*** Welcome to piglix ***

René Menzies

René Menzies
Personal information
Born c. November 1889
French
Died c. 1971, aged 82
Team information
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type Endurance
Major wins

World Endurance record for a single year
- 61,561 miles (99,073 km) in 1937
World record for 100,000 miles (160,000 km)
- achieved in 532 days in 1937-8

World Veteran Endurance record for single year
- 62,785 miles (101,043 km) in 1952

World Endurance record for a single year
- 61,561 miles (99,073 km) in 1937
World record for 100,000 miles (160,000 km)
- achieved in 532 days in 1937-8

René Menzies (c. November 1889 – c. 1971) 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 99,073 kilometres (61,561 mi) 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 (101,000 km) in a year to celebrate his 63rd birthday but finished with 62,785 miles (101,043 km).

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.

In 1911, the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of 100-mile (160 km) rides or "centuries" in a single year. The winner was Marcel Planes with 332 centuries in which he covered 34,366 miles (55,307 km). 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. The record has been officially established nine times. A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.

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 100,000 miles (160,000 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:


...
Wikipedia

...