Iwasgoodonce
Old School Grand Master
I don't know if this has been covered already; I did a search and couldn't find anything.
Ray Booty died around a week ago. He was the first to break the four hour mark for a 100 mile time trial. He managed this feat in 1956 spinning a fixed gear of 84 inches. He had got close to the magical time several times previously and managed to record a time of 3-58-28 in the rain on a course near Bath.
Ray had ridden from his home in Nottingham on the weekend of the actual 100 mile event! He had actually been working that week near to the course but had driven home and then ridden down on his bike for a little training.
Ray's palmeres speaks for itself. It should be noted than another of Ray's rides, the 100 mile 'straight out' time trial (in 3-28-40) was only bettered in 1990 by no lesser a rider than Ian Cammish.
Ray lost his battle against cancer almost exactly 56 years after his ground breaking ride.
I am not old enough to have ever seen him ride. In fact I only learnt of his exploits recently having started to ride a fixed. To say I sat in slack jawed amazement when I read of what he achieved on a fixed is an understatement.
RIP.
Ray Booty died around a week ago. He was the first to break the four hour mark for a 100 mile time trial. He managed this feat in 1956 spinning a fixed gear of 84 inches. He had got close to the magical time several times previously and managed to record a time of 3-58-28 in the rain on a course near Bath.
Ray had ridden from his home in Nottingham on the weekend of the actual 100 mile event! He had actually been working that week near to the course but had driven home and then ridden down on his bike for a little training.
Ray's palmeres speaks for itself. It should be noted than another of Ray's rides, the 100 mile 'straight out' time trial (in 3-28-40) was only bettered in 1990 by no lesser a rider than Ian Cammish.
Ray lost his battle against cancer almost exactly 56 years after his ground breaking ride.
I am not old enough to have ever seen him ride. In fact I only learnt of his exploits recently having started to ride a fixed. To say I sat in slack jawed amazement when I read of what he achieved on a fixed is an understatement.
RIP.
started in Pangbourne Lane on the A4 West of Reading (now disappeared with new road building) and went North up towards Oxford to turn and retrace through Pangbourne Lane (approx. 50 miles) and then up the A4 through Newbury and Hungerford to turn again as Keith says and finish in Pangbourne Lane. By today's standards not an easy course with Speen Hill etc. on it. I rode it as a 100 only once but packed at around 80 miles as I realised I was getting slower and slower! When you go down those roads today it is difficult to grasp how fast they were for TT'ing BITD (eg, the first 'inside 1-50-00 50 mile' by Pete Smith in 1967 in the 'International 50').
