Albert Arthur Humbles
Albert Arthur Humbles (19x–19x) was an English cyclist who set the world endurance cycling record by covering 36,007 miles during the calender year of 1932. He broke the previous best mark that had stood since Marcel Planes completed 34,366 miles in 1911.[1]
In 1933, Humbles entered the Golden Book of Cycling as the greatest long-distance rider in the world. He rode 75,065 mi (120,805 km) in a year, averaging 100.019 miles per day for the 360 days that he rode.[1]
Personal life
In later life Humbles ran a bicycle shop on Bridge Street in Whitby, Yorkshire.
World endurance records
In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the greatest distance cycled in a single year. The first holder was Marcel Planes of France, with 34,666 miles (55,790 km). The record has been established nine times.[2] A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.[n 1]
| Year | Record holder | Country | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Marcel Planes |  France |
34,666 miles (55,790 km) |
| 1932 | Arthur Humbles |  Great Britain |
36,007 miles (57,948 km) |
| 1933 | Ossie Nicholson |  Australia |
43,966 miles (70,756 km) |
| 1936 | Walter Greaves | Great Britain |
45,383 miles (73,037 km) |
| 1937 | Bernard Bennett |  England |
45,801 miles (73,710 km) |
| 1937 | René Menzies | France |
61,561 miles (99,073 km) |
| 1937 | Ossie Nicholson | Australia |
62,657 miles (100,837 km) |
| 1939 | Bernard Bennett | England |
65,127 miles (104,812 km) |
| 1939 | Tommy Godwin | England |
75,065 miles (120,805 km) |
The Golden Book
Humbles' achievements were celebrated in 1933 when Cycling Weekly awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling.[1] His citations begins:
Albert Arthur Humbles[1]
in an endeavour publicly to demonstrate what an ordinary clubman could do on a clubman's machine, covered 36,007 miles from January 8th 1932 to December 31st 1932, thus beating the 21 year-old record for the twelve months riding of 34,366 miles established by Marcel Planes in Cycling's Century Competition of 1911.[1]
Humbles had no special training for the ride, although it was undertaken professionally and constituted a full time occupation. His daily average throughout the year was 100.3 miles, the longest ride in any one day being 172 miles and the shortest 35 miles. Although his usual routes were out of London along the Great North Road, the Cambridge Road and the Newmarket Road he toured England and Wales for considerable periods, visiting places so far apart as Alnwick, Clovelly, Bury St. Edmunds and Bere Regis.[1]
He actually broke the previous record by riding the 34,367th at the head of a gigantic club run of over 3,000 cyclists through Hyde Park, London, on December 11th 1932.[1]
Club :- Ingleside C.C.
Date :- January 18th 1933
Age :- 22
Signature : A.A.Humbles.[1]