0S1rW4VilYclyat0ejK3CA7jMNih-xlbQSexnsF52UuUASHFhymB7mMzaTKw_fVNZrbhn6-lbGsnONghooQ-aGJGHwZ3Nr6sNhwvf/s1600/warrnambool+1954+laurie+richards+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQ86bQpexUCWgZgLY25NwyQeJUeqzYTUO6OFQKue0S1rW4VilYclyat0ejK3CA7jMNih-xlbQSexnsF52UuUASHFhymB7mMzaTKw_fVNZrbhn6-lbGsnONghooQ-aGJGHwZ3Nr6sNhwvf/s400/warrnambool+1954+laurie+richards+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Guyatt wins the 1954 Warrnambool. Bill Long, cycling promoter and editor of Australian Cyclist magazine stands to the back on the left. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another two people I sat with during that lunch this week was Ian Browne and Tony Marchant, winners of the 1956 Olympic gold for the Tandem in Melbourne. Billy Guyatt was their mentor and motivator at the Games. Ian Browne had some fond memories, some he hinted at with a glint in the eye, yet to be told.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Browne told me that Guyatt sold electrical products for companies such as Electrolux and found a good market in the country selling to country housewives. His success in cycling transferred into his business life (and possibly his social life) with becoming the best salesman within the company.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2n0O9yytbivuKJH_P7TqklamCd2YPNwb5pEsutNUNvEYNHGhS2ZKvhlsJO2JjVvpcv8Eyb1ldmLpBfaReSPJP8-8qv4cdex5kZ88XJii3L6pCxTH6PEm8uiO-dZMdnwLC3BOhH2SxeEf/s1600/Billy+Guyatt+Hughie+Cram.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2n0O9yytbivuKJH_P7TqklamCd2YPNwb5pEsutNUNvEYNHGhS2ZKvhlsJO2JjVvpcv8Eyb1ldmLpBfaReSPJP8-8qv4cdex5kZ88XJii3L6pCxTH6PEm8uiO-dZMdnwLC3BOhH2SxeEf/s400/Billy+Guyatt+Hughie+Cram.PNG" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guyatt did come back for one last season after his 54' Warrnambool win to the North Essendon board track.<br />
Seen here with Hughie Cram at training.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU55ou7Y3V-9ti9DKe3h4kEYrslhXBq-7KszspxlvnQB7cQEm_fdgNwHOqjNIxVzmQeLKiL2RgBequPIHWeGkQO00CHr2TeuWRjaGAQFG3G3FzIwpmhUR56X8R1nfaluGT0sBcLmUK80ko/s200/th-3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guyatt with open arms greet the 1956 Tandem Olympic Gold Medallists, Browne and Marchant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Browne told me that after he and Marchant had reached the finals, Guyatt took them down under the track for a motivational and tactical talk before the finals. It must have worked because the gold medal was theirs for the taking.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
An excerpt from Wikipedia</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><i><b>One of the reasons behind Australia's return to form had been the return of Guyatt to a mentoring role. Guyatt had assisted them at the national championships, but they were assigned to another coach at the Olympics. Guyatt was regarded as a marketing-style motivator and he attempted to give Browne and Marchant a psychological boost. Equipped with their new machines, Browne and Marchant employed a tactical trick devised by Guyatt. The Australian staff had noticed that the Czechoslovaks had always made their final burst from a certain point from the finish. During the final, Australian team manager Bill Young stood at the said point as the Australian led out. When Browne came to the point, he pulled upwards and pre-emptively blocked the expected Czechoslovakian attack. This helped to stifle the attack and Australia went on to win the gold medal</b></i>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ian Browne related to me that after the win, Guyatt said to him, "Go and give your mum a kiss, she's up there on the fence."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Avery Brundage, then president of the IOC had to wait until Browne gave his mum a kiss under orders from Guyatt.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The "Old Bikies" lunch is certainly one that I hope to return to for more tales that I can share with you on future posts.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vddhNRqWw4K_oL57X4iDVKGsOMCtwpv3kSXlDJIam6q8oY-hO3qahOICpfjkuWvdWak2FuX8CPZxuoxR6iPbsVw2j1sUWDKbtQx1d6H_j435uW792yNvk2bwl_yh-itfd8kVj8dLutG4/s1600/th-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vddhNRqWw4K_oL57X4iDVKGsOMCtwpv3kSXlDJIam6q8oY-hO3qahOICpfjkuWvdWak2FuX8CPZxuoxR6iPbsVw2j1sUWDKbtQx1d6H_j435uW792yNvk2bwl_yh-itfd8kVj8dLutG4/s1600/th-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vddhNRqWw4K_oL57X4iDVKGsOMCtwpv3kSXlDJIam6q8oY-hO3qahOICpfjkuWvdWak2FuX8CPZxuoxR6iPbsVw2j1sUWDKbtQx1d6H_j435uW792yNvk2bwl_yh-itfd8kVj8dLutG4/s1600/th-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vddhNRqWw4K_oL57X4iDVKGsOMCtwpv3kSXlDJIam6q8oY-hO3qahOICpfjkuWvdWak2FuX8CPZxuoxR6iPbsVw2j1sUWDKbtQx1d6H_j435uW792yNvk2bwl_yh-itfd8kVj8dLutG4/s1600/th-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br /></span></a></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-5811936612971799142013-08-10T00:37:00.001-07:002013-08-10T00:37:11.864-07:00Velodromes and Museums in France<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">I guess since my kid-days, I've always had a passion for cars and bikes - push bikes that is!</span></b></div>
<br />
Strangely enough on our travels to Europe, well France and Italy really, I've always searched out Motor Museums and Velodromes.<br />
There's a site that documents much of the velodromes world wide and I've marked them on my Google Earth. Many of these have been contributed by Barry Langley. How did you manage this Barry???<br />
Check out "World Velodromes on www.juniorvelo.com - its an old site but full of info still.<br />
<br />
Anyway back to the story - before leaving on a trip, I'd just quietly note the velodromes in the areas we would be travelling without telling Sue (the Wife). As we would be travelling through some regional town in France, I'd say - I need to drive down this road, I have a feeling that there might just be a velodrome nearby.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
To this day, Sue believes I can sniff out a velodrome anywhere in the world!!!!!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The photos below are from the Chatellerault Car and Bike Museum south of Chinon in the Loire.<br />
