Which Rider Used To Travel The Furthest For Home Meetings?

[steve roberts 9,246]

Got me thinking on another thread of riders who used to travel long distances to ride for their clubs in Britain.

 

Chris Juiian must take some beating. Cornwall to Glasgow every week.

 

Mike Sampson and Bob Coles - Exeter to Barrow.

 

Michael Coles - Exeter to Edinburgh.

 

Considering that the motorway system was very different back during the sixties and early seventies that's some achievement but of course there weren't the number of vehicles back then and speed restrictions were a bit more lapse but impressive all the same.

Edited June 10, 2016 by steve roberts

[Sotonian 610]

Not quite so far but still worth mentioning Maury Mattingley - Southampton to Glasgow

[FAST GATER 853]

Got me thinking on another thread of riders who used to travel long distances to ride for their clubs in Britain.

 

Chris Juiian must take some beating. Cornwall to Glasgow every week.

 

Mike Sampson and Bob Coles - Exeter to Barrow.

 

Michael Coles - Exeter to Edinburgh.

 

Considering that the motorway system was very different back during the sixties and early seventies that's some achievement but of course there weren't the number of vehicles back then and speed restrictions were a bit more lapse but impressive all the same.

Plus many held down full or part time jobs outside the sport but then they just wanted to ride s/way and if they made a few bob it was a bonus !!!

[HertsRacer 222]

Got me thinking on another thread of riders who used to travel long distances to ride for their clubs in Britain.

 

Chris Juiian must take some beating. Cornwall to Glasgow every week.

 

Mike Sampson and Bob Coles - Exeter to Barrow.

 

Michael Coles - Exeter to Edinburgh.

 

Considering that the motorway system was very different back during the sixties and early seventies that's some achievement but of course there weren't the number of vehicles back then and speed restrictions were a bit more lapse but impressive all the same.

Didn't Chris Julian used to fly to and from Glasgow?

[lucifer sam 3,953]

Daniel Spiller in 2015. Germany to Eastbourne.

 

All the best

Rob

 

EDIT: Renat Gafurov in 2005... Russia to Oxford. He only lasted one week, when Waggy realised it was going to cost him £1000 in airfares every week.

Edited June 10, 2016 by lucifer sam

[iris123 20,989]

Darren Spiller in 2015. Germany to Eastbourne.

 

All the best

Rob

 

EDIT: Renat Gafurov in 2005... Russia to Oxford. He only lasted one week, when Waggy realised it was going to cost him £1000 in airfares every week.

Is Darren the father of the young riders Daniel + Ethan Spiller?

[lucifer sam 3,953]

Is Darren the father of the young riders Daniel + Ethan Spiller?

 

Congratulations on spotting the deliberate mistake.

 

Your prize for being a smart-ass is a fight with Sidney in the 4th bend bar at Blunsdon, since Orion has chickened out of it

 

All the best

Rob

Edited June 10, 2016 by lucifer sam

[iris123 20,989]

 

Congratulations on spotting the deliberate mistake.

 

Your prize for being a smart-ass is a fight with Sidney in the 4th bend bar at Blunsdon, since Orion has chickened out of it

 

All the best

Rob

Is he the guy who asks you if you want decking when you walk into B+Qs?

[steve roberts 9,246]

Remember an article by Rod Haynes (one time Scunthorpe & Sheffield rider) saying that George Hunter (Edinburgh) would drive his articulated lorry from his Midland base to Immingham Docks (Humber Estuary) then drive back home to pick up his bike and then drive up to Edinburgh for the evening meeting all on the same day! That's dedication!

[Red Flag 454]

Petr Ondrasik used to drive from Czechoslovakia to Wolverhampton with his bike on the back of his little car,ride the meeting and then drive back again in the late 70's

[Wessex Wanderer 148]

I think it was Maury Mattingley who used to fly to Glasgow for home meetings. He was the current Scottish Open Champion when the ever publicity wise Trevor Redmond signed him up for the Glasgow revival season. Probably part of the signing "negotiations".

 

Chris Julian had been riding for Redmond at St Austell so "transferred" with the licence when it was switched to Glasgow. I guess he didn't have so much bargaining power as Mattingley but I am sure he was the one who drove north every week. Purely from memory I seem to remember reading that it was something like 6 hours each way. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

 

[britmet 233]

I think it was Maury Mattingley who used to fly to Glasgow for home meetings. He was the current Scottish Open Champion when the ever publicity wise Trevor Redmond signed him up for the Glasgow revival season. Probably part of the signing "negotiations".

 

Chris Julian had been riding for Redmond at St Austell so "transferred" with the licence when it was switched to Glasgow. I guess he didn't have so much bargaining power as Mattingley but I am sure he was the one who drove north every week. Purely from memory I seem to remember reading that it was something like 6 hours each way. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

 

.

Quite right, Mattingly flew, Julian drove.

But you couldn't do it in 6hrs, - doubtful even today, with motorways and moderns cars (or a Merdedes van.)

Chris had an old (even then) grey 1955 Austin A50 Cambridge. It was a 2-day overnight run for him.

.

There weren't speed cameras back then, but he still couldn't have exceeded the limit with such transport, plus a bike strapped on the back just to create some more drag.

I had a 1957 A55 around the same time, (1963) and never felt able to take it beyond 55-60mph on the M1, even though there was no speed limit then on the few motorways we had. There'd been little thought given to higher speeds on motorways when these cars were on the drawing board 10 years earlier.

.

.

[salty 2,202]

Daniel Spiller in 2015. Germany to Eastbourne.

 

All the best

Rob

 

EDIT: Renat Gafurov in 2005... Russia to Oxford. He only lasted one week, when Waggy realised it was going to cost him £1000 in airfares every week.

Not just Russia, but the Gaffer used to ride for Vladivostock on the Eastern seaboard