John Woodburn, 1936-2017: A unique, record-breaking rider

Still posting record-breaking rides well into his 70s, John Woodburn was one of Britain's greatest time triallists. He died on Good Friday, aged 80

John Woodburn

(Image credit: Cycling Weekly archive)

John Woodburn, who died on Good Friday aged 80, was a time trial champion, an international roadman and a record breaker who was still the man to beat well into his seventies.

Woodburn, who was born in Handsworth, Birmingham but whose family relocated to the Reading area after the war, shot to both fame and notoriety when he won the National 25 in 1961, becoming the first man to win a National Time Trial Championship on a geared bike. In British time trialling it wasn’t that the derailleur wasn’t allowed — it simply wasn’t done.

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Simon Smythe

Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.