Although predominantly cars and motor bikes, there some fine examples of pushies as well.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Chatellerault Car and Bike Museum</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ik2iv00PzsQyptLWAECLF7ihaI9jLrm3dMUuEDDX1ZGQWMnVbL8y_r6eLnlKetlUSzS_jEG0A9ks2NX5AH5IhxYmQXh5u4sm8WTmMbHiE-lV2aH3yZOOHv_GTL3lYrNPoydRZMhBLuM9/s1600/Picture+418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ik2iv00PzsQyptLWAECLF7ihaI9jLrm3dMUuEDDX1ZGQWMnVbL8y_r6eLnlKetlUSzS_jEG0A9ks2NX5AH5IhxYmQXh5u4sm8WTmMbHiE-lV2aH3yZOOHv_GTL3lYrNPoydRZMhBLuM9/s400/Picture+418.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnERgTfxOtNDhRqMxG8iTX6s8X9jl5R2hNC1n1AkwJM9AcIGt-S6lV5UBmGCvE6llMo045SyIZX4ugEPW47kztsid4VCMEWT2braB3gPEiiKxEmEUbe8mNXIzgm4DtdxcN8FrvQKfbBow/s1600/Picture+419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnERgTfxOtNDhRqMxG8iTX6s8X9jl5R2hNC1n1AkwJM9AcIGt-S6lV5UBmGCvE6llMo045SyIZX4ugEPW47kztsid4VCMEWT2braB3gPEiiKxEmEUbe8mNXIzgm4DtdxcN8FrvQKfbBow/s400/Picture+419.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcSjJOnupK1p-HI2qPlsMzC0RpswTCNkTzcaXbFKVou542yuHNmzcXIcU-6IkjVuabKBBRQ6hGDuR2UkgXQfjpGAACaeoAwmODLSe_q0E1fgYxL4brH189BB1wkEAyf0sU9CJ8GDANGtC/s1600/Picture+420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcSjJOnupK1p-HI2qPlsMzC0RpswTCNkTzcaXbFKVou542yuHNmzcXIcU-6IkjVuabKBBRQ6hGDuR2UkgXQfjpGAACaeoAwmODLSe_q0E1fgYxL4brH189BB1wkEAyf0sU9CJ8GDANGtC/s400/Picture+420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWlAbly161ihm1zQtQFgAyKOnwSYTddHfI9qmSK03sPxU5QZQokwBgHEdOJkJlnOd1ZUJ4TSOlri62oi_0jrZnETbcyQKX8SLSEKoikMsDP0z3sdxB4l50wmKQcj_tDxSZ8dlSAfa4uXN/s1600/Picture+425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWlAbly161ihm1zQtQFgAyKOnwSYTddHfI9qmSK03sPxU5QZQokwBgHEdOJkJlnOd1ZUJ4TSOlri62oi_0jrZnETbcyQKX8SLSEKoikMsDP0z3sdxB4l50wmKQcj_tDxSZ8dlSAfa4uXN/s400/Picture+425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeMoo_dockxpBXx88zGWjDcwVpln76AcBK2LlgU14WzIjlkktGxLjMuPAnh4zTLNU8yprrE2rFtMVCTZ4IqjueK0mOHg-U8gIT2oydMehQft5JxMptPEGlXBti6qjy-WRBxM-l7LhQRI3/s1600/Picture+426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeMoo_dockxpBXx88zGWjDcwVpln76AcBK2LlgU14WzIjlkktGxLjMuPAnh4zTLNU8yprrE2rFtMVCTZ4IqjueK0mOHg-U8gIT2oydMehQft5JxMptPEGlXBti6qjy-WRBxM-l7LhQRI3/s400/Picture+426.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">These are from another museum in the east Loire - Valency.</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WR4ytud4j432J0g-m5K7M3b6BdoGZJGAu0M_x-P860L40PkxXsE2BqRQc1llmrmoL9WQXml5Ng8gBnLy2ufkT4vhtGC09OV_pmC-KFSeUpZNN_aunYFC3pyuwV04lBVNZh-S6X7pfkZT/s1600/DSCF5535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WR4ytud4j432J0g-m5K7M3b6BdoGZJGAu0M_x-P860L40PkxXsE2BqRQc1llmrmoL9WQXml5Ng8gBnLy2ufkT4vhtGC09OV_pmC-KFSeUpZNN_aunYFC3pyuwV04lBVNZh-S6X7pfkZT/s400/DSCF5535.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmwltaQxrCxv4xvLwjURXzIVqPUHet3EcYEcvV0ZM-gA83k-eSBxqanyqFsvHSwdvlrFXm-rTPhiZ-8yU7t3tLy2emCxhkInM5PRtBBLpM6KnfshuC3Sslv5f5u-oLl61eXFlxSL1_2KW/s1600/DSCF5516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmwltaQxrCxv4xvLwjURXzIVqPUHet3EcYEcvV0ZM-gA83k-eSBxqanyqFsvHSwdvlrFXm-rTPhiZ-8yU7t3tLy2emCxhkInM5PRtBBLpM6KnfshuC3Sslv5f5u-oLl61eXFlxSL1_2KW/s400/DSCF5516.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7KI2WVQLR3SCkhj1c06V2D9qVLBU19FEsH0S0_IEuakwLABbHqjrpdRr2Wyd8ACenLkrYLe9B3xq8nj4yTtXDHCZs4Bx1AjqS4-z9TESyUCCmiaxcOBxW0XJMX1UFb3rYAc7oAGDix6x/s1600/DSCF5538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7KI2WVQLR3SCkhj1c06V2D9qVLBU19FEsH0S0_IEuakwLABbHqjrpdRr2Wyd8ACenLkrYLe9B3xq8nj4yTtXDHCZs4Bx1AjqS4-z9TESyUCCmiaxcOBxW0XJMX1UFb3rYAc7oAGDix6x/s400/DSCF5538.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKf7ldzBsupSf5fIyNR-fNjvxhQvlAuA6VG5WmPxQyZwgCNwL-8OV_YnkaO5WZBFkDb1qzryzKKl9rDb6rjXI6e9yM7KJfZ3xA0PZAJ05b4OayrjN-EZ1oq84n8iLT3aXAcUVsoWe-8hf/s1600/DSCF5537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKf7ldzBsupSf5fIyNR-fNjvxhQvlAuA6VG5WmPxQyZwgCNwL-8OV_YnkaO5WZBFkDb1qzryzKKl9rDb6rjXI6e9yM7KJfZ3xA0PZAJ05b4OayrjN-EZ1oq84n8iLT3aXAcUVsoWe-8hf/s400/DSCF5537.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">In LYON somewhere in a back laneway</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8ZRZMH54tu1pIA6sOdQRhvkraN0920wbDq1Z5VZaUHJUBZBflmeWD6G8QnKS4tIy8QlVnS51xkpZhrUSAQ1Q7fiYDT4ewokSiKc2gN7gVqrK2cMsMkbDnI0_-0bHIEeXXof7H7kegXWF/s1600/DSCF6010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8ZRZMH54tu1pIA6sOdQRhvkraN0920wbDq1Z5VZaUHJUBZBflmeWD6G8QnKS4tIy8QlVnS51xkpZhrUSAQ1Q7fiYDT4ewokSiKc2gN7gVqrK2cMsMkbDnI0_-0bHIEeXXof7H7kegXWF/s400/DSCF6010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seen in Lyon opposite the restaurant where we had lunch.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgJ9RhRafXMtoxK6xiDmc4-xqikhFUAV5D07BjXO1f5FvIQ6rottmuDLUoYEsFog5TJWTvThtrE_-hr3Fge4_XV35ZbP42WzS06AM7Ie1YFE3-u0Du84mNtufJfB3gt96TDkf5UTIz_Ef/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgJ9RhRafXMtoxK6xiDmc4-xqikhFUAV5D07BjXO1f5FvIQ6rottmuDLUoYEsFog5TJWTvThtrE_-hr3Fge4_XV35ZbP42WzS06AM7Ie1YFE3-u0Du84mNtufJfB3gt96TDkf5UTIz_Ef/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These books sparked off my Velodrome search - it mentiond the one in Senlis, north of Paris. It was our first stop - I told Sue that it had a very historic cathedral, and it did but it also had the Senlis velodrome that was mentioned in Greg Moody's first book, Two Wheels.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfajY64H_ofxjoib-PDiz7xNnf4DacGbjnd5iiJa5HcuYy14KfHmwwKH62-ALSqsv59WL5tRBJUDGGHr8sy7gTo9BGd37yDbXxPFwQRp76yVq_qSdWPlar4AHFZ2GlmEhFoRJEUlq4LxCX/s1600/DSCF5620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfajY64H_ofxjoib-PDiz7xNnf4DacGbjnd5iiJa5HcuYy14KfHmwwKH62-ALSqsv59WL5tRBJUDGGHr8sy7gTo9BGd37yDbXxPFwQRp76yVq_qSdWPlar4AHFZ2GlmEhFoRJEUlq4LxCX/s400/DSCF5620.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Velodrome in Dijon. It was in a very sad state when I was there in 2009.<br />
I heard that it was to be demolished. When there I discovered a bunch ride that started just outside the walls of the Velodrome. There were quite a few of these velodromes in France in a sad state.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Velodromes are all over France but many over the years have fallen into disrepair. Like track racing all over the world it seems to be a poor cousin to road racing. Yet back in the days of Merckx, the roadies would keep supple by riding the winter sixes. Here's some of the velodromes that I've encountered on our trips to France.</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxam2dhtrHC43EKv2jM-Wwor4X7Ek8Joe1CHfRayvJJJlt6iyDqKBaj6MaSR1iYz-Wk5yoIEL2vORgGqIpblFL71ZVDJMJVr6e1pLNko3_CN1lqgzuaLZsWvUR2BZJ2CTByanP901VHvcF/s1600/DSCF5186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxam2dhtrHC43EKv2jM-Wwor4X7Ek8Joe1CHfRayvJJJlt6iyDqKBaj6MaSR1iYz-Wk5yoIEL2vORgGqIpblFL71ZVDJMJVr6e1pLNko3_CN1lqgzuaLZsWvUR2BZJ2CTByanP901VHvcF/s400/DSCF5186.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like this one in Senlis, north of Paris. I'd read the cycling novels by Greg Moody about an American cyclist that was in this team for the Tour de France. A bit of a Sam Spade murder thriller. More about that another day.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFdUuToYuISUPh4S6g7OrvsXP0P_yd698sEnGW-jGs8P60W_RlU18dJ204H7TWEyOYVPSq0fpvdACrKM18EU4qL7LupN0wDuhqBIyLULFLJXtDfUgD1W7uIp1nPCyKq0Re0auF-xxsOTf/s1600/DSCF5581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFdUuToYuISUPh4S6g7OrvsXP0P_yd698sEnGW-jGs8P60W_RlU18dJ204H7TWEyOYVPSq0fpvdACrKM18EU4qL7LupN0wDuhqBIyLULFLJXtDfUgD1W7uIp1nPCyKq0Re0auF-xxsOTf/s400/DSCF5581.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This velodrome is in Auxerre and looked to be abandoned as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXuEHrIfYOzqOD7eJ2hHc_DCzFXybYbdi_mlkEKlLRaljb1dmMekhii0K9B765ylJLwdPRpX2aE2ZrYmgV86TRa8sOsz1yGx2yL-HD_uiHk21SKgef7Chn9yULJahPtTnOO3HBCihakRp/s1600/IMG_5857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXuEHrIfYOzqOD7eJ2hHc_DCzFXybYbdi_mlkEKlLRaljb1dmMekhii0K9B765ylJLwdPRpX2aE2ZrYmgV86TRa8sOsz1yGx2yL-HD_uiHk21SKgef7Chn9yULJahPtTnOO3HBCihakRp/s400/IMG_5857.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One track that is in constant use these days is in Paris and named after Jacques Anquetil.<br />
