Classic Time Trial Photos

alf engers

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

Eddie Adkins Phil Griffiths in a 2 up Time Trial in the Rain

5 Spectators

5 young spectators line the road.

Beryl burton

Beryl Burton, the Greatest Female Time Triallist of all time. (Beryl Burton)

bike to race

Taking your Bike To Race

Catford Hill CLimb

Start of Catford CC Hill Climb. (Catford CC is probably the world’s longest running race)

Alf Engers

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

Before Changing Rooms. Many early time trials had no changing facilities. Riders would improvise by the side of roads.

Frank Southall

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!

dead turn fall off

Unfortunately, doing a dead turn in the middle of the road at high speed wasn’t always so easy!

Ann Horsewell

Ann Horsewell. A great female time triallist, often coming second to Beryl Burton

David Duffield

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)

afmily sport

Time Trialling – A family day out.

david lloyd

David Lloyd. One the top British riders in the late 70s and early 80s.

long winding road

The Road goes ever on…

Feed on bath road

A feeding station on the Bath Road

winats pass

Hill climb on Winats pass. Probably a national championship by number of spectators.

Jon French

Jon French displaying the height of 1980s fashion and aerodynamics. A good tester will do anything to save that extra second.

jim ogden

Jim Ogden receiving a prize.

Funny bike

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

John Woodburn. National 25 mile Champion in 1961. Still racing into his 70s – John Woodburn

Mick Bowen

Mick Bowen. President of Oxonian CC for over 50 years.

3 on bike

3 On a Bike. Maybe the inspiration for Monty Python’s cycling tour

Chris Coleman Maureen Wroe

Chris Coleman Maureen Wroe

jon Bayliss

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

Norman Maggs smokes a pipe during a 24 hour time trial.

road countryside

Road through countryside. A scene from any number of sporting courses (away from the dual carriage dragstrips)

wheel carrier

A wheel Carrier. Horace Mouatt of the Surrey Road CC

start

A classic starting scene. Eddie Stagg, then of Old Portlians CC and now Bournemouth Jubilee Whs

early morning race

Early morning race.

Reg Randall, riding a Moulton, passes Jamaica Inn on his unsuccessful end to end attempt.

come on mister

“Keep peddling” “I can run faster than you!” “I’ll give you 2 bob for your bike sir”

pits

It’s the pits.

Mike Potts

Mike Potts. – You can’t beat the feeling of finishing a race.

More Photos

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

- More on cycling time trials

Classic Cycling Photos from Cycling’s Golden Age at Amazon

Book Cover



69 Responses to Classic Time Trial Photos

  1. Sarah Cunningham April 17, 2009 at 2:55 pm #

    Great Photos. My Dad, JOHN MORLEY cycled for Tooting Cycling Club in late 60′s early 70′s and trying to locate any photo’s details I can as he lost his memorabilia many years ago, he’s fast approaching 60 and I wish to present him with replacements as a gift. Any help or information would be gratefully received.

  2. Barry Swallow March 27, 2009 at 7:56 am #

    Greetings from NZ! Wonderful pictures, so evocative of the era, some of the names mentioned I’d forgotten. There are others that I often recall: Ken Craven, Dave Dungworth, Paul Bennett, Joe Mummery, Trevor Morgan to name a few. Great lads all. Many thanks for posting.

  3. peter hogan March 7, 2009 at 10:51 am #

    more of same please

  4. peter hogan March 7, 2009 at 10:48 am #

    excellent photos. brought the atmoshere of the time flooding back. Ex barnet cc & phtographer. now fishin!.
    Alan Shorter near by

  5. p[eter hogan March 7, 2009 at 10:39 am #

    excellant photos. brought the atmosphere of the time flooding back. Ex barnet cc & photographer. now fishing. alan shorter nearby.

