It’s inconceivable that in the late 1950s, Ray Booty covered 100-mile distances on this bike in times that most modern riders, aero-optimised to the nth degree, can only dream of. The bike looks so ordinary, you could imagine commuting to work on it, which, apparently, is what Booty did – hence the tape protecting the rear stays from saddlebag rub.
On Bank Holiday Monday, 6th August 1956, Booty broke the RTTA 100-mile time trial record with an 84” fixed gear, posting a time of 3h 58m 28s. He was the first person to ride a sub-four-hour ‘out and back’ century.
