Ray, I just knew you would disagree with me, it would be a miracle if you ever did. Let me explain my point in further detail: Prior to the Great War the majority of road surfaces were unmetalled that is not tarmacked. Just prior to the war and during the war the majority of roads had been surfaced. So any pre war record was a really a difficult ride on rough roads and the numerous punctures they caused. Remember you were allowed no other help or assistance back then when you punctured. Just remember Jack when he did all his rides only one good hand and he still managed to break records and change tyres. One of his hands had been badly damaged by shell fire in the trenches. Now lets look at your case: London to Bath and Back well this record he took was held by R.Shirley and was set in 1907 on unsurfaced roads in a time of 11h 57m 42s well Maurice had the benefit of a tarmacked Bath Road now one of the best kept roads in the 1920's and he only managed to beat it by 2m 12s. Plus he had better equipment more akin todays stuff. Charlie Davey took 8 minutes of this record the following year and A.West a staggering near 35 minutes after them. Lands End to London well Charlie Davey did the real damage to this record when he shattered the great Frank Armonds time in 1923 by just under 2 hours. Maurice Selbach managed to shave off 4 minutes of Charlies ride. Almost immediately in a lot worse conditions Charlie Davey went again and took 18 minutes off Selbachs time. As for the 24 Selbach had already set 394 miles in 1914 in the North Road on unsurfaced roads and 405 miles in 1919 again in the North Road. This was the year that the road surface was so bad due to wartime neglect, that the miles north of Eaton Socon were omitted. Whats more remarkable about Maurice's ride is that he did 202m in the first 12 and 203 in the second. The actual 24h time trial record for 1922 was still held by Selbach with his 1919 distance. I have down J.E. Holdsworth as the next to take the record with 408.5 on the 4th & 5th July 1925 in the Catford. The Catford was always the better course with the North Road next and finally the Anfield. Finally you never mentioned his 100m tandem record with A.R.Woods. They set this in 1920 with a time of 4h 27m 58s. Taking 9 minutes of a record set by the Ilsley's Brothers of the North Road in 1902. This record was made on the same course as Harry Green record and they were both done on the same day when Harry lowered it to 4h 36m 22s. The tandem was 10 minutes in front of the solo and he had the advantage tat the tandem pair were able to prepare level crossing keepers for his coming, and he beat it by 7 seconds. Greens record stood for 22 years and the ilsley's for 18. Once again set on unmetalled roads compared to Selbach and Woods on a modern lightweight tandem on very light tubs and a tarmac surface. Selbach is one of my hero's and I have read everything I can find on him and listened to my Grandfather and Great Uncle who knew and rode with him. I have also had the privilege of talking to Frank Almond, Jack Rossitier, Charlie Bowtle, Bill Bush, Frank Whitt and many more. His heyday was pre 1919 without doubt, just check his time trial results in those old Cyclings. His best ride would have possibly been in 1913 in the North Road 24. Perfect conditions and preparation but he collided with a local cyclist in the first five miles on Girtford Bridge damaging his knee which eventually forced him to retire after the first 12 hours. Legend has it that everyone expected him to beat 400 then on those teriible roads. Best wishes Joe. PS. There were no NRCC 24 hours held during the War who knows what he would have achieved at his peak during these four interupted years.
On Mon, 4 Dec 2006 17:11:20 +0000, greenjersey@ntlworld.com said:
> Joe writes:- Maurice Selbach' career was really at its peak prior to the
> First World War and just after not as they say in the 1920's. He was well
> on the way down by then and was not even a scratch man.
> Not sure I can agree with Joe on this one. Selbach held three R.R.A.
> records in his career all set in the Twenties. London to Bath and back in
> 1921 11hrs 55min., Lands End to London in 1923 17hrs 47 min. and the 24
> hour in 1922 with 397 miles. He broke the record set by the peerless
> Harry "Goss" Green (no relation)twenty one years earlier in 1901 by just
> three miles. Goss Green must have been an amazing rider. Six of his
> records stood for more than twenty years and one for an amazing twenty
> nine years.
> In 1909 he took the fifty mile record in 2hrs 1 min. On that occasion he
> rode a Simplex three speed with gears of 72in. 91in. and 114in. Goss rode
> for the Croydon Paragon and lived by the A23 London to Brighton road. He
> held the Brighton and back record four times bringing it close to five
> hours for the 109 miles. One hundred years later I see guys on carbon
> super bikes take longer for the one-way trip in the charity ride!
> The above info. is from Roy Green's (no relation) history of the RRA.
> Roy Green was Jock Wadley's assistant on Sporting Cyclist and later wrote
> for Amateur Photographer where he often illustrated his articles with
> photos of bike racing.
> Ray Green, Brighton, England
>
>
> -----------------------------------------
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