Arthur Humbles

Albert Arthur Humbles (born 1910, date of death unknown)[1] was an English cyclist who set the world endurance cycling record by covering 36,007 miles (57,948 kilometres) during the calendar year of 1932. He broke the previous best mark that had stood since Marcel Planes completed 34,366 mi (55,307 km) in 1911 in response to Cycling magazine's 'Century Competition'.[2] In 1933, Humbles entered the Golden Book of Cycling as the greatest long-distance rider in the world. He rode 36,007 mi (57,948 km) in a year, averaging 100.019 mi (160.965 km) per day for the 360 days that he rode.[2]

Personal life

Humbles lived in North London during the time of his record bid. In later life he ran a bicycle shop on Bridge Street in Whitby, Yorkshire.

World endurance record

In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of 100 mi (160 km) rides or "centuries" in a single year.[3] The winner was Marcel Planes with 332 centuries in which he covered 34,366 miles (55,307 km).[3] The inspiration for the competition was said to be the efforts of Harry Long, a commercial traveller who rode a bicycle on his rounds covering every part of England and Scotland and who covered 25,376 miles (40,839 km) in 1910.[3] The world record for distance cycled in a year began in an era when bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable. The record has been officially established nine times.[4] A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.[n 1]

World Endurance record for a single year
YearRecord holderCountryDistanceRef
1911Marcel Planes France34,366 miles (55,307 km)[2]
1932Arthur Humbles Great Britain36,007 miles (57,948 km)[2]
1933Ossie Nicholson Australia43,966 miles (70,756 km)[5]
1936Walter Greaves Great Britain45,383 miles (73,037 km)[6]
1937Bernard Bennett Great Britain45,801 miles (73,710 km)
1937René Menzies France61,561 miles (99,073 km)[7]
1937Ossie Nicholson Australia62,657 miles (100,837 km)[8]
1939Bernard Bennett Great Britain65,127 miles (104,812 km)
1939Tommy Godwin Great Britain75,065 miles (120,805 km)[9]

Humbles wanted to demonstrate that an ordinary clubman could break the long-standing world endurance record, so in 1932 cycling became a full-time occupation.[2]

His daily average for 360 days was 100.019 mi (160.965 km) per day for the 360 days that he rode. His longest ride in a single day was 172 mi (277 km) and the shortest was 35 mi (56 km). His usual routes were out of London along the Great North Road, the Cambridge Road and the Newmarket Road. He also toured England and Wales, visiting places such as Alnwick, Clovelly, Bury St. Edmunds and Bere Regis.[2]

He broke Marcel Planes' record by riding the 34,367th mile through Hyde Park, London, on 11 December, reportedly followed by 3,000 cyclists.[2]

The Golden Book

Humbles' achievements were celebrated in 1933 when Cycling Weekly awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling.[2]

Notes
  1. Ken Webb's claim was for 80,647 miles (129,789 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.

References
  1. Barter, Dave (8 October 2015). The Year: Reawakening the legend of cycling's hardest endurance record. Vertebrate Publishing. ISBN 978-1910240441.
  2. "The Golden Book of Cycling – Citation for Arthur Humbles". Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
  3. "Year's Road Riding". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 7 January 1933. p. 18.
  4. Cycling, 1972, undated cutting
  5. "Ossie for Aussie". The Referee. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 7 January 1937. p. 20.
  6. "The Golden Book of Cycling - citation for Walter Greaves". Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
  7. "Cycling". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 18 January 1938. p. 16.
  8. "Australia regains world's cycling record". The Referee. Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 6 January 1938. p. 20.
  9. "Pedal Club archives - Citation for Thomas Edward Godwin". Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
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