Obituaries AUK Founder Member - Les Lowe
Les riding the 1990 Mersey Roads 24 Hour - photo Francis Cooke
The distances ranged from 100km to a Circuit of the Midlands. There are stories of these rides which should inspire many. A member of the CTC, The Twenty Four Hour Fellowship, The Road Records Association, The 300 000 mile club, the VTTA, The Tricycle Association and the Speedwell Bicycle Club and well as many other cycling related groups. Cycling really was his passion in life. He rode everywhere and was often seen riding along in distant parts of the country at any time of the year. He was infectious in persuading others to take up riding and then to widen their horizons Quietly spoken and with strong views upon cycling he did not suffer fools. There are many people who today ride because of his encouragement. I first met Les, shortly after he moved to Burton, in a cafe in Ashbourne, and we rode back homeward together. He soon became a regular visitor at Hadley End, dropping in to “hoover” up the table. He was already a randonneur and I soon became one too. The first 600km I rode, Windor-Chester-Windsor, was in his company. Afterwards we rode many together and he was good in nursing me along. Nursing others along was what he often did and if anyone was struggling they were recommended to ride with Les as he would get around the event.
Les was born near Ramsey on the Isle of Man on 22 Feb 1931. He started riding whilst still at school on the island and soon became well known. He moved to England for further education at Salford College where he gained an engineering degree. After service in the RAF, flying on Shackletons around the world, he began to work at Rolls-Royce Aero-engines in Derby, where he spent the rest of his working life. As a cyclist he was a tremendous mile eater. I believe that he rode 35, 24 hour races as well as very many 12 hour events. He was in the group who rode the 1975 Paris-Brest-Paris, who afterwards formed Audak United Kingdom, to give us what we have today. He was also a prolific record breaker, both nationally and regionally. He still holds records on two and three wheels on solo and tandem machines.
Together we rode in many countries including two glorious Swiss 12 hour races on our tricycles. Pottering along quiet lanes and impromptu diversions to get a big hill in or ride along a “must do” road he had stored up in his mind. Competing against each other in time trials. Long dark nights on randonnées. Tandem riding together. Casting around for digs, as he had to use up all the available daylight hours. The memories are endless. In later years he suffered poor health and spent some time in hospital. He had been in hospital and had then been moved to a care home for assessment when he was taken ill and moved back to hospital where he died on 11 Dec 2013. He will be remembered as a hard riding cyclist, but as a friend to all. It can truly be said that everybody liked Les.
Jim Hopper
Bob McHardy Bob passed away in Royal Sussex County Hospital on 10th December as a result of injuries sustained in an unexplained accident while riding home after riding and helping on Dave Hudson’s Rye Randonnée. No other person or vehicle seems to have been involved in the crash. Although a long time active member of both the Rough Stuff Fellowship and the CTC, Bob had also made his mark in Audax UK having achieved SR status in 2000 and a further six times, lastly in 2008. He also completed PBP in 2003, Boston-MontrealBoston in 2004 and LEL in 2005. In recent years he restricted his Audax rides to BP’s but was a familiar and welcome face on many El Supremo events of all distances. Under his shy and reserved demeanour was a sharp and well-organised brain; he did not say much, but when he did, it was worth listening. His paid profession was as an agricultural welder which dovetailed into his cycling with his home designed and built
triangulated small wheel cycles used on all the rides detailed above and seen in this photograph. The same engineering expertise was employed in keeping his 40 year-old Lotus Elite car working, which was an advanced and inspirational design for its time. His dress sense on the bike was also individual; not for him shorts or lycra, but rather collared shirts and ordinary trousers, though he did go as far as wearing a helmet. He was on the verge of selling his beloved car and was planning to use some of the proceeds to travel in 2014 to Sicily returning by cycle at an unhurried pace over the course of the next few months. He had previously toured USA in 2013 having ridden round Mongolia and Eastern Europe in previous years. He is survived by a younger brother, nephews and nieces and the cycling world has lost a popular and much respected colleague.
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Arrivée February 2014 No. 123
Richard Phipps www.aukweb.net