Arthur Humbles


Albert Arthur Humbles was an English cyclist who set the world endurance cycling record by covering during the calendar year of 1932. He broke the previous best mark that had stood since Marcel Planes completed in 1911 in response to Cycling magazine's 'Century Competition'. In 1933, Humbles entered the Golden Book of Cycling as the greatest long-distance rider in the world. He rode in a year, averaging per day for the 360 days that he rode.

Personal life

Humbles lived in North London during the time of his record bid. In later life he ran a bicycle shop on Bridge Street in Whitby, Yorkshire.

World endurance record

In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of rides or "centuries" in a single year. The winner was Marcel Planes with 332 centuries in which he covered. The inspiration for the competition was said to be the efforts of Harry Long, a commercial traveller who rode a bicycle on his rounds covering every part of England and Scotland and who covered in 1910. 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. The record has been officially established nine times. A tenth claim, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.
YearRecord holderCountryDistanceRef
1911Marcel Planes
1932Arthur Humbles
1933Ossie Nicholson
1936Walter Greaves
1937Bernard Bennett
1937René Menzies
1937Ossie Nicholson
1939Bernard Bennett
1939Tommy Godwin

Humbles wanted to demonstrate that an ordinary clubman could break the long-standing world endurance record, so in 1932 cycling became a full-time occupation.
His daily average for 360 days was per day for the 360 days that he rode. His longest ride in a single day was and the shortest was. His usual routes were out of London along the Great North Road, the Cambridge Road and the Newmarket Road. He also toured England and Wales, visiting places such as Alnwick, Clovelly, Bury St. Edmunds and Bere Regis.
He broke Marcel Planes' record by riding the 34,367th mile through Hyde Park, London, on 11 December, reportedly followed by 3,000 cyclists.

The Golden Book

Humbles' achievements were celebrated in 1933 when Cycling Weekly awarded him his own page in the Golden Book of Cycling.