Article: Dave Legrys, The TWR Rover, And The Motor-Paced Cycling Record

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I was watching a documentary recently about how motorcycle racer Guy Martin was attempting to break four speed records.

One of these was the British and Commonwealth Motor-Paced Cycling Record, in which a person on a push-bike is towed by a motorised vehicle until they reach a certain speed, then released to pedal on their own. The record Guy Martin was attempting to break was set by Dave Legrys, in 1986. At that, some footage from the Legrys record run was played, and in it, the tow car was a TWR Rover Vitesse Group A car, driven by Win Percy! The Vitesse was fitted with a large rear canopy, to provide a clean draft to Legrys. Legrys set the record at 110mph (177kph), along a closed off section of the M42 motorway. I assume British Leyland played a role in the record attempt, as not only was the TWR Vitesse used as the tow car, but the safety and chase vehicles were also Rover.

Anyway, here is some neat video footage of the Legrys run, both an aborted attempt, and eventual record. Oh, and by the way, Guy Martin did break Legrys' record, running down the famous Pendine Sands, in Wales, using a racing truck as the motor-pacer. He recorded 112.94mph. Crazy!

Here is the aborted run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkJA6Fi6CaU

Here is the record run:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BmpxJWAJbFM

This photo is from Gordon White's "Offenhauser" book - (great read)

I always send it to my cycling friends when they start on about what sprockets they run.

I tell them to 'man up' and put one on like this guys.

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Now THAT 's gearing !

Le Grys is a pom but raced in NZ as a colt and a junior, I raced against him at the Marton hard track nationals in 1971.

Believe it or not, the current 'Motor-Paced Cycling World Speed Record' is held by Fred Rompelberg from the Netherlands. He achieved a speed of 268.831 kph (166.9 mph) pedalling behind a dragster at the Bonneville Salt Flats.