Walter William Greaves (April–June 1907[1] – 1987) was a British cyclist who set the world record for distance ridden in a year - despite having only one arm and falling off numerous times.
His father was driving after drinking and Greaves opened the door, stood on the running board ready to jump, but was hit by a tram.
[4] Tim Teale, a Leeds cyclist who knew Greaves said "Walter tried to make you sign up for the young communists but nobody took much notice".
In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of 100 mile rides or "centuries" in a single year.
[6] The world record for distance cycled in a year began in an era when bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable.
John Naylor said: [Nicholson] completed his ride in fine Australian weather, on good roads, with the best equipment and even a back-up vehicle.
Three Spires Cycles of Coventry provided a bicycle and a small weekly sum[4] in return for advertising rights.
A report said Greaves was so short of money that he wore clothes "little more than worn-out rags" and lay awake worrying the ride would not continue for lack of funds.
Unlike Nicholson's machine, Greaves' bicycle was heavy, with thick tyres to cope with snow and pitted roads.
According to his friend, Billy Woods, a special adaptation was made some time into the ride, a kind of cup for the arm-stump which fitted on to a handlebar extension.
[4]Alan Magson, in a description of the bicycle, said: "It looks like a fairly standard road bike - not that different from today's machine outwardly at least.
"[14] Records had to be attempted during a single calendar year, but Greaves started his ride five days late because of the delay in delivering his bicycle.
[4] The Telegraph and Argus report was headlined Persistence on a bicycle and began "W.W. Greaves, the one-armed Bradford cyclist, is a hero."
The snow and ice were replaced by gales, hail and rain but Greaves increased his daily rate to 134 miles (216 km).
The cycling importer and patron, Ron Kitching, said: Walter used to ride over to Harrogate and I asked him how he was managing with all the ice and snow.
As all this competition was going on in the United Kingdom, a year's race had commenced between two widely separated contestants, Ossie Nicholson from Down Under who had already tasted success, and a newcomer, René Menzies, a 48-year-old Frenchman of Scottish descent.
[7]Tommy Godwin set the record at 75,065 miles (120,805 km) in 1939 with the support of a bicycle factory, a manager and pacers.
[n 4][15] He also founded the Airedale Olympic cycling club and in 1949 organised a race from Bradford to Morecambe and back, and his prominent 'route markers' became a renowned distraction to normal traffic.
[20] Later, after a fire at his shop, he moved to Craven Forge beside the Leeds-Liverpool canal, halfway between Keighley and Skipton,[5] it was then known as Winifred's Café.
(53°54′32″N 1°59′20″W / 53.909°N 1.989°W / 53.909; -1.989) According to the Telegraph and Argus, Greaves "struggled to make a living in the café and took a job at Water House Pressings.
He seems to have had an interest in exotic animals: the minutes of Yorkshire section of the British League of Racing Cyclists show that members had to talk him out of his plan to have a dancing bear for the annual dinner.
Peter Duncan, an official of the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club to which both belonged, said: I stopped my car in the lay-by near the café about three years ago waiting for a friend to catch me up.