10pm. 1908. The Motor Cycling Club is about to start their sixth annual London to Edinburgh run.
“IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MOTOR CYCLING there is nothing more remarkable than the ever-increasing popularity of the MCC’s London-Edinburgh Trial; this splendid competition, which year by year is better supported.” The Motor Cycle
By 1908 that support had grown to 99 solos and seven combos and trikes. The first riders left Highgate at 10pm on a clear moonlit night with 24 hours to cover the 400ish miles to Edinburgh. It rained, and rained hard with “a bitterly cold ‘nor-easter’ that was blowing practically all the way, and it drove clouds of dust straight into the faces of the competitors”.
W. Sales (5hp Vindec) was the first to reach the Biggleswade control just before midnight.
For the next hour men came in thick and fast, demanding petrol and sandwiches, coffee and carbide, water for their lamps, and lubricating oil all in the same breath. Imagine that quiet, orderly, and sober town, all ablaze with headlights of a crowd of 50 competitors at once—a scene which must be seen to be realised. For one solid hour continuous streams of riders poured in, all enthusiastic despite the rain now pouring down upon them, and relating to one another the terrors of that patch of stones at Baldock.
At Nottingham local enthusiasts had arranged hospitality; it is recorded that competitors ate more than 400 eggs before tucking into a second breakfast at Wetherby. According to the contemporary report, “The run is creating more interest every year. Hundreds of people lined the route through the towns and villages…”
Billy Wells (5hp Vindec) reached Edinburgh just before 7pm, the first of 70 riders to arrive in time and qualify for gold medals.
As usual a hard core of stalwarts rode back to London against the clock to compete for the Schulte Cup and the MCC Special Cup. A dozen bikes set out at 12.30pm; 10 made it to Barnet by Monday night.
“Tired and dust-begrimed they were, but cheerful and delighted at having accomplished successfully the double journey of nearly 800 miles. Some of the men had most elaborate route cards, carried in frames or glass-fronted boxes, which were illuminated by electric light.”
First man home was R.O. Clark (four-pot FN), followed by S.G. Frost (4½hp Minerva), A.G. Reynolds (3½hp Vindec) and 0.G. Godfrey (5hp Rex).
S.G. Frost
☞ Marque record of starters/finishers: Triumph, 26/21; Vindec Special, 15/12; Rex, 9/8; Minerva, 4/3; Bat, 4/3; NSU, 4/2; Matchless, 3/3; Moto Reve, 2/2.
☞ “The Puncture Fiend Defied: Few competitors in the MCC London to Edinburgh and back trial can boast absolute immunity from tyre trouble, yet 0C Godfrey, whose twin Rex had tubes charged with Miraculum, had no occasion to use the pump at all. We understand that several nails and pieces of iron were removed from the tyres en route, but none caused delay.”