Motor-paced racing
Encyclopedia
Motor-paced racing and motor-paced cycling refer to cycling
behind a pacer in a car or more usually on a motorcycle. The cyclist follows as close as he can to profit from the slipstream
of his pacer. The first paced races were behind other cyclists, sometimes as many as five riders on the same tandem. Bordeaux-Paris
and record attempts have been ridden behind cars. More usually races or training are behind motorcycles.
s as pacers in the late 19th century. There could be as many as five riders on the pacing machine. Companies such as Dunlop
sponsored pacing teams, and "tens of thousands" turned out to watch. A south London rider, J. W. Stocks, set an unbeaten British record of 32 miles 1 086 yards in an hour behind a Dunlop quintuplet on 27 September 1897. The pacing tandems were ridden by professionals, of whom as many as 100 were under contract. Each competitor had six to eight pacing teams for races between 50 and 100 miles.
Speeds rose when engines were added to pacing tandems. Arthur Chase and the Frenchman, Émile Bouhours set English records behind powered tandems in 1898 and 1899. Chase used a 4½hp motorcycle to pace him to 37 miles 196 yards in a private test at Crystal Palace
, south London, in July 1900 but riders in the USA and in Paris had already done better. Some races mixed pacing with solo bicycles, tandem and motorcycle, with the riders given different start points in compensation.
, a race of nearly 600km from south-west France to the capital, was paced part of the way by cars in 1897, 1898 and 1899. So was Paris-Roubaix
. The historian Pierre Chany
said: "Cars made only a brief appearance in Paris-Roubaix. On the roads of the north, these noisy cars, high with wooden wheels with their tires nailed in place, raised huge clouds of dust. The drivers, wearing leathers, their eyes protected by huge goggles, were stepping into the unknown! The riders hidden in all this chaos could see absolutely nothing and risked their life at 50kmh on the edge of a razor. The noise was infernal and the column advanced in the stink of exhaust pipes."
There were few rules. Pacing machines had small rollers set sideways behind the back wheel to avoid crashes caused by the rider touching the back of the motorcycle but there were few other regulations. Race distances extended to six days, although one-hour and 100-mile contests were more common. Windshields were allowed briefly but abandoned after the world championship in 1904.
Speeds rose and accidents became frequent. The American, Harry Elkes, died of his injuries from a crash in front of 10 000 spectators at Boston, Massachusetts, USA. His rear tire exploded at 100kmh and he was thrown under another rider's pacing machine which "crushed the prostrate man in a dreadful manner." George Lander, of Chicago, USA, said "Only the clumsy get themselves killed" before starting a race at the Parc des Princes
in Paris. Leander was thrown five metres into the air after 80km, fell to the track, bounced into the seating and died 36 hours later. A crash in Berlin on 18 July 1909 killed nine when a motorcycle went into the stands and exploded.
The historian, Peter Nye, wrote:
The biggest machines were built by the pacers, using parts from other motorcycles, with engines as large as 2,000cc. The largest had two riders, one crouched over the handlebars to steer and the other sitting upright above the back wheel to protect the rider and to operate the engine. The pacers wore leathers, goggles and helmets but many riders wore a flat cap.
The world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale
set regulations for pacing motorcycles in 1920. Until then standards had been set by the police, particularly in Germany, or by the track promoters.
World championships were held annually, except during wars, for 100 years, often separately for amateurs and professionals. Carsten Podlesch
, who won in 1994, is the last and reigning world champion. National championships continue in several European countries and European championships are conducted annually.
Motorcycles now used include the 750cc Triumph Tiger or BMW
machines. The motorcycle for motor-pacing has a roller on a frame at the rear to create a uniform distance to the cyclist. Some riders objected when the UCI insisted on them in 1920. The pacer stands or sits upright to offer a maximum windbreak
, and the handlebars are extended to facilitate the stance, in a standarized leather suit that allows for the same slipstream effect for any rider. Speeds of 100 km/h (62.1 mph) can be reached; the average is between 60–70 km/h.
The bicycles are steel, sturdy and have a smaller front wheel to let the stayer bend forward into the slipstream.
A Derny
is a light motorbike typically driven by a 98cc Zurcher two-stroke engine and by being pedaled through a fixed gear, typically of 70 teeth on the front chainring and 11 on the sprocket on the back wheel. The combination allows for smooth acceleration and slowing, important when the rider taking pace is centimetres from the pacer's shielded back wheel. A coupling between the motor and the back wheel ensures the machine will not stop dead if the motor seizes.