On our various trips, I've had the opportunity to ride the velodrome with my friend Michel Briat.<br />
Michel came to Australia for the World Masters Track Championships in Sydney and eventually won his world stripes at Manchester recently.<br />
The velodrome at Vincennes Paris is 500 metres and was the site of the finish of the Tour de France when Eddy Merckx won all of his five victories.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprJ1PRnc7G7c36WrejrsIh9HzDJpERz1k3wkss90LcPEnclAZLpfIebQ1pDcVGgTdfwZzoBjU6ZZhfzy0ytQMjRKyAT4GK1o4tRPOD5VJkG1iQPU88a1asOmAf0LtxecRL6DAgHEKfGLk/s1600/2060568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprJ1PRnc7G7c36WrejrsIh9HzDJpERz1k3wkss90LcPEnclAZLpfIebQ1pDcVGgTdfwZzoBjU6ZZhfzy0ytQMjRKyAT4GK1o4tRPOD5VJkG1iQPU88a1asOmAf0LtxecRL6DAgHEKfGLk/s400/2060568.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merckx riding a victory lap with Poulidor and Lopez-Carril after his 5th TdF win at Vincennce Velodrome.<br />
It was the site of the TdF finish from 1968 to 1974.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Vincennes Velodrome named after Jacques Anquetil was built in 1894 and used for the summer Olympic in Paris for the 1900 and 1924 Games. After our last visit to Paris in 2012, it has be fully rebuilt rather than resurfaced to ensure that this historic venue is used for many more years to come.</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-25249100875020260422013-08-02T23:22:00.000-07:002013-08-02T23:28:15.038-07:00MELBOURNE MIDGETS 1965<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wondered what I'd write about this weekend for "the Cycling Scrapbook" so I pulled out the old tattered scrapbook and found a page I tore from an old Olympic Velodrome program many years ago.<br />
<br />
Mum and Dad took me to the Olympic Velodrome before I even thought about bike racing. I think I spent more time playing under the grandstand than watching the racing. While I write this, I can almost hear the rattling of the weather worn timber boards. Little did I realise that a few years later I would race this same track where I saw many of the imports from Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Britain.<br />
<br />
The Promoter of the day was Bill Long and judging by the way my Dad and he got along, they probably knew each other well. Bill came up with the idea of giving us kids an opportunity to "ride the boards" on the Saturday night program. But first we had to prove ourselves by attending a few training days under his watchful eye. Anyway, I was chosen amongst another twenty four under 16 year olds.<br />
<br />
Come the night of our Board Track debut, we were on the track during the warm-up session on our restricted 81" gear ratio. No roll-outs then - in fact we would fit large bag tyres to increase the gear.<br />
So here we are warming up and there are the greats of the era. Sid Patterson, Barry Waddell, John Perry, John Green, Joe Ciavola, Bill Lawrie, Leandro Faggin and Ferdinand Terruzzi from Italy, Oscar Plattner from Switzerland and Piet Van Der Touw who may have been from Holland.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was a great period of track racing at the Board Track.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GfgN-UDX_sdZsuw9sZbSnuiuu6s3qtbYVJb_1UMullC11sJcsy0yO9fbwpVEFwKccTuUofzEOXDY3_syXw-cUYs0GG0QUAbV5pQGcHPqK7N5l_JHdXFWzH_V-kWbC7S36txsCDCBtlLR/s1600/M_031_24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GfgN-UDX_sdZsuw9sZbSnuiuu6s3qtbYVJb_1UMullC11sJcsy0yO9fbwpVEFwKccTuUofzEOXDY3_syXw-cUYs0GG0QUAbV5pQGcHPqK7N5l_JHdXFWzH_V-kWbC7S36txsCDCBtlLR/s400/M_031_24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Melbourne Olympic Velodrome initially (1956) was a 333m track with a concrete skin over the boards. Later it was shortened to 250m with the boards laid in an opposing direction so that as the riders raced around the track, the boards would rattled with a roar that created a great atmosphere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne3ZZX-bpndGB1_W1M-EfLCVABlk4QLITMRmxQkW2BsxFbVbLA9hjMAfa5a-0mpsC2g002WPfWw_ktHAheVdNK-5u1Qh7kWD2vACnMty8Ksg-4_gg_GOIemCz-WfhrOtvH962hf9Vq_a1/s1600/melbourne+midgets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne3ZZX-bpndGB1_W1M-EfLCVABlk4QLITMRmxQkW2BsxFbVbLA9hjMAfa5a-0mpsC2g002WPfWw_ktHAheVdNK-5u1Qh7kWD2vACnMty8Ksg-4_gg_GOIemCz-WfhrOtvH962hf9Vq_a1/s400/melbourne+midgets.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you know any of these young fellas???</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUyHI_cqGnXgze5cP6_xYG7EJ9DaQOo4GtFjJxp2jEOn7i1LcVMojp9XVdRSdFO7aEWfg7A9V8cH8ml3kEF5cNb6UzyxGrXKzUiwTUjTliIhMgaLwRV_ToeYQ0JBVvwB0qM0FJR8xUkMa/s1600/50_YEARS_AGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUyHI_cqGnXgze5cP6_xYG7EJ9DaQOo4GtFjJxp2jEOn7i1LcVMojp9XVdRSdFO7aEWfg7A9V8cH8ml3kEF5cNb6UzyxGrXKzUiwTUjTliIhMgaLwRV_ToeYQ0JBVvwB0qM0FJR8xUkMa/s400/50_YEARS_AGO.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
As I look down through the names, I see many of my competitors have kept the pedals turning now that we are well and truly in our sixth decade. Having gone through those early years together, there's a sort of special fraternity amongst us. Some of us just made up the field and a few reached the pinnacle in the sport but whenever we meet, there's always time for a chin-wag about those early days.<br />
<br />
One such rider was John Nicholson - he won silver at the 1972 Munich Olympics after gaining some experience at Mexico in 1968. I remember him putting me into fourth place in the 1964 under 16 State Sprint Title at Carnegie Velodrome. On that day he won bronze but that didn't keep him from becoming one of out Nation's top World acclaimed sprinters.<br />
John went on to win two World Pro Sprint Titles in 1975 and 1976.<br />
<br />
Alan Goodrope was another on that program who went on to some success as a Roadie and represented Australia at the 1976 Montreal Games.<br />
<br />
