News: Pedal Club Lunch, June ‘22

Mike Broadwith, the long distance record breaker, was the guest speaker at the Pedal Club’s June lunch. Report by Chris Lovibond

News: Pedal Club Lunch, June ‘22

Mike Broadwith, the long distance record breaker, was the guest speaker at the Pedal Club’s June lunch. He offered the meeting the choice of his two specialist subjects: the relationship between equations and the fractal images they produce (he is a maths teacher) or cycling – fortunately the second option was chosen.

Steve Bullen presented Mike with a framed copy of his Golden Book entry

After his success with the Lands End – John O’Groats record he reported that a small problem had arisen: if you’ve got the ‘ultimate’ record, where do you go next? In fact there was one more RRA record he desired: Edinburgh-London. This had stood to Pete Wells since 1989 and was obviously a tough challenge since Wells had done a great ride and the advantages of modern knowledge and kit are offset by difficulties with the route where the A1 has become motorway.

Considerations of work and weather conditions meant the attempt had to be made in October and the necessary North wind made the early morning start dangerously cold with a temperature as low as minus three centigrade on high ground. It became clear that although the record was possible, the margin would not be large, and after Huntingdon our recordman had a bad patch when he found himself composing, in his head, a speech to his school assembly on ‘how to deal with failure’. However the enthusiasm of supporters cheering him (at night, on the roadside of the A10), eventually saw him triumph by 5 minutes 17 seconds (out of 17 hours 42 minutes).

The LEJOG (Lands End-John O’Groats) record had already opened doors for him and Broadwith is now on the RRA committee. It is hard to remember that in the 1930’s place to place records were the lifeblood of pro cycling in Britain – there wasn’t much else for them to do, but Hercules and Raleigh were prepared to spend money on records to promote their rival products. In recent years these records have attracted less attention and some of the regional RRA organisations have disappeared. Perhaps Mike Broadwith is the man to revive the fortunes of this once important branch of cyclesport. He pointed out that with the efficient use of social media it is now possible to follow record attempts as they happen, something which may well draw in a new generation of enthusiastic fans.

No place to place record can be achieved without helpers, and Mike Broadwith’s team must be mentioned here: Arctic Aircon RT. The team’s founder and principal is Peter Ruffhead, a past president and active member of the Pedal Club. Another connection with the Club was marked at this meeting when Steve Bullen presented Mike with a framed copy of his Golden Book entry.

The next Broadwith challenge will be the Transcontinental Race, 4,100 kilometres from Belgium to Bulgaria. We wish him every good fortune with this project!