Yesteryear: Olympic cyclist beaten - Memories of the Luton Arrow Cycling Club

They are posed in front of a motorcycle shop, B. G. England, which stands on the same plot as an Esso filling station.

The lampposts shown in this scene are repurposed cantenary poles from the old tramway.

Formed in 1935 by a small group of enthusiastic cyclists, the Arrows’ activities were originally confined to club touring.

Offering all the pleasures that this type of cycling can give - together with the amenities provided later by a clubroom - membership of the group grew rapidly until, in the spring of the following year, the time trialling section came into being with the promotion of a successful 25-mile event.

The club went on to feature prominently in many area and national championships.

A newspaper headline from May 1953 reads: “Olympic cyclist beaten by Luton rider: fastest time of the year”.

The accompanying article goes on to explain how Luton Arrow, Frank White, won the Bedfordshire Road Cycling Club’s open 25-mile time trial in 57 minutes, 47 seconds.

In doing so, he beat Russell Mockridge, an Australian Olympian, who was then representing Upper Holloway Cycling Club.

It seems that the Luton Arrows endured until the turn of the millennium before disbanding. The Esso petrol station caught in this background of this snap over 70 years ago remains at 37 Dunstable Road today.

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