  6. Ian H March 5, 2009 at 9:34 pm #

    Really enjoyed the photos. Just a note that I think your wording re the CD should be royalty free rather than copyright free as presumably Bernhard’s heirs or those bequeathed the collection’s copyright will like to retain their copyright? (they do so for 70 years after his death).
    I work as a photographer myself and am a keen cyclist hence my viewing in the first place and my interest in dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s as regards copyright licencing.

  7. Joy & Ossie Osborn February 26, 2009 at 7:20 pm #

    We really enjoyed these photos. What memories they brought back. Os was in the Watford Roads (now gone) but joined my club, The Redmon CC in 1955. We are both still members – Os rode the Catford 24 and the North Road 24 on dozens of occasions -= probably why he has had to have two hip replacements!

  8. Roger January 21, 2009 at 11:26 pm #

    Great pictures that really show the passion in cycling. It makes me really appreciate my disk and aero bike after looking at these guys.

    Pure grit.

    Thankyou

  9. Harold Bridge December 19, 2008 at 6:18 am #

    Several messages indicating nostalgia. Join the FCOT
    (Fellowship of Old Time Cyclists) & get all the nostalgia you want.
    Bernard Thompson did great work, we miss him.

  10. david john beavan December 17, 2008 at 9:43 pm #

    great photo’s , i’m an ex Birchfield c.c. member , & these photo’s really show time trialing as it was a club sport rather than a team sport; early morning t. t. & afternoon club run, good memories,, thanks

  11. Matt Hannon November 19, 2008 at 8:50 pm #

    Cracking photos, thanks for posting!

  12. Bob Lockett September 26, 2008 at 1:00 pm #

    Brilliant photos. Often saw and chatted to Bernard but so did thousands of other cyclists! First took to the bike in the early 1950′s with the Broadway Wheelers (Stoke). Would like to chat to former members of the now defunct Club … anyone there?

  13. Adele September 12, 2008 at 8:37 pm #

    Trying to locate Colin Ward who cycled in london in the mid 1950′s. Any info is appreciated. Cheers, Adele

  14. J.F. September 6, 2008 at 8:35 pm #

    Great photos

  15. Mark Cooke September 6, 2008 at 7:48 pm #

    What a superb and not least important social document of people who were n’t wasting their lives in isolation. The Corinthian ethos shines through as does a sense of social equality and community which is much less apparent today. I started cycling in the late 1970′s so I experienced the purity of cycling as it was, but now I often envy those older cyclists whose years coincided with those of Britains cycling golden age. Burton, Messanger and West et al are a worthy legacy which British cycling should always remember.

  16. Vincent Lowe September 5, 2008 at 4:24 pm #

    Thank you so much for the great pics. I’m 61 and ride lugged steel frames, like those made in the golden age of British manufacturing, and which all of the riders seem to be using. The photos bring me back to a time when the purity of the sport greatly outweighed the money.

  17. terry hicks August 16, 2008 at 2:28 pm #

    hi, alf engers was my best mate, at the time he lived in north london, upper hollway, n19, we lived oppsite each other in elthorne rd, he work there in his farthers barkery, i use to pase him on my moter bike, a macthless 350cc,and if i never went fast enought he would pass me, we also played guitar together, and played in some soho coffee bars, alan shorter, had his bike shop just a few doors away, i went into the r.a.f. and alf married jance, i now live down by the coast, west sussex, i would love to get intouch with alf, if any body knows his email address, i would be greatfull. thanks. terry hicks.

  18. Dave Binks July 22, 2008 at 6:59 pm #

    The guy walking with small girl in his left hand and his bike in his right is Dave Bowman, Leicestershire Road Club.
    Dave now lives in France with his French wife.
    If anyone wants to contact him, I can put you in touch.

  19. vermooten July 22, 2008 at 11:38 am #

    Great post!

  20. Stuart Kirkham July 22, 2008 at 11:08 am #

    Great photos with losts of memories! Jim Ogden is still racing & organising events. Alf Engers -The Legend. I was caught by him in a 25 in 1973.
    Thanks for posting.

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