I often give a wave to Chris (Snake) Salisbury on Beach Road these days and often catch up at the most inopportune times with Tony Branchflower. I often hear, "Simsey, not you again"......from behind.<br />
Tony had his fair share of racing in Europe and was a hard man on the road. John Hunt (a World Masters 500 metre TT Champion in 2009) from Blackburn is also amongst those Melbourne Midgets and later became a very tough competitor in my Masters age group during 2007 to 2010 and still turns the pedals as well.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyd-mkoATBlQ98O-Daiu0YLjmq97IOAU3hKiVGpbRm7f52kEz68EqG2ZpbCAXiu0HSVwkKZpU0A94araO6CTFS3ivfUpMd46WPXRFm7huvUNeHhVaqQozdO74zYlZDpUt7tABuna0_Yo3/s1600/th-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyd-mkoATBlQ98O-Daiu0YLjmq97IOAU3hKiVGpbRm7f52kEz68EqG2ZpbCAXiu0HSVwkKZpU0A94araO6CTFS3ivfUpMd46WPXRFm7huvUNeHhVaqQozdO74zYlZDpUt7tABuna0_Yo3/s1600/th-1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico had some tough competition in his day from the French. The two top sprinters and Kilo riders were Morelon and Trentin. These two were also a handy Tandem team.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5b7qrDZYIL5YOSBdI4H1oDU_RIz620wkyMyB9-BH8IwmHuy-_EYvNQVbJTvenri4lWwsVh63n87sTw-T91Op-UL2_YtPsG_Z63gSYFGvlGdp530KpccaZivme2A0mE1cACxuMJI4anEO/s1600/PICT0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5b7qrDZYIL5YOSBdI4H1oDU_RIz620wkyMyB9-BH8IwmHuy-_EYvNQVbJTvenri4lWwsVh63n87sTw-T91Op-UL2_YtPsG_Z63gSYFGvlGdp530KpccaZivme2A0mE1cACxuMJI4anEO/s320/PICT0131.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico was sponsored by Shimano and I suspect that he was ahead of his time with clipless pedals.<br />
John's shoes were actually attached to the pedals permanently. He'd walk to the bike in his socks, hop on the bike, slide into his shoes and then lace-up. He should get royalties from all of today's pedal makers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One thing that does stand out though is that some clubs have fallen by the wayside. Alphington, Noble Park, Mordialloc and Fitzroy no longer exist. I remember my first under 16 Victorian Scratch Race Championship, (3rd place) at the now defunct Mordialloc track on Nepean Highway. Geoff Cunningham and David Kelso with the Whiting brothers were members and I know David still enjoys the bike.<br />
Although Noble Park club is defunct, the track still remains.<br />
<br />
Many of us on that page of entrants above started racing around 1963, that's 50 years ago. I wonder where the others are - maybe you can tell me.<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Good Times - Good Memories in a Great Sport</b></h2>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-33447600308156592922013-07-28T00:53:00.001-07:002013-07-28T00:53:55.778-07:00The 1973 Sun Tour and Mount Skene<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mount Skene is between Jamieson and Licola. We had a holiday house about 2 kms out of town on the road to Licola and Heyfield. That was back in the 60s to the mid 70s. In latter years, Phil Anderson had a property there when he met Simon Gerrans.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In those years we lived in the northern suburbs of Preston and later Keon Park. I may be wrong but possibly Easter 1965 my friend and competitor, John Rush and I rode from Melbourne to Jamieson - and yes, we rode back home again. I must have been 15 at the time because I was on a straight gear from memory.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few times when we had the house at Jamieson, we tackled the dirt road leading to Mount Skene. It was nothing more than a graded track with the greatest views of the Victorian Alpine country. In 1973, the League of Victorian Wheelmen ran a stage of the Sun Tour from Jamieson to the top of Mount Skene, a mere 20 miles in the old currency. Now that seems like a rather short stage but the conditions were horrendous. Remember that the roads were rough and graded gravel. The rains came and as the riders climbed to an altitude of 1517 metres temperatures would have dropped below freezing. Although only 20 miles in distance, the rain, fog and snow would have made it one of the hardest stages in the history of the multi-stage race.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXR5OgE_0hJJtjEYefrbMFfLTumGwr9srMJ2PfheIapJ4N5fYR_ZgctusN5h23aNLSCmDo51Z_sdkovJKKpDetB-cGoKqOwStP7EvlI2pxvQiYdw2Vz805Nz71Lbep1gO_AdPmJKa9Gx0/s1600/2114_45748897555_464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXR5OgE_0hJJtjEYefrbMFfLTumGwr9srMJ2PfheIapJ4N5fYR_ZgctusN5h23aNLSCmDo51Z_sdkovJKKpDetB-cGoKqOwStP7EvlI2pxvQiYdw2Vz805Nz71Lbep1gO_AdPmJKa9Gx0/s400/2114_45748897555_464_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIatPvX95_9Z0WfcgmXz9lKSfFLrnzlEo5XvMZXrTRSEWB0oO17ApoqN9ipS2Fkvwotyic0_M5-F46yLRCukZ2Tf2XtWLGFSDz3IlcevPonnTfO1uTZMi3RCV9trr0eOl7stlKXVnasV7/s1600/66714_10151755040817556_418667182_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIatPvX95_9Z0WfcgmXz9lKSfFLrnzlEo5XvMZXrTRSEWB0oO17ApoqN9ipS2Fkvwotyic0_M5-F46yLRCukZ2Tf2XtWLGFSDz3IlcevPonnTfO1uTZMi3RCV9trr0eOl7stlKXVnasV7/s400/66714_10151755040817556_418667182_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Ciuro climbs to the top of Mount Skene in the snow and slush.<br />
Paul's gear ratios for the technically minded were;<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">39/52……26,23,19,17,15,12</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The race winner was Graham McVilly - Graham came from Hobart, Tasmania. I can actually remember him having his first ride on a steeply banked velodrome. It was the Melbourne Olympic board track and Graham fell off at the first bend. After getting back on he fell at the next bend. No wonder he became a great road rider.<br />
<div>
He finished up with 3 Sun Tour wins; 1971, 1973 and 1974. The National road championship came his way in 1970 and 1971. I did some research to see where Graham McVilly is these days and discovered that he'd taken up cross country horse riding. In 2002 he had a fatal accident while riding his horse, BWS Felix at Huntingfield Tasmania. He was only 53.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Paul Ciuro remembers some of the riders that year - although he did tell me his brain and body were so numb, he could not remember much of the day.