Harry Grant (1906-1993) was a British racing cyclist who specialised in motor-paced events. He was national amateur champion in 1926, 1928 and 1931. At the time he turned professional in 1932 he held four British amateur track records. He also won many races on the continent and held the world paced one-hour record on three occasions.

Early life

Grant was born in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, and raised in London.''Evening Gazette'', Colchester, June 1986 and 19 March 1993

Cycling career

He belonged to the Imperial Wheelers''The Bicycle'', UK, 19 March 1941 and won the national 50-miles tandem-paced championship in 1926, 1928 and 1931. In 1929 he established the British one-mile flying start paced record at 1m 17.6s and the standing start record at 1m 29.8s. He turned professional in 1932 and went to Paris, where he teamed up with the Belgian pacer, Leon Vanderstuyft. In July 1932 he made a successful attempt on the world one-hour motor-paced record when, trailed by Vanderstuyft, he covered 52 miles 215 yards. This record was beaten 24 hours later and in October 1932 Grant put up new figures of 55 miles 362 yards. Twelve hours later this was beaten but Grant recaptured it the following day when he covered 56 miles 929 yards. He won the ''Cent Milles'' 100-mile race in Paris in 1938. In Britain he took the professional one-mile standing start paced record with 1 m 35.8 s. Grant's sponsors included British bicycle makers such as R. O. Harrison and

Maurice Selbach Maurice Gaetan Selbach (12 August 1889 – 26 September 1935) was an American-British racing cyclist and frame builder. Private life Maurice Gaetan Selbach was born in the 17th district of Paris. His father was Oscar Carl Selbach, an Americ ...

. It was on a Selbach that Grant took the world one-hour record. Harrison named his top model after him. In the late 1940s, Grant was riding in the colours of the south London Norwood Paragon cycling club at the

Herne Hill Velodrome The Herne Hill Velodrome is a velodrome in Herne Hill, in south London. It is one of the oldest cycling tracks in the world, having been built in 1891. It hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics and was briefly the home of Cry ...

. In later life, Grant returned to Colchester, where he joined Colchester Rovers cycling club. He marked his 80th birthday in 1986 by taking part in the 100 km Windmill Ride, after which ride organisers presented him with a commemorative medal.

Death and commemoration

Grant died in

West Bergholt West Bergholt, formerly known as Bergholt Sackville, is a large rural village and civil parish in Essex, England, lying near the border with Suffolk, close to the ancient town of Colchester. With a history going back to medieval times the villa ...

, near Colchester, in March 1993. He was aged 86.

The Golden Book

Grant's achievements were celebrated in 1932 when

Cycling Weekly ''Cycling Weekly'' is a British cycling magazine. It is published by Future and is devoted to the sport and pastime of cycling. It used to be affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".

awarded him his own page in the

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 administrat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Harry English male cyclists 1993 deaths Sportspeople from Colchester 1906 births