René Menzies
Encyclopedia
René Menzies was a French long-distance cyclist who at 48 held a record for the greatest distance ridden on a bicycle in a year. He rode 61,561 miles in 1937. He was decorated with the Croix de Guerre
in the first world war and was chauffeur to the French leader, Charles de Gaulle
in the second world war. After the war he tried to ride 63,000 miles in a year to celebrate his 63rd birthday but finished with 62,785.
began a competition for the greatest distance cycled in a single year. The first holder was Marcel Planes of France
, with 34666 miles (55,789.4 km). The record has been established nine times. A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb
, was later disallowed.Ken Webb's claim was for 80647 miles (129,788.4 km) in 1972. Webb insisted he had completed the distance but others said he hadn't and he was removed from the Guinness Book of Records.
In that era bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable. Menzies was sponsored by a British manufacturer, Rudge-Whitworth. Menzies' ambition was to break not only the record for the year but another, for 100000 miles (160,934 km), which he achieved in 532 days.
The year record was held by an Australian professional, Ossie Nicholson. It was established in 1933 and broken in 1936 by a one-armed English amateur, Walter Greaves. Nicholson said he would set it again. He had competition, however, from Bernard Bennett, another British rider, and from Menzies. All three men were trying for the record at the same time.
Nicholson started more than 10 kg overweight but rode 300 km a day. He had ridden 40,000 km by the end of May but Menzies had started to close the gap. Menzies, in the European winter, had fallen on icy roads, broken a bone and missed 24 days. The writer Jock Wadley
recalled:
Winter arrived in Australia as summer came to Europe. Nicholson often rode in the dark to keep up his distance but Menzies had daylight and the two men were level by the start of October. They both beat Greaves' record on the same day.
Menzies reached Greaves' record at Alexandra Palace
in London, with Greaves beside him.
Cycling reported:
Both Bennett and Menzies held the record briefly - Menzies 168.7 miles a day - before Ossie Nicholson achieved 62,855 miles.
Dorothy Curtis, writing in the magazine of the National Cycle Collection in Britain, said Menzies lived in London and sometimes rode 100 miles from there to Brighton and back in the morning and then to a café that her mother owned near the Bidlake
memorial at Girtford Bridge near Sandy, Bedfordshire
, north of London, in the afternoon before returning to London. She said:
, in 1939, a distance that still stands.A better distance, 80,647 miles, was claimed by a Briton, Ken Webb, and appeared briefly in the Guinness Book of Records before being removed Menzies decided in 1952 to beat Nicholson's distance regardless, to set an unofficial veterans' record, and to ride 63,000 miles to mark his 63rd birthday. Jock Wadley wrote:
He left from Big Ben in central London as it chimed in January 1. He wore three woollen sweaters, a beret and plus-fours. He started with a circuit of Parliament Square and rode to Oxford Circus, then Marble Arch
to end his first day at Wolverhampton
after 121 miles. At one stage he considered returning to France to ride the same roads as the Tour de France. He was dissuaded by the race official, Jacques Goddet
, who sent a telegram: "Menzies - don't be a fool. Stay where you have roads like a velodrome
. Don't you know when you're well off?" Menzies completed the year with 62,785 miles, beating Nicholson's figure at 10.16am on the last day. Among those who celebrated with him was another Frenchman, Marcel Planes, who set the first distance record, 34,366 miles, in 1911.
, one of the busiest junctions in London
.
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
in the first world war and was chauffeur to the French leader, Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
in the second world war. After the war he tried to ride 63,000 miles in a year to celebrate his 63rd birthday but finished with 62,785.
Background
René Menzies was born in Caen, France, of French and Scottish descent. He moved to England in the early 1930s. His talent for long distances was well known, and it eventually led him to try for the record for the greatest distance in a year.World endurance record for distance cycled in a single year
In 1911 the weekly magazine, CyclingCycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
began a competition for the greatest distance cycled in a single year. The first holder was Marcel Planes of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with 34666 miles (55,789.4 km). The record has been established nine times. A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb
Ken Webb
Ken Webb is an English cyclist who at 42 claimed the world record for distance cycled in a year. He calculated he passed the 75,065 miles set by another Briton, Tommy Godwin on 7 August 1972 and that he finished the year with 80,647. He rode on to claim the record for 100,000 miles in 448 days...
, was later disallowed.Ken Webb's claim was for 80647 miles (129,788.4 km) in 1972. Webb insisted he had completed the distance but others said he hadn't and he was removed from the Guinness Book of Records.
| Year | Record holder | Country | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Marcel Planes | 34666 miles (55,789.4 km) | |
| 1932 | Arthur Humbles Arthur Humbles Albert Arthur Humbles was an English cyclist who set the world endurance cycling record by covering 36,007 miles during the calender year of 1932... |
36007 miles (57,947.5 km) | |
| 1933 | Ossie Nicholson | 43966 miles (70,756.2 km) | |
| 1936 | Walter Greaves | 45383 miles (73,036.7 km) | |
| 1937 | Bernard Bennett | 45801 miles (73,709.4 km) | |
| 1937 | René Menzies | 61561 miles (99,072.6 km) | |
| 1937 | Ossie Nicholson | 62657 miles (100,836.4 km) | |
| 1939 | Bernard Bennett | 65127 miles (104,811.5 km) | |
| 1939 | Tommy Godwin Tommy Godwin (cyclist born 1912) Tommy Godwin, was an English cyclist who holds the world cycling records for miles covered in a year and the fastest completion of .... |
75065 miles (120,805.1 km) |
In that era bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable. Menzies was sponsored by a British manufacturer, Rudge-Whitworth. Menzies' ambition was to break not only the record for the year but another, for 100000 miles (160,934 km), which he achieved in 532 days.