The first Entraineur or Bordeaux–Paris models, with a petrol tank across the handlebars, were built by Roger Derny et Fils of the avenue de St Mandé, Paris, France in 1938. That closed in 1957, though another company, Derny Service of rue de Picpus serviced and rebuilt machines into the 70s. Derny also built a street adaptation called the Solo as well as tandems and mopeds.
The name derny is now applied to all such vehicles, regardless of manufacturer. It is used by the Larousse dictionary as a generic term for a small pacing motorcycle used in cycle races. The machine has to be bump-started. It can then pace riders up to 90 km/h, although races rarely exceed 80 km/h.Riders behind Derny-pacers ride conventional track bicycles.
Bordeaux–Paris was paced by Dernys for part of its route from 1946 to 1985.
s or on other oval and steeply banked tracks to allow high-speed racing. After a flying start the cyclists link up with their pacers. Riding counterclockwise, passing can only be done on the right, a blue line separating the longer passing lane from the inner. Typically four to six couples compete in a race, covering up to 100 kilometers or racing over a set time.
, a Japanese sprint with a paced start which has spread across the world, is a variation of motor-paced racing. A group of cyclists use a single pacer to get to speed and then sprint to the finish on their own.
The first hour record behind a motorcycle was set at 34 miles by Harry Elkes of the USA in 1898. He rode behind a motor-powered tandem. The first record behind a pure motorcycle was 42 miles, by Tom Linton of Britain, at the Parc des Princes
track in northwest Paris
in 1902. The speed increased but records become more hazy because some were made under restrictions imposed by the Union Cycliste Internationale and others with no rules at all.
On 12 October 12 1950 Karl-Heinz Kramer set the world record for absolute speed behind a motorcycle with 154.506 km/h (96 mph) on the Grenzlandring
.
The Frenchman, José Meiffret
, set a record 204.73 kmh behind a Mercedes-Benz 300SL on the autobahn at Freiburg
, Germany, on 16 July 1962. His bicycle had a 130-tooth chainring and wooden rims. Fred Rompelberg
, using a dragster
with a large shield as pacer, achieved 268.831 km/h (167 mph) on the Bonneville Salt Flats on 15 October 1995.
The record speed behind a railroad train is by the American, Charles Murphy. He rode at 60mph behind a train in New York state, USA, in 1899 and became known as Mile-a-Minute Murphy
.
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
behind a pacer in a car or more usually on a motorcycle. The cyclist follows as close as he can to profit from the slipstream
Slipstream
A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid is moving at velocities comparable to the moving object . The term slipstream also applies to the similar region adjacent to an object with a fluid moving around it...
of his pacer. The first paced races were behind other cyclists, sometimes as many as five riders on the same tandem. Bordeaux-Paris
Bordeaux-Paris
The Bordeaux–Paris professional cycle race was one of Europe's Classic cycle races, and one of the longest in the professional calendar, covering approximately - more than twice most single-day races...
and record attempts have been ridden behind cars. More usually races or training are behind motorcycles.
Origins of pacing
Cyclists started to use tandem bicycleTandem bicycle
The tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement , not the number of riders. A bike with two riders side-by-side is called a sociable.-History:Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the late 19th...
s as pacers in the late 19th century. There could be as many as five riders on the pacing machine. Companies such as Dunlop
Dunlop
Dunlop may refer to:In companies:*name derived from John Boyd Dunlop ** Dunlop Tyres, tyre manufacturer since 1985** Dunlop Rubber, manufacturer of tyre and rubber products from 1889 to 1985...
sponsored pacing teams, and "tens of thousands" turned out to watch. A south London rider, J. W. Stocks, set an unbeaten British record of 32 miles 1 086 yards in an hour behind a Dunlop quintuplet on 27 September 1897. The pacing tandems were ridden by professionals, of whom as many as 100 were under contract. Each competitor had six to eight pacing teams for races between 50 and 100 miles.
Speeds rose when engines were added to pacing tandems. Arthur Chase and the Frenchman, Émile Bouhours set English records behind powered tandems in 1898 and 1899. Chase used a 4½hp motorcycle to pace him to 37 miles 196 yards in a private test at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
, south London, in July 1900 but riders in the USA and in Paris had already done better. Some races mixed pacing with solo bicycles, tandem and motorcycle, with the riders given different start points in compensation.
Pacing by car
Bordeaux-ParisBordeaux-Paris
The Bordeaux–Paris professional cycle race was one of Europe's Classic cycle races, and one of the longest in the professional calendar, covering approximately - more than twice most single-day races...
