Alf Engers

Seiclwr rasio ffordd Seisnig oedd Alf Engers (ganwyd 1 Mehefin 1940, Pancras, Llundain), a oedd yn arbenigo mewn treialon amser. Gosododd nifer o recoriau cenedlaethol ac enillodd bencampwriaethau cenedlaethol o 1959 hyd ddiwedd yr 1970au. Gosododd record newydd Prydeinig ar gyfer 25 milltir, 49 munud a 24 eiliad yn 1978, gan reidio cyflymder ar gyfartaledd o 30.364 milltir yr awr (new 49.190 kilomedr yr awr). Ef oedd y reidiwr cyntaf i guro 50 munud, ac felly'r cyntaf i reidio cyflymder ar gyfartaledd uwch na 30 milltir yr awr.

Cefndir
Pobydd oedd ei alwedigaeth.

Offer
Roedd y beiciau a reidiodd Engers yn arloesi technegau adeiladu beiciau ysgafn, yn aml roedd gandddynt dyllau wedi eu drilio drwy'r leferau brêc, yr olwyn-gadwyn a darnau eraill. Dylunwyr ac adeiladwyd y beic yn aml gan ei ffrind a'i fentor, Alan Shorter. Nid oedd yn anarfelor i Engers droi i fyny i ddechra ras yn y bore, ar feic a gafodd ei adeiladu y noson cynt gan shorter, ac nad oed wedi ei baeintio eto.

Defnyddiodd Engers gêr uchel yn amal, gan greu ffasiwn a arweiniodd at reidwyr eraill yn defnyddio gerau mawr, yn aml lle roeddent yn anaddas.

Er yr holl ddatblygiad technegol yma, gosodwyd recordiau Engers cyn ddyfodiau beiciau proffil isel, 'tri-bars', olwynion disg a 'skinsuit'.

Golden Book of Cycling

Restrwyd campau Engers yn y Golden Book of Cycling, a sefydlwyd gan gylchgrawn Cycling, ar 23 Tachwedd 1991. Dyma'r cofnod o'r llyfr:

"For twenty years the name of Alf Engers was synonymous with 25 miles time-trials. He dominated the short-distance scene in such a fashion that he was known as King Alf. Engers' name on a start card was sure to guarantee a big crowd at the finish in a shower of nervous anticipation of what he would achieve. Engers could have been a first-class road or trackman. Indeed, he dabbled with success at both, but it was his talent, dedication and showmanship that saw him take 25-miling into unknown territory.

"He first broke competition record in 1959, recording 55 minutes 11 seconds. In 1969 he took the first of his six national championships, winning in 54 minutes 42 seconds, and later breaking competition record first with a time of 51 minutes 59 seconds and then improving his own figures to 51 minutes to raise speculation about an inside 50 minutes time for the distance.

"Engers claimed his second national title in 1972 and then followed an unbeaten sequence to 1976. Yet the best was still to come.

"In the first week in August 1978, a startled clubworld heard the news that on E72..." - cycling courses in Britain are referred to by code numbers - "...first Eddie Adkins, then Engers, had broken competition record in the Unity CC 25. Adkins recorded 50 minutes 50 seconds and then eight minutes later, Engers finished with an incredible 49 minutes 24 seconds. The seemingly unattainable had been achieved.

"The record stood for 13 years, such was the measure of the man and his ride."

Gyrfa diweddarach
Ym mlynyddoedd diweddarach, gwariodd Engers fwy o amser yn pysgota. Cystadlodd hefyn yn triathlonau.

Recordiau a osodwyd gan Engers
Recordiau Cystadleuaeth Prydain
1959 - 25 milltir - 55:11
1969 - 25 milltir - 51:59
1969 - 25 milltir - 51:00
1975 - 30 milltir - 1:02:27
1978 - 25 milltir - 49:24

Recordiau Pencampwriaethau Treial Amser Prydain, 25 milltir
1969 - 54:42
1972 - 53:40
1973 - 54:58
1974 - 54:50
1975 - 54:01
1976 - 54:37

Llyfryddiaeth
Whitfield, P. (2005), The Condor Years: A Panorama of British Cycling, Wychwood, ISBN 0-9514838-9-7

Cyfeiriadau

Genedigaethau 1940
Seiclwyr Seisnig
Pobl o Lundain