Charlie Davey (cyclist)
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Davey (born circa 1887, died 7 October 1964) was a British racing cyclist who rode in the Olympic Games, the world championship and the marathon Bol d'Or
race.
Davey originally played football
. He also tried athletics. At 17 he came third in a 12-mile walk promoted by tradesmen in Addiscombe
, Surrey
. He competed for East Surrey Harriers. He started cycling when his brothers persuaded him to try racing on a grass track in another event run by the tradesmen. He won five prizes.
In 1910 he joined the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club, moving to the Addiscombe CC, a club he founded in 1906. His first win on the road was for the Addiscombe club in the Olympian CC 50-mile time trial
, held between Crawley
and Godstone
, which he won by eight minutes in 2h 35m 0s.
In 1911 he finished third in the Anerley
12-hour time-trial. That qualified him to ride for Britain in the 1912 Olympic Games road race in Stockholm
. The race was run over 200 miles around Lake Malar. The organisation was chaotic, riders bunching together instead of being separated, cars impeding the competitors and errors in the time-keeping.
Davey won his first record when in 1914 he partnered Harry Paul to beat the Southern Road Records Association 50-mile time, followed two weeks later by London-Worthing-London.
War interrupted his career and he became a petty officer
in the Royal Naval Air Service
, forerunner of the Royal Air Force
. He was stationed in the Orkney Islands
, where he swam two miles to a buoy in Scapa Flow
and back again.
In 1920 Davey he won seven track events, the Balham 50-mile time trial, the Anerley 12-hour and the Lincolnshire
championships at 25, 50 and 100 miles. He was selected for the Olympic Games in Antwerp as a reserve. He waited until the complete team had arrived at the ferry port in Harwich
, then rode the Anerley 12-hour to finish second to Maurice Selbach.
His best year was 1921, the year of the first cycling world road race championship. Davey was 34.
Britain ran the world championship in 1922, again run as a time trial, in Shropshire
. The winner was Dave Marsh of Britain. Davey came third and Britain won a gold medal as best team.
Davey turned professional the following year for the New Hudson bicycle company. He beat the Land's End
to London record by 1hr 55m, then the 24-hour record with 402 miles and Land's End to London again in 17h 29m. He went to Paris
to ride the Bol d'Or marathon race on the Buffalo velodrome
. He finished sixth, the winner being Oscar Egg
after 550 miles.
Davey's last year was when he was 40. He beat the London to Portsmouth
and back record by 12 minutes and set the London to Bath and back record at 11h 47m 52s. In retirement he managed other riders' record attempts and arranged or scheduled many rides between 1926 and 1960.
Addiscombe Cycling Club gave him a gold-plated spanner in 1959 for his work for the club.
He was celebrated in Golden Book of Cycling
in 1959.
Bol d'or
The Bol d'or is a motorcycle endurance race, held annually in France. Originally, it was an automobile as well as motorcycle race. The automobiles were limited to 1100cc engine capacity until the 1950s when the limit was raised to 1500cc, and later to 2000cc...
race.
Davey originally played football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. He also tried athletics. At 17 he came third in a 12-mile walk promoted by tradesmen in Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He competed for East Surrey Harriers. He started cycling when his brothers persuaded him to try racing on a grass track in another event run by the tradesmen. He won five prizes.
In 1910 he joined the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club, moving to the Addiscombe CC, a club he founded in 1906. His first win on the road was for the Addiscombe club in the Olympian CC 50-mile time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
, held between Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
and Godstone
Godstone
Godstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
, which he won by eight minutes in 2h 35m 0s.
In 1911 he finished third in the Anerley
Anerley
Anerley is a district of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Anerley is geographically an outer lying area of London, although it is considered to have characteristics of an Inner city suburb...
12-hour time-trial. That qualified him to ride for Britain in the 1912 Olympic Games road race in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The race was run over 200 miles around Lake Malar. The organisation was chaotic, riders bunching together instead of being separated, cars impeding the competitors and errors in the time-keeping.
Davey won his first record when in 1914 he partnered Harry Paul to beat the Southern Road Records Association 50-mile time, followed two weeks later by London-Worthing-London.
War interrupted his career and he became a petty officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
, forerunner of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He was stationed in the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
, where he swam two miles to a buoy in Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
and back again.
In 1920 Davey he won seven track events, the Balham 50-mile time trial, the Anerley 12-hour and the Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
championships at 25, 50 and 100 miles. He was selected for the Olympic Games in Antwerp as a reserve. He waited until the complete team had arrived at the ferry port in Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
, then rode the Anerley 12-hour to finish second to Maurice Selbach.
His best year was 1921, the year of the first cycling world road race championship. Davey was 34.
Britain ran the world championship in 1922, again run as a time trial, in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. The winner was Dave Marsh of Britain. Davey came third and Britain won a gold medal as best team.
Davey turned professional the following year for the New Hudson bicycle company. He beat the Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
to London record by 1hr 55m, then the 24-hour record with 402 miles and Land's End to London again in 17h 29m. He went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to ride the Bol d'Or marathon race on the Buffalo velodrome
Vélodrome Buffalo
The Vélodrome Buffalo and Stade Buffalo were cycling tracks in Paris. The first existed from 1893 until World War I, the second from 1922 until 1957....
. He finished sixth, the winner being Oscar Egg
Oscar Egg
Oscar Egg was a Swiss track and road bicycle racer. He captured the world hour record three times before the First World War...
after 550 miles.
Davey's last year was when he was 40. He beat the London to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and back record by 12 minutes and set the London to Bath and back record at 11h 47m 52s. In retirement he managed other riders' record attempts and arranged or scheduled many rides between 1926 and 1960.
Addiscombe Cycling Club gave him a gold-plated spanner in 1959 for his work for the club.
He was celebrated in Golden Book of Cycling
Golden Book of Cycling
The Golden Book of Cycling was created in 1932 by Cycling, a British cycling magazine,to celebrate "the Sport and Pastime of Cycling by recording the outstanding rides, deeds and accomplishments of cyclists, officials and administrators." There exists only a single copy of this compendium of...
in 1959.