, a race of nearly 600km from south-west France to the capital, was paced part of the way by cars in 1897, 1898 and 1899. So was Paris-Roubaix
Paris-Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France near the Belgian frontier. Since its beginning in 1896 until 1967 it started in Paris and ended in Roubaix ; since 1968 the start city is Compiègne , whilst the finish is still in Roubaix...
. The historian Pierre Chany
Pierre Chany
Pierre Chany was a French cycling journalist. He covered the Tour de France 49 times and was for a long time the main cycling writer for the daily newspaper, L'Équipe.- Biography :...
said: "Cars made only a brief appearance in Paris-Roubaix. On the roads of the north, these noisy cars, high with wooden wheels with their tires nailed in place, raised huge clouds of dust. The drivers, wearing leathers, their eyes protected by huge goggles, were stepping into the unknown! The riders hidden in all this chaos could see absolutely nothing and risked their life at 50kmh on the edge of a razor. The noise was infernal and the column advanced in the stink of exhaust pipes."
Pacing by motorcycle
The first races were limited more by the speed a motorcycle could achieve than the ability of the rider to follow. The historian, H. M. Ellis, said 50kmh would be a good average. The races became faster as the pacers became faster. Paced races kept audiences enthralled for many decades in Europe and, at one time, in North America. Tens of thousands watched, especially in Germany. Popularity declined in the latter part of the 20th century.There were few rules. Pacing machines had small rollers set sideways behind the back wheel to avoid crashes caused by the rider touching the back of the motorcycle but there were few other regulations. Race distances extended to six days, although one-hour and 100-mile contests were more common. Windshields were allowed briefly but abandoned after the world championship in 1904.
Speeds rose and accidents became frequent. The American, Harry Elkes, died of his injuries from a crash in front of 10 000 spectators at Boston, Massachusetts, USA. His rear tire exploded at 100kmh and he was thrown under another rider's pacing machine which "crushed the prostrate man in a dreadful manner." George Lander, of Chicago, USA, said "Only the clumsy get themselves killed" before starting a race at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris. Leander was thrown five metres into the air after 80km, fell to the track, bounced into the seating and died 36 hours later. A crash in Berlin on 18 July 1909 killed nine when a motorcycle went into the stands and exploded.
The historian, Peter Nye, wrote:
- Motorpace racing was glamorous but dangerous. Falls were common, largely because bicycle tires tended to burst at speed. The riders wore neither helmets nor gloves. They depended on fast reflexes, the rude health of youth, and luck. Despite having all three, Bobby Walthour collected an impressive (or dismaying) inventory of injuries over his career: 28 fractures of the right collarbone, 18 of the left, 32 broken ribs, and 60 stitches to his face and head. Once, according to family history, he was given up for dead in Paris and taken to a morgue, where he regained consciousness on the slab.
The biggest machines were built by the pacers, using parts from other motorcycles, with engines as large as 2,000cc. The largest had two riders, one crouched over the handlebars to steer and the other sitting upright above the back wheel to protect the rider and to operate the engine. The pacers wore leathers, goggles and helmets but many riders wore a flat cap.
The world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
set regulations for pacing motorcycles in 1920. Until then standards had been set by the police, particularly in Germany, or by the track promoters.
World championships were held annually, except during wars, for 100 years, often separately for amateurs and professionals. Carsten Podlesch
Carsten Podlesch
Carsten Podlesch is a German stayer and the World Champion in motor-paced racing.-Career:Podlesch comes from a family that has been very involved in motor-paced racing. His father, Rainer Podlesch, was an Amateur World Champion twice, and his uncle, Karsten Podlesch, used to operate as a pacer....
, who won in 1994, is the last and reigning world champion. National championships continue in several European countries and European championships are conducted annually.
Motorcycles now used include the 750cc Triumph Tiger or BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
machines. The motorcycle for motor-pacing has a roller on a frame at the rear to create a uniform distance to the cyclist. Some riders objected when the UCI insisted on them in 1920. The pacer stands or sits upright to offer a maximum windbreak
Windbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...
, and the handlebars are extended to facilitate the stance, in a standarized leather suit that allows for the same slipstream effect for any rider. Speeds of 100 km/h (62.1 mph) can be reached; the average is between 60–70 km/h.
The bicycles are steel, sturdy and have a smaller front wheel to let the stayer bend forward into the slipstream.
