This film is part of Free
Olympic Trials
With neither gears nor lycra to help them, the cream of Britain's cyclists battle it out at the Herne Hill velodrome ahead of the 1928 Olympics.
Overview
South London's Herne Hill velodrome hosts the bicycle trials ahead of the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Thanks to Britain's success at the 1920 Olympics and the emergence of stars such as Frank Southall (who would win Olympic silver medals in 1928 and 1932), cycling was hugely popular in the 1920s and 30s, and a large crowd gathered to watch this contest for a place in what we'd now call Team GB.
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