74 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



IX 



Selby's drive was very widely chronicled. The 

 elaborate reports and extensive preliminary arrange- 

 ments compare oddly with the early sporting events 

 undertaken on the spur of the moment and recorded 

 only in meagre, unilluminating paragraphs. What 

 would we not give for a report of the Prince of Wales's 

 ride in 1784, so elaborated. 



A great drive, and a great coachman, worthily 

 carrying on the good old traditions of the road. It 

 has, however, been already pointed out that neither 

 on his outward journey (3 hrs. 56 mins.), nor on the 

 return (3 hrs. 54 mins.), did he quite equal the record 

 of the " Criterion " coach, which on February 4th, 

 1834, took the King's Speech from London to Brighton 

 in 3 hrs. 40 mins. 



Selby did not live long to enjoy the world-wide 

 repute his great drive gained him. He died, only 

 forty-four years of age, at the end of the same year 

 that saw this splendid feat. 



Selby's memorable drive put cyclists upon their 

 mettle, but not at once was any determined attempt 

 made to better it. The dwarf rear-driving " safety ' 

 bicycle, the " Rover," which, introduced in 1885, set 

 the existing pattern, was not yet perfected, and cyclists 

 still rode solid or cushion tyres, instead of the now 

 universal pneumatic kind. 



It was, therefore, not until August, 1889, that after 

 several unsuccessful attempts had been made to better 

 the coach-time on that double journey of 108 miles, a 

 team of four cyclists— E. J. Willis, G. L. Morris, C. W. 

 Schafer, and S. Walker, members of the Polytechnic 

 Cycling Club — did that distance in 7 hrs. 36 mins. 19| 

 sees. ; or 13 mins. 40| sees, less ; and even then the feat 

 was accomplished only by the four cyclists dividing the 

 journey between them into four relays. Two other 

 teams, on as many separate occasions, reduced the 

 figures by a few minutes, and M. A. Holbein and 

 P. C. Wilson singly made unsuccessful attempts. 



If was left to F. W. Shorland, a very young rider, 



