Alf Engers finishes to a large crowd.
These 30+ photos come from a collection by the late Bernard Thompson. The photos are taken mostly in the period 1960-1985. You can buy a CD of these photos from Peter Whitfield. Details at the bottom.
Eddie Adkins Phil Griffiths in a 2 up Time Trial in the Rain
5 young spectators line the road.
Beryl Burton, the Greatest Female Time Triallist of all time. (Beryl Burton)
Taking your Bike To Race
Start of Catford CC Hill Climb. (Catford CC is probably the world’s longest running race)
Alf Engers. Alf dominated the sport in the 1970s. He was the man to beat at 25 miles. In 1978, he set a sub 50 minute time for 25 miles – 49.24, before tri bars and disc wheels. (25 mile Time trials)
Before Changing Rooms. Many early time trials had no changing facilities. Riders would improvise by the side of roads.
Frank Southall, doing a dead turn during a race in the 1930s. Many early time trial course simply went 12.5 miles in one direction, then riders would do a turn in the middle of the road and come back. This was at a time when traffic volumes were very low!
Unfortunately, doing a dead turn in the middle of the road at high speed wasn’t always so easy!
Ann Horsewell. A great female time triallist, often coming second to Beryl Burton
David Duffield. There’s only one David Duffield. Later became cycling commentator for Eurosport; David has tremendous passion and enthusiasm for cycling (some quotes of David Duffield)
Time Trialling – A family day out.
David Lloyd. One the top British riders in the late 70s and early 80s.
The Road goes ever on…
A feeding station on the Bath Road
Hill climb on Winats pass. Probably a national championship by number of spectators.
Jon French displaying the height of 1980s fashion and aerodynamics. A good tester will do anything to save that extra second.
Jim Ogden receiving a prize.
Funny Bikes, with upturned handlebars, were all the rage in the 1980s. Graeme Obree (not person above) had the last laugh though when he broke the World Hour record on his own very unique design.
John Woodburn. National 25 mile Champion in 1961. Still racing into his 70s – John Woodburn
Mick Bowen. President of Oxonian CC for over 50 years.
3 On a Bike. Maybe the inspiration for Monty Python’s cycling tour
Chris Coleman Maureen Wroe
Jon Bayliss grits his teeth as the spectators enjoy a cup of tea. Tea is usually in plentiful supply at most time trial races.
Norman Maggs smokes a pipe during a 24 hour time trial.
Road through countryside. A scene from any number of sporting courses (away from the dual carriage dragstrips)
A wheel Carrier. Horace Mouatt of the Surrey Road CC
A classic starting scene. Eddie Stagg, then of Old Portlians CC and now Bournemouth Jubilee Whs
Early morning race.
Reg Randall, riding a Moulton, passes Jamaica Inn on his unsuccessful end to end attempt.
“Keep peddling” “I can run faster than you!” “I’ll give you 2 bob for your bike sir”
It’s the pits.
Mike Potts. – You can’t beat the feeling of finishing a race.
See also: Classic Time Trial Photos Part 2 – more from same album
About Photographer Bernard Thompson.
Bernard was born in Southfields, West London in 1924. He was interested in photography from an early age. He also began cycling just before the war, aged about 14. Interestingly, he says that his parents refused to let him have a bike because the roads were so dangerous – even though there were hardly any cars. As Bernard said
“As a matter of fact the roads were more dangerous then than they are now, even though there wasn’t a fraction of the traffic that there is today. The standard of driving then was abysmal, you didn’t even have to take a test until 1935, anyone could just jump into a car and drive it around. A road accident was just that – an accident. If a cyclist or anyone else was killed by a car, no one was ever to blame, there was no sense of safety or responsibility.”
After the war, Bernard got more involved in time trialling and began racing himself.
You can buy a CD (there are over 280 pictures) from:
Peter Whitfield
Wychwood Publishing
Tachbrook House
Charlbury
Oxfordshire OX7 3PS
for £10.
Note on CD: In commemoration of Bernard Thompson’s lifetime’s work as a cycling photographer, these images are presented copyright free for the use of any individuals or institutions furthering the interests of cycling.
Related
- Classic Cycling Photos from Cycling’s Golden Age at Amazon
Great photos – I am one of Ken Craven’s daughters and it is his 80th birthday this year. I think you mentioned him in your original write up. Know it is a long shot but my sister and I are trying to find something special for his 80th birthday and wondered if you have any photos or something from his great past that would make an ideal 80th birthday present.
Please email me and let me know or if you can suggest anywhere we can go.
Many thanks
Hello there. I was briefly looking at web entries for my father, Ken Craven, of veteran motorcycle fame, and came across this posting. Imagine my confusion at finding out that my father had a hidden family, that I have a previously unknown sister, and that most confusing of all, they are under the impression that he is alive and coming up for his 80th birthday, whereas I was there when he died some years back in his mid eighties. All this passed through my mind, you may be pleased to know, in a matter of a split second before the penny dropped: there are of course two Ken Cravens being referred to. Well, from the son of the motorcycling one to the daughter of the cycling one: hope all’s well in your world, and that the birthday went well. And greetings to the other Ken Craven!
Interesting how most top cyclist got the bug …Alf Engers..Terry Hicks and I Peter Deacon we were cycling to southend from elthorne road london N19 …which is about 40 miles at the tender age of about 12 ..at the time Alf was living on jam doughnuts from his dads bakery
Hi Terry …living in Sussex email deaconpeter@hotmail.com
great shots. even tho bike tech has changed so much it now verges on rocket science, one thing that hasn’t is ‘english teeth’!!
What a nostalgic pic of the sign post to Holmes Chapel Cheshire. I did my only 100 m time trial there in about 1968.
What about a pic of the great Shuttleworths, the trike riders?