He began racing in his early teens and moved to London where he joined the Polytechnic Cycling Club, making friends with one of the stars, Bert Harris.
In 1895 Barden rode at Catford against Jimmy Michael of Wales, who won the world's first motor-paced racing championship that year in Cologne, Germany.
[8] On Easter Monday, 1897, three years after Harris' national championship, with his career starting to fade, he rode at a meeting on the track at Aston, Birmingham.
[citation needed] Barden accused other riders in the race of causing the fall by cutting away the front wheel through their riding so Harris would not win.
The National Cyclists Union held an inquiry and Barden made himself more unpopular by accusing witnesses of "out and out lies".
[citation needed] Years later, in 1903, Barden participated in the first London Six Day race, where he was initially partnered with Frenchman Raoul Buisson, who was later replaced by Italian Anteo Carapezzi.
[citation needed] When he retired and returned to England, he joined the Merchant Navy, sailing on a troop ship to the Boer War.
He opened a shop in Saffron Lane, Leicester, where a cycle track was later built, then worked at Bentley Engineering in the city.