</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Graham McVilly, winner<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Hilton Clarke<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Jan Bylsma</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Mick Hollingworth<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Brian Carlson<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Frank Atkins<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Ken Evans - 1972 Winner<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">G Rowley<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Keith Oliver</span></b></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKRIASSUYr6fHBlxkt17Jc3ASk6tyNTE6gqdzuWt8Qx8uPw10gqHX6_v4_5p5dkEk5AHAYfdTg58tFv1CAQemmxdxZfBHYmxIq5v_Lb4Sq-fAuCO0_X7xGtmih96EVqjEPa7DzSGBMe9F/s1600/th-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKRIASSUYr6fHBlxkt17Jc3ASk6tyNTE6gqdzuWt8Qx8uPw10gqHX6_v4_5p5dkEk5AHAYfdTg58tFv1CAQemmxdxZfBHYmxIq5v_Lb4Sq-fAuCO0_X7xGtmih96EVqjEPa7DzSGBMe9F/s320/th-2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both Bylsma and Clarke suffered the torment of Mount Skene - Here they are in the 12 Hour Tarax Madison Brunswick Velodrome. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR2pgfKEVjYrEzmqZgjhavDOuFF6YNoL7ZogTFqTgI_R2GmJkDL29EkIX7j8fz6bjNC7CRM_PUluXxruaipAHYREvWMPzWihZaz0LYenO1tr9dkGVd2ACjWC34zeDwK85UHmhAuoHIikQ/s1600/th-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR2pgfKEVjYrEzmqZgjhavDOuFF6YNoL7ZogTFqTgI_R2GmJkDL29EkIX7j8fz6bjNC7CRM_PUluXxruaipAHYREvWMPzWihZaz0LYenO1tr9dkGVd2ACjWC34zeDwK85UHmhAuoHIikQ/s400/th-1.jpeg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith Oliver could possibly be the longest competitive cyclist in Australia.<br />
Starting as a teenage his competitive racing career concluded recently with World Masters Track Titles to his credit.<br />
His palmares are too long to list here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div>
Hilton Clarke also remembers it as on of the most gruelling experiences of his cycling career.</div>
<div>
Maybe we'll ask some of the riders of their experiences of the stage for a future post.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Stages of the 1973 Sun Tour</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 1 ITT Melbourne CBD washed
out<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 2 Penhurst to Casterton 70
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 3 Casterton to Edenhope 50
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 4 Edenhope to Horsham 74
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 5 Horsham to Nhil 58 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 6 Nhil to Charlton 64 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 7 Charlton to Bendigo 75
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 8 Bendigo to Cohuna 85 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 9 ITT Cohuna to Leitchville
9 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 10 Leitchville to Echuca 34
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 11 Echuca to Yarrawonga 62
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 12 Yarrawonga to Lavington
70 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 13 77 laps of Lavington bike
track<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 14 Lavington to Bright 81
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 15 Bright to Beechworth 59
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 16 Beechworth to Bonnie Doon
106 miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 17 Bonnie Doon to Eildon 47
miles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 18 Jamieson to Mt Skene (20
miles)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 19 Glenmaggie to Sale (record
of distance)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 20 Sale to Yallourn<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Stage 21 Yallourn to Warragul
showgrounds.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Just as a side issue, I remembered somewhere amongst my archives, I had an original copy of an account of the very first Sun Tour of 1952. It was written and compiled by Laurie Jones who was considered to one of the founders of the event. Within the pages is much more fodder for future posts for "the CYCLING SCRAPBOOK".<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM3JPpZPSIOfZyt1ogyRPUXKmCmFhSYgkYSdYIzxymc8q46BMkahHRlzj-dNxjtiC-eZEEyU_IHn6YLOWET3ggVvYee5TgaSiUkmJPlLTwUR4zcLZwoDejSwFJPCGQ2O_Q6ewmD4vNQIa/s1600/DSCF9408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM3JPpZPSIOfZyt1ogyRPUXKmCmFhSYgkYSdYIzxymc8q46BMkahHRlzj-dNxjtiC-eZEEyU_IHn6YLOWET3ggVvYee5TgaSiUkmJPlLTwUR4zcLZwoDejSwFJPCGQ2O_Q6ewmD4vNQIa/s400/DSCF9408.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An original copy of the founding of the Sun Tour and the first event in 1952 won by Keith Rowley which finished at the Brenock Park cycle track in Ferntree Gully.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If you have any info to add on this post, please add a comment. Great to get some feedback even if it is to say I have it wrong.</b></span></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-22089969012708984212013-07-26T05:49:00.001-07:002013-07-28T00:53:31.813-07:00My Dad - the Bike Rider<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Jack's passion is and has always been his passion since he first joined the Northcote Amateur Cycling Club in May 1938. Cycling as a rider and a spectator started as 15 year old and he continued riding his bike up until early this year. Even today he rides his stationary bike five days a week for 30 minutes plus.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The bike pictured below was his Panther Racer, note that it has a single gear. At the time he lived at Studley Park, Kew and trained within the Boulevard that stretched through the vast parklands within sight of Melbourne CBD. Even today it is a training mecca for cyclists. Jack Sims was not a champion cyclist but he is a champion of the sport giving many years of service to his other club, the Preston Cycling Club. He was not only a great support to me but all members of the Club where he could. A life membership came his way for service to the Club. He would collect the beer and bring out to Yan Yean where we would finish the road races or to the Preston bike track in summer. He had many adopted sons over the years. Even when I retrired, he still kept looking after the bar.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9fRnto9dXISfPseHzSPJtzUSorfeN0FBKkEm3lqsu18dfGHbOOzoZXX9y-09wpNSAEwS9KHn0HmUBWltOhaPuI8RCiukjv-zF6e9Cve2TPNDK0ZwTDzHwhh-9npk3-YckgTryLC-jCZp/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9fRnto9dXISfPseHzSPJtzUSorfeN0FBKkEm3lqsu18dfGHbOOzoZXX9y-09wpNSAEwS9KHn0HmUBWltOhaPuI8RCiukjv-zF6e9Cve2TPNDK0ZwTDzHwhh-9npk3-YckgTryLC-jCZp/s640/photo-6.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack's membership form to Northcote Amateur Cycling Club - 1938<br />
