Eileen Sheridan (cyclist)
Encyclopedia
Eileen Sheridan, née Shaw was an English
cyclist specialising in time trialling
and road record breaking. She broke all the records of the Women's Road Records Association during the late 1930s and into the second world war. They included Land's End to John o' Groats
, set by Marguerite Wilson
. For many years she lived with her family in Church Street, Isleworth
.
She then won the national time trial
championship at 25 miles, saying she "rode as never before." She married Keith Sheridan and gave birth to their son, Clive, in April 1946. She started cycling again seven weeks later and within five months won a club time trial.
She reduced her 50-mile time to 2h 22m 53s in 1947 and rode 25 miles in 1h 7m 35s. She won the Birmingham and Midland track championship. She moved to a conventional racing bike with lightweight wheels in 1948 and, in the words of The Bicycle, "rocked the racing world, setting up completely new standards for women's records."
She won the women's British Best All-Rounder
time trial
competition in 1949 and 1950. Her ride in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 12-hour race in September 1949 set a national record with 237.32 miles. Only four men bettered her distance, the winner of the men's event, Des Robinson, by only six miles. She also took national championships at 50 and 100 miles in 1950. She broke records at 30 miles (1948: 1h 19m 28s), 50 miles (1949 and 1950: 2h 14m 16s), 100 miles (1950: 4h 37m 53s) and 12 hours (1949: 237.62 miles). But her time for 25 miles never fell below 1h 5m; she saidn it took her at least that far to get warmed up.
She was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize
in 1950 "for creating a new high standard in women's cycle racing with an outstanding series of three championships and five record performances on the road in 1950."
signed her in 1951 for three years to break distance and place-to-place records
. She broke all 21 of the women's records by large margins. Five have yet to be beaten, including the London-Edinburgh record of 20h 11m 35s, set in 1954. Her 1,000-mile record of 3 days and 1 hour stood for 48 years until it was broken in 2002 by Lynne Taylor
's record for Land's End to John o' Groats
, from the southern tip of England to the northernmost part of mainland Scotland, to 2 days, 11 hours and 7 minutes.
Cycling historian Raman Minovi said: "Hercules supplied the most bizarre support vehicle ever seen until the Mad Max movies. A caravan was strapped to a vast Bedford low-loader, and a large toilet ostentatiously installed on the front. Access to the monster was via a ladder, and when Eileen needed a comfort break, then the whole world knew about it. Her hands were blistered because there was no padding on the bars, just a winding of rough tape, and she kept going on blackcurrant juice, soup, sugar and chicken legs."
The bicycle she used is on display in Coventry Transport Museum
It carries the Hercules name but was made under contract by another supplier because, Minovi said, "Hercules' frames were so poorly made."
called Spinning Wheels: Cycle Sport '50s Style. The film also featured Reg Harris
, Ken Joy and Cyril Peacock
as well as scenes from the Tour de France
. In 1955 she featured in an advertisement for Player's cigarettes.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cyclist specialising in time trialling
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
and road record breaking. She broke all the records of the Women's Road Records Association during the late 1930s and into the second world war. They included Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats is the traversal of the whole length of the island of Great Britain between two extremities; in the southwest and northeast. The traditional distance by road is and takes most cyclists ten to fourteen days; the record for running the route is nine days. Off-road...
, set by Marguerite Wilson
Marguerite Wilson
Marguerite Wilson was a record-breaking cyclist from Bournemouth. In 1939 she broke the Land's End to John o' Groats and records. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held every Women's Road Records Association bicycle record...
. For many years she lived with her family in Church Street, Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
.
Amateur career
Eileen Sheridan, 4 ft 11in tall as an adult and described by historian Bernard Thompson as "a dainty lady", was an athletic girl at school in Coventry. Cycling dominated other sports at the age of 15 and she joined the Coventry Cycling Club in 1944. There she went touring and joined club rides without being interested in racing. She said: "It is on club runs that the club spirit is found, if they have a spirit at all, and retained for all time. Coventry club runs number among the happiest moments in my life." She rode her first race, an informal 10-mile time trial, in mid-1940 and finished in 28m 30s "to the great amazement of the club as well as myself." She intended to race formally that summer but the event she entered was cancelled. She began racing instead in 1945 Her first race was a 25-mile time trial run by the Birmingham Time Trial Association and she was seeded to start first. She hoped to ride 1h 15m and finished in 1m 13m 34s, breaking her club's record.She then won the national 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...
championship at 25 miles, saying she "rode as never before." She married Keith Sheridan and gave birth to their son, Clive, in April 1946. She started cycling again seven weeks later and within five months won a club time trial.
She reduced her 50-mile time to 2h 22m 53s in 1947 and rode 25 miles in 1h 7m 35s. She won the Birmingham and Midland track championship. She moved to a conventional racing bike with lightweight wheels in 1948 and, in the words of The Bicycle, "rocked the racing world, setting up completely new standards for women's records."
