Current News Items
RRA Record breaker awarded The Bidlake Award for 2021
Congratulation's to RRA record breaker Lynne Biddulph (nee Taylor), who was awarded the Bidlake Trophy in 2021, for her End to End records plus her 1,000 mile record.
The citation reads: “Awarded to Lynne Biddulph (nee Taylor) for remarkably setting RRA “Land’s End to John O’Groats” solo records during both 2001 and 2002 and continuing on in 2002 to also take the 1,000 mile record”.
John Taylor
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of John Taylor, for more information please see the In Memory of Page
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of John Taylor, for more information please see the In Memory of Page
It is with very great sadness that we report the passing yesterday, Sunday 12th February, of RRA Vice President and record holder Eileen Sheridan. It is also with great sadness we report the passing of RRA record breaker Pete Warhurst
Road Records Association Triennial Lunch
Saturday 4 March 2023
Report by Paul Jones
Saturday 4 March 2023
Report by Paul Jones
The RRA’s 36th Triennial Lunch saw a gathering of record-breakers past and present this weekend to celebrate records set since 2019. Prior to the presentation there was a pause to share memories of Eileen Sheridan, her empathy, warmth and humour were celebrated as much as the fact that she ‘completed the RRA’, by breaking all the records.
End to End holders Lynne Biddulph, Janet Tebbut and Michael Broadwith, along with Cycling-Weekly’s feted ‘local heroes’, Ian and Bridget Boon, were present to celebrate the resurgence of interest in the RRA and place-to-place records. This is in part driven by the newer ‘circuit records’, including the Brecon Beacons, Cairngorms, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland. However, long-standing records are also being broken; Ken Joy’s 1954 Pembroke to London time was beaten by Lee Williams, whilst Eileen Sheridan’s Edinburgh to York record from the same year fell to Christina Murray.
Amongst the many spectacular successes, two stood out; Jonathan Shubert’s sub 3-hour ‘straight-out’ hundred and Christina Mackenzie’s new End to End record. Michael Broadwith added to his extensive place-to-place palmares, collecting the shield for Edinburgh-London, a journey ticked off in 17 hours, 42 minutes, 47 seconds. The most enduring/obsessed prize went to Ralph Dadswell, who received a red cap for his fortieth place-to-place record.
Record-holders shared details of their experiences, their comments capturing both the demands and joy of these unique events. Mark Bourgeois described the experience of “riding a tandem with Doug Hart down the Holloway Road amidst the euphoria of post-lockdown party traffic, the lights of London spread out beneath us”, whilst Chris Gibbard summed up the elation of finishing the Beacons circuit, “being able to collapse into a urine-soaked ditch at the side of a layby”. Christina Murray, record-holder for the Cairngorms circuit, recounted her experience of closed snow gates, climbing amidst solid walls of white, and Michael Broadwith shared what we probably already knew, that ‘descending a mountain, in the dark, at speed, with ice on the road, on a time trial bike is not the most comfortable experience you can have’.
The future for the RRA is bright, with several aspirants breaking cover on their plans for 2023.
End to End holders Lynne Biddulph, Janet Tebbut and Michael Broadwith, along with Cycling-Weekly’s feted ‘local heroes’, Ian and Bridget Boon, were present to celebrate the resurgence of interest in the RRA and place-to-place records. This is in part driven by the newer ‘circuit records’, including the Brecon Beacons, Cairngorms, Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland. However, long-standing records are also being broken; Ken Joy’s 1954 Pembroke to London time was beaten by Lee Williams, whilst Eileen Sheridan’s Edinburgh to York record from the same year fell to Christina Murray.
Amongst the many spectacular successes, two stood out; Jonathan Shubert’s sub 3-hour ‘straight-out’ hundred and Christina Mackenzie’s new End to End record. Michael Broadwith added to his extensive place-to-place palmares, collecting the shield for Edinburgh-London, a journey ticked off in 17 hours, 42 minutes, 47 seconds. The most enduring/obsessed prize went to Ralph Dadswell, who received a red cap for his fortieth place-to-place record.
Record-holders shared details of their experiences, their comments capturing both the demands and joy of these unique events. Mark Bourgeois described the experience of “riding a tandem with Doug Hart down the Holloway Road amidst the euphoria of post-lockdown party traffic, the lights of London spread out beneath us”, whilst Chris Gibbard summed up the elation of finishing the Beacons circuit, “being able to collapse into a urine-soaked ditch at the side of a layby”. Christina Murray, record-holder for the Cairngorms circuit, recounted her experience of closed snow gates, climbing amidst solid walls of white, and Michael Broadwith shared what we probably already knew, that ‘descending a mountain, in the dark, at speed, with ice on the road, on a time trial bike is not the most comfortable experience you can have’.
The future for the RRA is bright, with several aspirants breaking cover on their plans for 2023.
Eileen Sheridan