Did you note that they spelt Amateur incorrectly - now that's a collector's piece.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOoUCG8TeM7EUbWMN9NJNCyU1APW7kShvgJ1DPThyphenhyphenCA4MIJN98wYnssTy9kmRlqki-nc4vs8e_1e_3of50NkW-L2sWAnFIbYBwBxi3_wnxMG4bUU4EOI98u0lBF2mP4nDAMdfvfFJe3bz/s1600/DSCF8586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOoUCG8TeM7EUbWMN9NJNCyU1APW7kShvgJ1DPThyphenhyphenCA4MIJN98wYnssTy9kmRlqki-nc4vs8e_1e_3of50NkW-L2sWAnFIbYBwBxi3_wnxMG4bUU4EOI98u0lBF2mP4nDAMdfvfFJe3bz/s400/DSCF8586.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad rides his Panther racer. Nice knicks Jack and love the black socks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh2YjOGdIlQHx6O-lCcF7jdx69KAtcqlJUBbD9wh3_sRvIJLcFnPqTNGH4RRnn2obVvehQwmv16rcLBQTf-59WmpaFim9B3xf7V4MvGrFGHCoNacgBbHufVZbpIqRNbrd-GL1FkderIOJ/s1600/PC290005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh2YjOGdIlQHx6O-lCcF7jdx69KAtcqlJUBbD9wh3_sRvIJLcFnPqTNGH4RRnn2obVvehQwmv16rcLBQTf-59WmpaFim9B3xf7V4MvGrFGHCoNacgBbHufVZbpIqRNbrd-GL1FkderIOJ/s400/PC290005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was a foundation member of the Preston Golden Oldies and rode most weekdays.<br />
Never rode on Saturday or Sunday so he knew when it was a weekend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL8FH-INYGWC6kX4q_8OD_0pU12UzY6RusDM_D-HOIcMzq9vp77W0jxY8yqRcJ2KKYnfhiTUtC_FRvYGAASAGF4al47yygxvva5QXcGtU04cFV5gvJt7-0tgzBuQtZHapif9wDR7tzJ52/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL8FH-INYGWC6kX4q_8OD_0pU12UzY6RusDM_D-HOIcMzq9vp77W0jxY8yqRcJ2KKYnfhiTUtC_FRvYGAASAGF4al47yygxvva5QXcGtU04cFV5gvJt7-0tgzBuQtZHapif9wDR7tzJ52/s640/photo-7.JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still going and loving it - Jack does stationary work out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maybe this is a little bit of family self indulgence but Jack Sims deserves it at 92 years young.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Keep riding Jack</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Just been doing some research on a 1973 stage of the Sun Tour that was the longest and most gruelling 20 mile stage ever endured - pop in on Monday.</b></span></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-9823511411743064132013-07-20T23:17:00.000-07:002013-07-20T23:17:45.117-07:00CYCLING ADVERTISEMENTS from the 30s<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Its been a week since my last post on<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> <b>"The Cycling Scrapbook"</b></span>. Work, home and the Tour de France have got in the way. And what an interesting week its been over this last week of the Tour. Among my 1930s cycling magazines, there's a report of when Hubert Opperman, Ossie Nicholson, Fatty Lamb and Frank Thomas went to France to ride Le Tour. Its not mentioned in modern times but Oppy actually finished as high 12th. one year. We hear of Phil Anderson being our Australian crusader of the event but Oppy was up there as well. We might do a post in the future on his achievement.<br />
<br />
Bicycle companies used successful cyclists to promote their brand - I remember seeing a bike ad on TV, maybe in the 70s possibly Malvern Star, I'm not sure but they used a top cricketer (Thomo?) for the ad. At the time we had both Gordon Johnson and John Nicholson as past World Track Champions.<br />
<br />
Back in the 30s, our cyclists were household names. Hubert Opperman ranked with Don Bradman. Almost everyone rode a bike, especially the man in the street during those tough times. People bought their bikes on lay-by or on credit with the bike shop proprietor. I've seen small payment books that the purchaser would be given by the bike shop owner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVuvMOVTMfcH2RBM7T26qA5LFaan4eGTPnmWeV8ZfgO_JJ80d99Pwdr8pZ5ID8PZuYC6UgHuj6urU3mxiT8JlXpghydCYZr9-hy9w8ptLZFk_r1hurFtMCGESJ8NcMl7KJFiSYeGnBw6v/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVuvMOVTMfcH2RBM7T26qA5LFaan4eGTPnmWeV8ZfgO_JJ80d99Pwdr8pZ5ID8PZuYC6UgHuj6urU3mxiT8JlXpghydCYZr9-hy9w8ptLZFk_r1hurFtMCGESJ8NcMl7KJFiSYeGnBw6v/s400/photo1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Barb Bike was sold by the Finlay Brothers with Bob Finlay being the supreme Motor Pacer to the stars of the day at the Motordrome. His Star rider was R.W. (Fatty) Lamb and a real opponent to Oppy at the Drome, and yet he was Oppy's main Pacer.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPyqYPdMGD6WLVmjIZlrKe4m-Jc_KIdEXnPPPVODJ5QaskFNxRize82vx_paNDxj_N_rNqRIFDHl5BtcIOVeL03xFpcTuYv2ygezI6p8EfeoEPk5XmjiCRsmEi8-2k_Sm1OwdyH0ta73y/s1600/photo6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPyqYPdMGD6WLVmjIZlrKe4m-Jc_KIdEXnPPPVODJ5QaskFNxRize82vx_paNDxj_N_rNqRIFDHl5BtcIOVeL03xFpcTuYv2ygezI6p8EfeoEPk5XmjiCRsmEi8-2k_Sm1OwdyH0ta73y/s400/photo6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>All the top cyclists just had to have a pair of Sweeney Cycling Shoes and what better way to have the general public want a pair by having a champion wear them - nothing has changed today.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdP9YusOWlC8dI3mVzj_EhYpTAR2sQ1fuRfjrbo_PykHxK_qvWo2fhzExyXlTaE2CEYXFtYDigcYLI_VXTFDidNMfiL3OjGPYRmSj1nWG53Yp2UDSwGFh3LdUsxSBaO2-6l5DzhKBMhFjc/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdP9YusOWlC8dI3mVzj_EhYpTAR2sQ1fuRfjrbo_PykHxK_qvWo2fhzExyXlTaE2CEYXFtYDigcYLI_VXTFDidNMfiL3OjGPYRmSj1nWG53Yp2UDSwGFh3LdUsxSBaO2-6l5DzhKBMhFjc/s400/photo-5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was a big statement to offer a 25 year guarantee on a bike - it wouldn't happen today when people change their bike almost every season.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgbS9I_7oSF0_mxAWmhhre6wjma-QaOFGLoB_tE5eBzc-izPBIINxTybVWJRrVsLdxujw7OXv5z4PcjjaUSZngy88K66k1rNsaozjSVH0ZC08K4FBF0UXijvu_FbMFqJQg4MEPzFuwX8r/s1600/photo4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgbS9I_7oSF0_mxAWmhhre6wjma-QaOFGLoB_tE5eBzc-izPBIINxTybVWJRrVsLdxujw7OXv5z4PcjjaUSZngy88K66k1rNsaozjSVH0ZC08K4FBF0UXijvu_FbMFqJQg4MEPzFuwX8r/s400/photo4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ernie Milliken and Tiny Nichols rode the Preston Star brand. During the late 60s I had a Preston Star track tandem.<br />I wonder where it might be today. Being a pre-war model its probably land fill today.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6-v2dC2apCX4V6R_kjtS_Qny5H6ZltpF_L55u25ZaV1QsgVJ6c8qS_WThG3fWH6HK-urvyoQVgKH8OaF8BHkXM6CQ3lMQ_xj_qf7QVbrXQwqA0zX3PeIqn1RLOins7O0l03JGsiMak8/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y6-v2dC2apCX4V6R_kjtS_Qny5H6ZltpF_L55u25ZaV1QsgVJ6c8qS_WThG3fWH6HK-urvyoQVgKH8OaF8BHkXM6CQ3lMQ_xj_qf7QVbrXQwqA0zX3PeIqn1RLOins7O0l03JGsiMak8/s400/photo3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>During the 30s there were a few local manufacturers of singles. I remember before I started racing, stored up in the rafters of our garage were my father's old wood rim track wheels. The singles, still shellacked to the rims were Freebairn, made in NSW.