She won the women's British Best All-Rounder
British Best All-Rounder
The British Best All-Rounder competition, organised by Cycling Time Trials, is an annual British cycle-racing competition. It ranks riders by their average speeds in individual time trials, over 50 and and 12 hours for men, and over 25, 50 and for women. There are similar competitions for...
time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
competition in 1949 and 1950. Her ride in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation 12-hour race in September 1949 set a national record with 237.32 miles. Only four men bettered her distance, the winner of the men's event, Des Robinson, by only six miles. She also took national championships at 50 and 100 miles in 1950. She broke records at 30 miles (1948: 1h 19m 28s), 50 miles (1949 and 1950: 2h 14m 16s), 100 miles (1950: 4h 37m 53s) and 12 hours (1949: 237.62 miles). But her time for 25 miles never fell below 1h 5m; she saidn it took her at least that far to get warmed up.
She was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize
Frederick Thomas Bidlake
Frederick Thomas Bidlake was an English racing cyclist of the late 19th century who became one of the most notable administrators of British road bicycle racing during the early 20th century. The annual Bidlake Memorial Prize, was instituted in his memory...
in 1950 "for creating a new high standard in women's cycle racing with an outstanding series of three championships and five record performances on the road in 1950."
Professional career
Hercules Cycle and Motor CompanyHercules Cycle and Motor Company
For the German Bicycle and Motorcycle manufacturer see: Hercules Fahrrad GmbH & CoThe Hercules Cycle and Motor Company Limited was a British bicycle manufacturer founded on 9 September 1910 in Aston in England....
signed her in 1951 for three years to break distance and place-to-place records
Road Records Association
The Road Records Association is a British cycle racing organisation which supervises records on the road but not in conventional races. It is one of the oldest cycle sport organisations in the world, formed in 1888.-Remit:...
. She broke all 21 of the women's records by large margins. Five have yet to be beaten, including the London-Edinburgh record of 20h 11m 35s, set in 1954. Her 1,000-mile record of 3 days and 1 hour stood for 48 years until it was broken in 2002 by Lynne Taylor
Land's End - John o'Groats
In 1954 Sheridan reduced Marguerite WilsonMarguerite Wilson
Marguerite Wilson was a record-breaking cyclist from Bournemouth. In 1939 she broke the Land's End to John o' Groats and records. When World War II stopped her efforts in 1941 she held every Women's Road Records Association bicycle record...
's record for Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats
Land's End to John o' Groats is the traversal of the whole length of the island of Great Britain between two extremities; in the southwest and northeast. The traditional distance by road is and takes most cyclists ten to fourteen days; the record for running the route is nine days. Off-road...
, from the southern tip of England to the northernmost part of mainland Scotland, to 2 days, 11 hours and 7 minutes.
Cycling historian Raman Minovi said: "Hercules supplied the most bizarre support vehicle ever seen until the Mad Max movies. A caravan was strapped to a vast Bedford low-loader, and a large toilet ostentatiously installed on the front. Access to the monster was via a ladder, and when Eileen needed a comfort break, then the whole world knew about it. Her hands were blistered because there was no padding on the bars, just a winding of rough tape, and she kept going on blackcurrant juice, soup, sugar and chicken legs."
The bicycle she used is on display in Coventry Transport Museum
Coventry Transport Museum
The Coventry Transport Museum is a motor museum, located in Coventry City Centre, England. It houses a collection of British-made road transport. It is located in Coventry because the city was previously the centre of the British car industry...
It carries the Hercules name but was made under contract by another supplier because, Minovi said, "Hercules' frames were so poorly made."
Disallowed record
The Women's Road Records Association disallowed her attempt on the Land's End to London record, in 1952, because the Daily Mirror had published a story announcing her attempt. The association's rules forbade publicity before a ride. She had beaten the record by 23 minutes.Outside racing
In 1952 she featured in a documentary film made by DunlopDunlop Rubber
Dunlop Rubber was a company based in the United Kingdom which manufactured tyres and other rubber products for most of the 20th century. It was acquired by BTR plc in 1985. Since then, ownership of the Dunlop trade-names has been fragmented.-Early history:...
called Spinning Wheels: Cycle Sport '50s Style. The film also featured Reg Harris
Reg Harris
Reginald - 'Reg' - Hargreaves Harris OBE was a leading English track racing cyclist in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the world amateur sprint title in 1947, two Olympic silver medals in 1948, and the professional title in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1954...
, Ken Joy and Cyril Peacock
Cyril Peacock
Cyril Francis Peacock was a British amateur racing cyclist who was world champion in 1954. He was also national sprint champion in 1952, 1953 and 1954 and Commonwealth Games champion in 1954.-Adolescence:...
as well as scenes from the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. In 1955 she featured in an advertisement for Player's cigarettes.
Assessment
The cycling historian Bernard Thompson wrote:- The 100-mile championship was introduced in 1950 and won by Eileen Sheridan, Coventry CC, with 4h 37m 53s. The reign of Eileen Sheridan had begun some five years earlier when in 1945 she won the 25-mile title with 1h 8m 38s, and although there had been many highly talented women time-triallists throughout the early years of the sport, it was Eileen Sheridan who set about pushing out the frontiers of women's records to the point of almost complete domination. [She] was a dainty lady and belied her strength and stamina. It was written in 1950 after Eileen Sheridan's second successive Best All-Rounder championship that "It may well be that Eileen Sheridan will go down in cycling history as the greatest of all women riders.",
External links
- Cycling Ireland - road records Dublin-CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
still held by Sheridan