Bert Harris
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Birmingham, England
Birmingham, England
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Albert Walter Allen Harris |
| Nickname | Bert |
| Born | 9 April 1873 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 21 April 1897 (aged 24) Birmingham, England |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Sprinter |
| Amateur team | |
| 1887–1893 | – |
| Professional team | |
| 1894–1897 | London Polytechnic Cycle Club |
| Major wins | |
| Professional Champion | |
Albert Walter Allen Harris (9 April 1873 in Birmingham[1] – 21 April 1897[2] in Birmingham General Hospital) was a professional racing cyclist. He was raised in Leicester and attended Holy Trinity School. He started cycling competitively at the age of 14 and came second in the 'Infirmary Sports' at Aylestone Road Sports Ground (now the Grace Road Cricket Ground) two years later.[3]
Harris was born in Birmingham on 9 April 1873, the son of Walter James and Emma Harris.
Cyclist
Harris gained his first major win at Bristol in 1889, completing the Five Mile race in 18 minutes and 25 seconds. Harris broke the records for the mile and three-quarter mile events in 1893 before turning professional in 1894 and joined the London Polytechnic Cycle Club. Harris was coached by Sam Mussabini to his first professional cycling championship victory in 1894. During a race in Cardiff in April 1895, he came off his bicycle and was knocked unconscious for 48 hours. However, by September he was well enough to break the English professional record at Herne Hill Velodrome, completing the half-mile in 57.3 seconds and the mile in 118.3 seconds.[3]
Harris competed alongside the big names in cycling in Australia during the southern summer of 1895-1896, receiving £400 for winning one race alone.[3] On average he earned £15 a week.[4] He was so successful that people began to refer to 1896 as Harris Year.[4]