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiWVlW4sRDZ12VJJvT88tMFGBsLLaKjv61rEd059QZqUmzhAHOlnZ-2EoeHt5pOu7rmnsrelkIpIWnwurI-hRPujxO6QX37xFZBIxoa9HPwTppDQUoTTIRyZN2yrwqU0DlJTSdni0nYmn/s1600/photo5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiWVlW4sRDZ12VJJvT88tMFGBsLLaKjv61rEd059QZqUmzhAHOlnZ-2EoeHt5pOu7rmnsrelkIpIWnwurI-hRPujxO6QX37xFZBIxoa9HPwTppDQUoTTIRyZN2yrwqU0DlJTSdni0nYmn/s400/photo5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>I know there's a few of you retired riders out there that probably rode the Tassie carnivals during the 60/70/80s.<br />Hope your prize money was as good as in the 30s. Good money back then when 235 pound wouldn't be to far off a years wages - if you actually had a job!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDXORtJRnaJHaZawJhFzG1y2u5CBm-FGOhMIAXALfNH9GQ79dONOvpEbjsr1tXITvIu2XR5524N-dhXQspmzleVxt_nvL_pRql_NnTz8AW3Ks8rhhXHKMbVf3rzdmwjXh_tZ7srQKHe9y/s1600/photo-9+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDXORtJRnaJHaZawJhFzG1y2u5CBm-FGOhMIAXALfNH9GQ79dONOvpEbjsr1tXITvIu2XR5524N-dhXQspmzleVxt_nvL_pRql_NnTz8AW3Ks8rhhXHKMbVf3rzdmwjXh_tZ7srQKHe9y/s400/photo-9+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>In 1932 there was no shortage of a track carnival to enter. On this one page, Talbot just out of Maryborough, Echuca and Longwarry all ran their Carnivals on December 26. These combined cycling, footraces, wood chopping and even a quoits event at Talbot. The Echuca carnival was one that was a favourite of mine from the the time I had a car to get there to the time I retired in the mid 80s<br />I particularly like the advertisement for the Ferntree Gully 2nd Annual Sports Meeting held on January 2, 1933. They even had mixed tandem races.<br />The Club later had their own track at Brenock Park. I was too young to ever ride there but I did get to see it - admittedly in a sad state in the late 60s. The Sun Tour finished there certainly on one occasion. That would have been in the 50s with a hard fought race between Russell Mockridge and George Goodwin.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>There maybe inconsistencies, untruths and downright mistakes that come from this blog, but lets treat it as a Forum. I'm happy to be proven wrong and welcome comments - that way we document true cycling history.</i></b></span></div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-82701343282402595382013-07-13T04:37:00.000-07:002013-07-13T04:37:38.928-07:00Perko, Gordie and Patto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three blokes that excited us kids in the 60s were Patto, Gordie and Perko. There were more but these were the ones that adorned my inside cover of my old cycling scrapbook.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYLmIPeuBeFHdsBLz94uL2usCCmvCKebpJQV7-1FOQE4paLKHbs8Upp9yd46V8qACpISq68UnNe7lV63vjX1xzToWdC0wYn1MT9MGRJKFBINiXyN-BwIAeL9opCsJL3c0J0T_lNb4QfWz/s1600/gordie+perko+and+patto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYLmIPeuBeFHdsBLz94uL2usCCmvCKebpJQV7-1FOQE4paLKHbs8Upp9yd46V8qACpISq68UnNe7lV63vjX1xzToWdC0wYn1MT9MGRJKFBINiXyN-BwIAeL9opCsJL3c0J0T_lNb4QfWz/s640/gordie+perko+and+patto.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">From the inside of my very tattered scrap book.<br />Perko, Gordie and Patto.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc0c-XmNnfnwBFRDpH045NkffleucGcQ1dKVf9YBNqrugWECE0JJkGYZS-QaUtiMZWE2rV-u1Vbkt2b3_YMJ416IbMzgeuuB6Rn14ccueN7C-rwK_Cwl35lTFyDsUUnyc0A2tiVEnNtZH/s1600/patto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc0c-XmNnfnwBFRDpH045NkffleucGcQ1dKVf9YBNqrugWECE0JJkGYZS-QaUtiMZWE2rV-u1Vbkt2b3_YMJ416IbMzgeuuB6Rn14ccueN7C-rwK_Cwl35lTFyDsUUnyc0A2tiVEnNtZH/s320/patto.jpg" width="251" /></a>If you were a young cyclist in the early sixties, you would have seen Sid Patterson towards the end of his career at the old Melbourne board track which was promoted by Bill Long. At the time, I guess I was probably 14 or 15 years old, I was coached by Northcote High sports master, Alec Weston. Now there's another character for a future blog. He was a masseur to the greats at the time - Patto, Mocka, Tress and many other riders of that era. Alec would pass on his knowledge to us kids but one thing that sticks in my memory is the time Alec took us to Patto's home and to the Carnegie track for a day to be coached by the great Sid Patterson. Thinking back, I guess it was a privilege to be in the company of a four times world champion, but as a coach, Patto was totally useless. We spent part of the time weeding his garden and pushing his kid up and down the driveway on his trike. That kid by the way was Rick Patterson whom I later rode against at the Coburg Velodrome. I remember him sucking me into second place in a motor pace event many years later.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Patto eventually took us down to the track and watched us ride the velodrome and later Alec took us back home. The memory has lingered, not for what we learnt which was nothing, but because we had the opportunity to meet the great man.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AOLG88ipmZGoY7M4nJiOUQ45GqqIEbDQnN2m4P7XZgNGUPntRlq1V9lfGrryJgGCEanPB4Gg2NSTLg1wGBM9r_O4Rr5AcwojDmERhlAryG3v_IxiqozqjFj86PTndTL6mtt3VsGFHQXm/s1600/johnsongordon1gp7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AOLG88ipmZGoY7M4nJiOUQ45GqqIEbDQnN2m4P7XZgNGUPntRlq1V9lfGrryJgGCEanPB4Gg2NSTLg1wGBM9r_O4Rr5AcwojDmERhlAryG3v_IxiqozqjFj86PTndTL6mtt3VsGFHQXm/s320/johnsongordon1gp7.jpg" width="202" /></a>As a year or two went by, I was selected in what was to be the first under 16 year old Australian Championships being held in 1966 at the Kilkenny track in Adelaide. In the team was Gordon Johnson, Daryl Perkins, John Bylsma, John Hine, Hilton Clarke and Jeff Linden in the seniors.<br />
The juniors had a future world sprint champion in the Victorian team by the name of John Nicholson, with John Van Beek and a fellow club member of mine, John Rush.<br />
Lindsay Love from Leongatha and myself were the Juvenile or Sub-Junior team members.<br />
To be part of the team was the opening of the doors to some <br />
friendships that exist almost 50 years on.<br />
<br />
In those early years, these names proved to be mentors and an inspiration on the State Teams that I competed in. (1966/1968/1970) Both Hilton Clarke and Daryl Perkins have been influential during my Masters years.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1517270062"></span>
