YOUTH’S CYCLING RECORD

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 172, 24 July 1939, Page 2

YOUTH’S CYCLING RECORD

Auckland to Wellington in 35 Hours ONLY TWO STOPS MADE [ (13y Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 22. Owen Barnard, aged 19 years, a member of the New Plymouth Amateur Cycling Club, arrived at the G.P.O Wellington, breaking the previous cycling record between Auckland and Wellington by one hour eight minutes, covering the distance in 35 hours 11 minutes, against Gordon Lukey’s 33 hours 19 minutes in 1934. He was escorted into the city by a number of local cyclists, who went out to meet him, and at Kaiwarra the traffic officer joined in leading the way and giving Barnard a clear run by the use of a siren up Featherston street to the Post Office, when he was given a welcome by a large crowd which had gathered there, including cycling officials and his father. Barnard stopped twice on the journey —half an hour at Waitara, and 25 minutes at Waverley, where he secured his only sleep. Apart from cold the conditions were excellent, and no rain was experienced. Barnard took up cycling last January, iand apart from doing 100 miles each week-end for some time, he did nothing lout of the ordinary to prepare himself for the trip. He experiened no punctures, and apart from a couple of mild spills and the chain coming off on j Paekakariki Hill, there were no unI toward incidents.