Going for

the Record

Pendine Sands on Carmarthen Bay in Wales

is a beach seven miles long which is famous

for being used as a racing and record-

breaking venue.

OU would think that nobody goes

cycling on a beach. Your wheels sink

into the sand, your chain gets clogged

up and it all turns into a bit of a nightmare.

That’s not the way it works at Pendine Sands

Y

– or so we thought.

In the 1920s the Welsh TT motorcycle races

were staged here and in 1924 Malcolm

Campbell (he wasn’t Sir Malcolm until 1931)

brought his Blue Bird car to Pendine to set

a World Land Speed Record of 146.16 mph.

Pendine, you see, is no ordinary beach. When

the tide goes out the sand dries so hard and

flat that you could drive a tractor over it

without making a dent. When Campbell set

his record, there was no stretch of road or

race track in the UK that was as long, straight

and flat as Pendine Sands.

Previous page: I was
concentrating so hard
on doing my job that
I never really noticed
the helicopter.

Top: The TV crew’s
chopper gets a birds-
eye view.

64  Britain’s Fastest Bike

Middle: Setting out

the track.

Bottom: My cycle shoes

kept my feet clipped onto

the pedals, whatever

speed I was doing.

Far right: Preparing the
bike for its first run at
Pendine Sands.