The year record was held by an Australian professional, Ossie Nicholson. It was established in 1933 and broken in 1936 by a one-armed English amateur, Walter Greaves. Nicholson said he would set it again. He had competition, however, from Bernard Bennett, another British rider, and from Menzies. All three men were trying for the record at the same time.
Nicholson started more than 10 kg overweight but rode 300 km a day. He had ridden 40,000 km by the end of May but Menzies had started to close the gap. Menzies, in the European winter, had fallen on icy roads, broken a bone and missed 24 days. The writer Jock Wadley
Jock Wadley
John Borland Wadley was an English journalist whose magazines and reporting opened Continental cycle racing to fans in Britain....
recalled:
That first day of January 1937, soaked to the skin, he came running excitedly to the office about teatime with the news: 'One hundred and feefty miles.' It was the first day of a year's ride; 364 days later he had ridden 61,561 miles and had shown the real meaning of the French word courage by riding for weeks with a broken wrist in plaster and sling.
Winter arrived in Australia as summer came to Europe. Nicholson often rode in the dark to keep up his distance but Menzies had daylight and the two men were level by the start of October. They both beat Greaves' record on the same day.
Menzies reached Greaves' record at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in London, with Greaves beside him.
Cycling reported:
A year's race had commenced between two widely separated contestants, Ossie Nicholson from Down Under who had already tasted success, and a newcomer, René Menzies, a 48-year-old Frenchman of Scottish descent. René rode in the UK and on the Continent, searching for the hotter weather... Many miles away, Nicholson had found better weather and financial support; at the end of his year he had collected an amazing 62,567 miles this time tasting more than glory as he had also pedalled his way clear of beating the 100,000 mile record, this time in 532 days.
Both Bennett and Menzies held the record briefly - Menzies 168.7 miles a day - before Ossie Nicholson achieved 62,855 miles.
Dorothy Curtis, writing in the magazine of the National Cycle Collection in Britain, said Menzies lived in London and sometimes rode 100 miles from there to Brighton and back in the morning and then to a café that her mother owned near the Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
memorial at Girtford Bridge near Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
, north of London, in the afternoon before returning to London. She said:
He asked my mother if he could put a hut up in the garden with a single bed and a chair so that is he did a night ride he could pop in there and not disturb anybody. Of course we had to sign papers that he had done the miles and also feed him. Sometimes he used to be a bit downhearted so we girls used to buck him up or cheer him on. We used to say 'Now come on, you know all after this looking after you we're expecting a nice prize at the end. I shan't get that free Rudge-Whitworth bike if you don't keep on with your ride.'Menzies remembered the help he had been given and Dorothy Curtis was sent a five-speed Rudge-Whitworth.
Veteran ride
War stopped Menzies from trying to beat Nicholson. The Australian's distance had in any case been improved to 75,065 miles by a British rider, Tommy GodwinTommy Godwin (cyclist born 1920)
Thomas "Tommy" Charles Godwin was a British track cyclist during the 1940s and 1950s. He held national records and raced abroad. He later became a coach, manager and administrator.-Origins:...
, in 1939, a distance that still stands.A better distance, 80,647 miles, was claimed by a Briton, Ken Webb, and appeared briefly in the Guinness Book of Records before being removed Menzies decided in 1952 to beat Nicholson's distance regardless, to set an unofficial veterans' record, and to ride 63,000 miles to mark his 63rd birthday. Jock Wadley wrote:
We have known René Menzies a long time now... It was therefore not much of a surprise at 1.30pm on December 31, 1951, just as we had closed for press, to get a 'phone call from René saying he was starting his record at midnight. 'Yes, René,' we said. "Which record?"
'Why, of course, the year's mileage record, of course!...' Only four watched that story translated into reality as we saw him off at about twenty past midnight on January 1, 1952. He started without much trade support, but with supreme confidence in his ability to command it as he went along. 'I post my first card from the post office at Marble ArchMarble ArchMarble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
,' he called out... Since then these cards have showered on our office - there must have been well over 1,000 of them. Each one was signed at the start of a day's ride, at the 'turn', and again at the finish by anybody who happened to be around (postmen, policemen and pull-up-for-carmen-café workers were the chief witnesses), the mileage at each point being logged according to the speedometer reading.
He left from Big Ben in central London as it chimed in January 1. He wore three woollen sweaters, a beret and plus-fours. He started with a circuit of Parliament Square and rode to Oxford Circus, then Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
to end his first day at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
after 121 miles. At one stage he considered returning to France to ride the same roads as the Tour de France. He was dissuaded by the race official, Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet was a French sports journalist and director of the Tour de France from 1936 to 1986....
, who sent a telegram: "Menzies - don't be a fool. Stay where you have roads like a velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
. Don't you know when you're well off?" Menzies completed the year with 62,785 miles, beating Nicholson's figure at 10.16am on the last day. Among those who celebrated with him was another Frenchman, Marcel Planes, who set the first distance record, 34,366 miles, in 1911.
Death
Menzies died at 82 whilst pedalling around Hyde Park CornerHyde Park Corner
Hyde Park Corner is a place in London, at the south-east corner of Hyde Park. It is a major intersection where Park Lane, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place and Constitution Hill converge...
, one of the busiest junctions in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
See also
- Tommy GodwinTommy Godwin (cyclist born 1912)Tommy Godwin, was an English cyclist who holds the world cycling records for miles covered in a year and the fastest completion of ....
- Endurance cyclist - Ken WebbKen WebbKen Webb is an English cyclist who at 42 claimed the world record for distance cycled in a year. He calculated he passed the 75,065 miles set by another Briton, Tommy Godwin on 7 August 1972 and that he finished the year with 80,647. He rode on to claim the record for 100,000 miles in 448 days...
- Endurance cyclist