James Moore (cyclist) - The 'first Race' Mystery

The 'first Race' Mystery

James Moore believed all his life that he had won the first cycle race in the world. Keizo Kobayashi's research and thesis, however, attempts to show that Moore's was not the first race.

Nick Clayton, editor of The Boneshaker, magazine of veteran-cycle enthusiasts in Britain, wrote:

Kobayashi has discovered at least five vélocipède races in France which predate St Cloud, so the blue plaque on the railings proclaiming Moore as winner of the first vélocipède race organised in France is incorrect on more than one count. True these races did not get the publicity that the Michaux organisation was able to attract for St-Cloud but it is curious why it should be James Moore's name on the plaque rather than Edward-Charles Bon, winner of the earlier 2.30 race or even Poloni, winner of the Grande Course that day.

Citing Kobayashi, Clayton says the programme for St Cloud was:

1. At 2.30pm, 1km race for velocipedes of less than 1m diameter, for a silver medal. Seven amateurs were involved, the winner was Edward-Charles Bon in 2min 40sec at a speed of 22.5 km/h.

2. 1km race for velocipedes of 1 metre for a silver gilt medal. Winner James Moore in 2min 35sec, speed 23.2 km/h. Five contestants. This medal is in Ely museum.

3: Slow race of 50 metres. Six contestants, won by Durruthy.

4: Grande Course for a gold medal. Three riders. Won by Polonini in 2min 33sec, 23.5 km/h.

Moore's grandson put it to Clayton:

If you accept that James Moore believed he won the first bicycle race, then, as he surely cannot have forgotten that his race was at least scheduled to be the second of the day at St Cloud, there must have been either something different about the first race - e.g. it was not exclusively for pedal machines - or the order of the events was changed so that his race took place first. My hypothesis assumes the former proposition, and is only partly reliant on whether the rules stated that the front wheels of the velocipedes in the second race were to be precisely 1 metre diameter as stated in your article. My main argument, however, is that the word velocipede was used generically to include all types of machine including even hobby-horses for which it was originally coined. They would surely have had wheels of less than one metre diameter.

Clayton replied:

I think your attempt to redefine the second race at St Cloud as the first velocipede race does not hold water. Velocipedes meant boneshakers, only occasionally was there the odd tricycle or quadricycle. Boneshakers began effectively in 1867 and St Cloud was just one of several minor meetings which Duncan just happened to immortalise.

James Moore believed to his death that he had won the world's first cycle race. Of suggestions that Moore had invented the story after rising to fame by winning the Paris–Rouen race (see below), his grandson John said:

In that case, being only one year or so after the St Cloud race, it is incredible that, if the claim were false, no one - even from among the winners, spectators and other followers of the previous races as cited - seems to have challenged that claim.