Author Topic: John Woodburn RIP  (Read 2638 times)


Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #1 on: 15 April, 2017, 10:10:52 pm »
He rode me off his wheel on an AUK 200 once.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #2 on: 16 April, 2017, 09:19:02 am »
An amazing rider and a jolly nice chap.

He was quite local to me. Had a lot of connections with DPCC (he may have been a member briefly, or maybe just 2nd claim, I don't know!) Luckily for me (and the club 24h record) he always had a "serious" team to race for. He was happy to chat about the 24 without suggesting I was a total muppet who shouldn't have even been in the same race as he had ridden :) I think he may have trounced me in a club 10 once-or-twice in his 70s.

Proper cyclist  :thumbsup:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #3 on: 16 April, 2017, 09:45:00 am »
Known to Moultoneers for his record Cardiff to London ride on the then new Moulton in 1962, 162 miles at 24mph average. He addressed the annual Moulton meeting at Bradford on Avon just a few years ago.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #4 on: 16 April, 2017, 01:00:25 pm »
Did he attract any criticism for doing TTs on gears?  I imagine the RTTC was a bit Luddite in those days (and still is...).
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #5 on: 16 April, 2017, 01:17:28 pm »
RIP.

I can still recall reading about his LeJOG in the early 80s - at that time I was just getting into club riding and my first (hopeless) 10 mile TTs. Seeing his kit brings back memories - cleats that you nailed on yourself and so on.

He must have been incredibly strong and blessed with remarkable heart and lungs. And as hard as nails. I wonder if there was any study of such things back then? Sub-20 10 mile TTs at over 65, 1:47.xx for a 50.

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #6 on: 16 April, 2017, 02:29:58 pm »
incredible achievements, seems like a man i can relate to and be inspired (although have never heard of him before). rip.

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #7 on: 16 April, 2017, 03:03:41 pm »
I read the account of the LEJOG, this caught my eye.

Quote
The RRA rules forbade the feed car from overtaking its rider more than once every half hour. If the feed car or one of the others wanted to get ahead of the rider more often than that, it would have to take another route. These detours could result in frantic chases through back lanes in the dead of night.

Former Cycling Weekly editor Robert Garbutt, who travelled with the Woodburn cavalcade, wrote in his report: “Former End-to-End trike record holder Pat Kenny (travelling with the support team) was a master of these detours on Woodburn’s ride and upset courting couples as he and his companions blasted down quiet country lanes late at night to get in front of their man and hand up drinks and sponges.”


Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/record-rides-john-woodburns-record-breaking-end-to-end-1982-211103#CeAD8YMVRzgI4T0r.99

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #8 on: 16 April, 2017, 03:15:17 pm »
I read the account of the LEJOG, this caught my eye.

Quote
The RRA rules forbade the feed car from overtaking its rider more than once every half hour. If the feed car or one of the others wanted to get ahead of the rider more often than that, it would have to take another route. These detours could result in frantic chases through back lanes in the dead of night.

Former Cycling Weekly editor Robert Garbutt, who travelled with the Woodburn cavalcade, wrote in his report: “Former End-to-End trike record holder Pat Kenny (travelling with the support team) was a master of these detours on Woodburn’s ride and upset courting couples as he and his companions blasted down quiet country lanes late at night to get in front of their man and hand up drinks and sponges.”


Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/record-rides-john-woodburns-record-breaking-end-to-end-1982-211103#CeAD8YMVRzgI4T0r.99

Half of me is surprised that Pat didn't do it on his trike.

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #9 on: 16 April, 2017, 04:19:09 pm »
I like his description of the End to End.

Quote
Woodburn is brutally honest when he describes how the End-to-End came about. At the time Manchester Wheelers was more than just a club. Its sponsor, steel magnate Jack Fletcher, who recruited the best time triallists in Britain regardless of where they lived, ran it as a business.

.....Next he dismisses Lands End-John O’Groats itself. “There’s not a lot to it. You can’t go too quick at the start,” he says.

However, as Woodburn concedes in Ray Pascoe’s film of the attempt, Two Days and Two Nights, he started training seriously on January 1, 1982, building to 60 miles each evening after work, then 100 miles on Saturday and another 100 on Sunday. When the racing season started he rode the longest local time trials on the calendar to build speed.
By the end of July 1982 Woodburn was ready — or “fairly fit” as he puts it. “You’ve got to be fairly fit but you don’t want to be bloody killing yourself. You’ve really got to make sure you can keep going and get to the other end, so it’s pretty simple really.”




LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #10 on: 16 April, 2017, 04:41:54 pm »
HK and I spent some time chatting with John at a Moulton weekend. The stories of his disagreements with various authorities ranging from the RTTC to Alex Moulton were a treat. An absolute legend of British cycling.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: John Woodburn RIP
« Reply #11 on: 18 April, 2017, 01:34:55 pm »
He could come across initially as being quite gruff, but once you'd broken through the exterior he was a lovely chap.  I think the last time we raced together was in a 50 in, gosh, 2002 when he caught and passed me for 4 minutes (and then some...).  At the time, I was 21 and John was, I think, three times my age! :o