2018-07-01 Pat Kennedy (partly) achieves life long ambition

Post date: Jul 01, 2018 11:29:20 AM

A life-long ambition to ride on a Penny-farthing bike by Pat Kennedy, St Albans Forty Plus CC, was partly realised, when he attended a World Cycling Revival Festival at Herne Hill track on 15 June and was invited to have-a-go on a mini-penny-farthing bike pictured above. After about ten minutes trying to balance and pedal the bike he had to admit defeat. Pat’s last visit to Herne Hill was in 1953 when he saw Reg Harris racing in front of a packed stadium. Above pictures by Herne Hill Velodrome Ground Staff The main attraction of the Cycling Festival was an attempt on the World hour record ridden on a Penny Farthing Ordinary bike. Mark Beaumont, a round-the-world-distance-record-holder, pictured left with his red coloured bike at the start, made a valiant attempt on the record, paced by seven other riders from the Penny Farthing Club. He managed to break the 1890s UK national record but failed by about half a lap to break the world record. Pat Kennedy