Pacing by Derny
Derny
A Derny is a motorized bicycle for motor-paced cycling events such as during six-day and Keirin racing, or motor-paced road races. It is driven by a 98cc Zurcher two-stroke engine and by being pedalled through a fixed gear, typically of 70 teeth on the front chainring and 11 on the sprocket on the...
is a light motorbike typically driven by a 98cc Zurcher two-stroke engine and by being pedaled through a fixed gear, typically of 70 teeth on the front chainring and 11 on the sprocket on the back wheel. The combination allows for smooth acceleration and slowing, important when the rider taking pace is centimetres from the pacer's shielded back wheel. A coupling between the motor and the back wheel ensures the machine will not stop dead if the motor seizes.
The first Entraineur or Bordeaux–Paris models, with a petrol tank across the handlebars, were built by Roger Derny et Fils of the avenue de St Mandé, Paris, France in 1938. That closed in 1957, though another company, Derny Service of rue de Picpus serviced and rebuilt machines into the 70s. Derny also built a street adaptation called the Solo as well as tandems and mopeds.
The name derny is now applied to all such vehicles, regardless of manufacturer. It is used by the Larousse dictionary as a generic term for a small pacing motorcycle used in cycle races. The machine has to be bump-started. It can then pace riders up to 90 km/h, although races rarely exceed 80 km/h.Riders behind Derny-pacers ride conventional track bicycles.
Bordeaux–Paris was paced by Dernys for part of its route from 1946 to 1985.
Pacers
Cooperation between pacer and stayer includes the use of terms and signals understood internationally, because pacers and stayers may be of different nationalities. The stayer needs to be close to the roller to gain maximum profit from the slipstream; if he gets too close he may hit the roller and fall, if he falls too far behind it, he loses the slipstream effect and will quickly fall further back. The pacer then has to slow down so he can catch up and then accelerate without again losing his rider.The races
Races are in velodromeVelodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
s or on other oval and steeply banked tracks to allow high-speed racing. After a flying start the cyclists link up with their pacers. Riding counterclockwise, passing can only be done on the right, a blue line separating the longer passing lane from the inner. Typically four to six couples compete in a race, covering up to 100 kilometers or racing over a set time.
The keirin
The keirinKeirin
is a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. Keirin originated in Japan in 1948; the first Olympic competitions in the sport occurred in 2000....
, a Japanese sprint with a paced start which has spread across the world, is a variation of motor-paced racing. A group of cyclists use a single pacer to get to speed and then sprint to the finish on their own.
Records
The first registered distance record behind pacers was by F. L. Dodds of Britain, who on a solid-tired bicycle rode close to 16 miles in the grounds of Cambridge University in 1876. He was paced by relays of individual cyclists. A south London rider, J. W. Stocks, set an unbeaten British record of 32 miles 1,086 yards in an hour behind pacers on 27 September 1897.The first hour record behind a motorcycle was set at 34 miles by Harry Elkes of the USA in 1898. He rode behind a motor-powered tandem. The first record behind a pure motorcycle was 42 miles, by Tom Linton of Britain, at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
track in northwest 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...
in 1902. The speed increased but records become more hazy because some were made under restrictions imposed by the Union Cycliste Internationale and others with no rules at all.
On 12 October 12 1950 Karl-Heinz Kramer set the world record for absolute speed behind a motorcycle with 154.506 km/h (96 mph) on the Grenzlandring
Grenzlandring
The Grenzlandring , sometimes Grenzland-Ring written, is a former high-speed race track oval in the Lower Rhine area of Germany, around the town of Wegberg, located close to Mönchengladbach and the Dutch town of Roermond....
.
The Frenchman, José Meiffret
Jose Meiffret
José Meiffret was a cyclist who set a world motor-paced speed record of 204.73 km/h behind a Mercedes-Benz 300SL on the German Autobahn on July 16, 1962 at Freiburg Germany. This record was set on a bicycle setup with a 130-tooth chainring, weighing 20 kg and equipped with wooden...
, set a record 204.73 kmh behind a Mercedes-Benz 300SL on the autobahn at Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Germany, on 16 July 1962. His bicycle had a 130-tooth chainring and wooden rims. Fred Rompelberg
Fred Rompelberg
Fred Rompelberg is a Dutch cyclist who has set several world cycling records. He is mainly known for his eleven world records cycling behind heavy engines, and for taking several attempts to break the Absolute World Speed Record Cycling...
, using a dragster
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
with a large shield as pacer, achieved 268.831 km/h (167 mph) on the Bonneville Salt Flats on 15 October 1995.
The record speed behind a railroad train is by the American, Charles Murphy. He rode at 60mph behind a train in New York state, USA, in 1899 and became known as Mile-a-Minute Murphy
Mile-a-Minute Murphy
Charles Minthorn Murphy , also known as Mile-a-Minute Murphy, was an American cycling athlete. He was the first man ever to ride a bicycle for one mile in less than a minute...
.