But back to Patto - how good was he? Four World Titles, three in pursuit and one in the sprint, totally different disciplines and unheard of in today's specialisation in the sport. Patto was the supreme all rounder. He could sprint, pursuit, ride scratch races and was a fantastic scratch maker in handicaps. He would have the crowd out of their seats in those last two laps of the big handicap races.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv02pLZ6KkghxDC5OElb2yHiRAFoKbkKE9rvlPUbxMt0ACoJfL4VMAiyC2A5SvgdmK1nW1F-BT_7ruzmAhDvhHc-VPJNjyyyTjZs0ZFrQ_FoIpX9sYmuWjEWCCSB0S_SJ51y-MDHEVxTbR/s1600/20081026_07_The_mechanic___Perkins_at_work_during_sprint_qualification.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv02pLZ6KkghxDC5OElb2yHiRAFoKbkKE9rvlPUbxMt0ACoJfL4VMAiyC2A5SvgdmK1nW1F-BT_7ruzmAhDvhHc-VPJNjyyyTjZs0ZFrQ_FoIpX9sYmuWjEWCCSB0S_SJ51y-MDHEVxTbR/s320/20081026_07_The_mechanic___Perkins_at_work_during_sprint_qualification.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dazza still involves himself in the sport helping our new talent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Later I remember watching Daryl Perkins who I thought looked the most European style riders I'd seen. He seemed to me to be a great Kilo rider at the time and in 1970 took both the State and National titles against the best Aussie riders. As for Gordon Johnson, he was our top sprinter, later to become a world Pro Sprint Title holder. Gordie was sponsored by Raleigh at the time and when he returned to Australia, won almost every end of the night scratch race at the Brunswick Velodrome for the season. I remember seeing him riding from the back of the field as they rang the bell and Gordie would wind up his gear and pass half the pack down the back straight and the rest on the last bend and the home straight to cross the line with both hands held high. I think that Gordie may have won 13 straight scratch races that season - I could be wrong but I'm sure someone out there could correct me.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those years at the Brunswick velodrome were magical.</span></b></div>
</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-910443829961573473.post-42687775637401695152013-07-09T15:11:00.002-07:002013-07-09T15:11:56.625-07:00STAYER BIKES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsloRRwjgu6MqaP8foPKXSZWKYKYXynum-WKChTfp9nrCu_2WEJsxrx_VjHyxC69hVYwyv0BtxemcP_vApuhWNUNORQj5QV7tbYpM2k5Ver4yyGXHGh8qzTQwSxzLFTKaz1t2dQGFF36ON/s1600/20120115-225926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsloRRwjgu6MqaP8foPKXSZWKYKYXynum-WKChTfp9nrCu_2WEJsxrx_VjHyxC69hVYwyv0BtxemcP_vApuhWNUNORQj5QV7tbYpM2k5Ver4yyGXHGh8qzTQwSxzLFTKaz1t2dQGFF36ON/s400/20120115-225926.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only late last year I paid a visit to the shop where I bought my stayer frame - although its now an architects office, they've retained the original facade and signage. Hanging on the wall inside can be seen one of the Morton Cycle bikes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I actually don't remember how long ago it was now that I stumbled into Morton Cycles in Park Street, South Melbourne. I do remember however that hanging up out the back was this old pre-war motor pace frame or Stayer bike with a wooden small diameter front wheel.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc25Ok_q50uktxx0C78iKN0EjgVLTr_YdZnOsqYHN7lyptZk6iTzA7xuoXzkTLp6jgm9WG7cZzwHFHu0NQiv1RS432P1ibk_Tr4zFRivUcJbnEN-Fd9NcP__XXe13jneka4qrZLbTJtc33/s1600/ideal+stayer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc25Ok_q50uktxx0C78iKN0EjgVLTr_YdZnOsqYHN7lyptZk6iTzA7xuoXzkTLp6jgm9WG7cZzwHFHu0NQiv1RS432P1ibk_Tr4zFRivUcJbnEN-Fd9NcP__XXe13jneka4qrZLbTJtc33/s400/ideal+stayer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Since watching the motor pace bike racing at the old Olympic board track opposite the Hisense indoor velodrome, I'd been enthralled by the speed the riders held behind the big motor bikes with rollers on the back. With the small front wheel, the riders were able to slipstream in close behind the motorbike at very high speeds.<br />
<br />
During the pre-war years, riders such as Hubert Opperman, Fatty Lamb, Ossie Nicholson and Roy Johnson raced each other behind these huge motorbikes at speeds of 60 mph (100 kph).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvPUtSCTZ8O0VcZu8YyvG4fRvY6Q3XfK2TYyB4j2UXu15iI2AyxSJYpIq7iNEay6JXPeElbUMSmsqVNp6L5gn7fGVi_b2jL_s6e2lp_E99F1a5SN9cwTzPoFgUAm3NL3rBhoxSC6fZGto/s1600/$(KGrHqR,!jQE6FziSh4rBOiQTwoSpg~~60_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvPUtSCTZ8O0VcZu8YyvG4fRvY6Q3XfK2TYyB4j2UXu15iI2AyxSJYpIq7iNEay6JXPeElbUMSmsqVNp6L5gn7fGVi_b2jL_s6e2lp_E99F1a5SN9cwTzPoFgUAm3NL3rBhoxSC6fZGto/s400/$(KGrHqR,!jQE6FziSh4rBOiQTwoSpg~~60_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJgLVA5o_M1uuILY7TDmOfe-5cv69BNdIZRF_OAz-35KVFQyZKwSeRjehNRNOQ8b5lHUDIifB3FDFoOY4j82WKxIsSfUpL1MCI48gvco0AbbW3qxj9SISVWKaWfxVNBvL6KjB9Vip8Z4_/s1600/Motordrome_ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJgLVA5o_M1uuILY7TDmOfe-5cv69BNdIZRF_OAz-35KVFQyZKwSeRjehNRNOQ8b5lHUDIifB3FDFoOY4j82WKxIsSfUpL1MCI48gvco0AbbW3qxj9SISVWKaWfxVNBvL6KjB9Vip8Z4_/s640/Motordrome_ad.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll see the motor pace match race between Roy Johnson and Hubert Opperman on the cutting.<br />
During the either late 60s or maybe the very early 70s, I stumbled into Roy Johnson's bike shop, I think in Glen Iris.<br />
We chatted away on my visits to the area and on one visit, he loaned me his scrap book.<br />
It was full of the great riders during the period between the two wars. I wonder where that scrap book is today.<br />
Maybe after Roy passed away it was thrown away with what was thought to be just junk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBL1XmFV32zKdiQ9Rg-YWBN0vz9wukbmpvPyYabpU1yGlclt8gDE9bn6JpVIhFdaB6vvlyM7d1yTp5MgOmyYDgKLdeR8ozk14kUFNQa1lIEeUn8zDsQMgZhPJBkqiHlalhVe5N_oi94pu/s1600/motodrome1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBL1XmFV32zKdiQ9Rg-YWBN0vz9wukbmpvPyYabpU1yGlclt8gDE9bn6JpVIhFdaB6vvlyM7d1yTp5MgOmyYDgKLdeR8ozk14kUFNQa1lIEeUn8zDsQMgZhPJBkqiHlalhVe5N_oi94pu/s400/motodrome1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Motodrome was this huge banked saucer. Not only did dare devil motorpace bike riders chase the big motorbikes around the three to the mile track but it was used by speedcars and motor bikes as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg5CJFsMVFMqLTX6IAs1SrqmsX1h1NlIHBYEJs57nBsJ9XLL0vuLfAzXhrXfWPDieQ4YYDIlShYOuROrJuSfkweZarKrOtiJy5CdbGG05W9IPRkqNORGSgya3yppmVR_UOVeVpWdTI1Kv/s1600/motordrome3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg5CJFsMVFMqLTX6IAs1SrqmsX1h1NlIHBYEJs57nBsJ9XLL0vuLfAzXhrXfWPDieQ4YYDIlShYOuROrJuSfkweZarKrOtiJy5CdbGG05W9IPRkqNORGSgya3yppmVR_UOVeVpWdTI1Kv/s640/motordrome3.jpg" width="473" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture gives an indication of its steepness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of my old 1930s magazines report on the races at the "Drome" so I guess there might be a few to come on "The Cycling Scrapbook". We'll see.<br />
In the meantime - I welcome input, comment or photos for the Blog.<br />
<br />
I can be contacted on email - leonsims@optusnet.com.au</div>
Leon Simshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609891995057827081noreply@blogger.com0