Ern Milliken
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Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ernest Francis Milliken |
| Nickname | Ern, Eagle of the Road |
| Born | 14 November 1910 Brunswick, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 6 October 1992 (aged 81) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
Ernest Milliken (1910 – 1992) was an Australian Road racing cyclist who performed strongly in distance races and individual time trials.
- 1931
- Fastest Melbourne to Colac in world record time for 100 miles (160 km) [1]
- 1st 20 miles (32 km) Victorian time trial [2]
- 1932
- 1st 100 kilometres (62 mi) Australian championship time trial [3]
- 1st and fastest Goulburn to Sydney in a new course record [4]
- Fastest in Melbourne to Colac breaking his own world record time for 100 miles (160 km) [5]
- 1933
- Record for Sydney to Newcastle in 5hrs 21' 27" [6]
- 1st Melbourne to Castlemaine race [7]
- 2nd Australian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial [8]
- 1st the Victorian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial [9]
- Fastest Goulburn to Sydney [10]
- 1st Melbourne to Wonthaggi time trial and Australian 100 miles (160 km) amateur champion, in record time. [11]
- Fastest in Melbourne to Colac [12]
- 1934
- World 25 mile competition record of 59' 6" [13]
- Fastest time in the 39 miles (63 km) Melbourne to Geelong in a new course record of 1hr 23' 55" [14]
- Victorian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial championship, setting Australian record [15]
- 1st Melbourne to Castlemaine race [16]
- 2nd Australian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial [17]
- 2nd in Batman 1000 [18]
- 1935
- Record for London-Brighton-London [19]
- Tandem record for London-Bath-London [20]
- Tandem record for London-Brighton-London [20]
- Tandem record for London-Portsmouth-London [20]
- Tandem record for London to York [21]
- Tandem record for 12 hours [21]
Amateur career
In his first year of racing, in 1931, Milliken won the 20 miles (32 km) Victorian road time trial, covering the distance in 53' 45".[2] Milliken initially rode a Preston Star bicycle,[1] but by 1932 he was riding a Malvern Star bicycle.[22] and was coached by Bruce Small[23].
In 3 consecutive years, 1931,[1] 1932[5] and 1933[12] Milliken set the fastest time in the Colac to Melbourne 100 miles (160 km) amateur road race, and in setting the fastest time, Milliken won the Victorian road championship title.[1] His 1931 time of 3h 45' 54" was a course record, breaking the 1925 course record of A. L. Quinton (Vic.) of 4h 11' 47" and what was claimed to be the world 100 miles (160 km) competition record of Frank Hose of 3hr 46' 25" set in the 1931 Camperdown to Melbourne race.[1]
Milliken broke his own record in 1932 with a time of 3hr 35' 15".[5] All bicycle racing in that era was on fixed-gear bicycles and Milliken was reported to have ridden 92 gear inches.[24] One of the first races to allow derailleur gears was the 1933 Melbourne to Castlemaine, promoted by Bruce Small Pty Ltd.[7] The race was also notable for being a scratch Race, instead of the more usual handicap race races. Milliken won the race using a 3-speed derailleur made by the Cyclo Gear Company.[7][25][26] Milliken won the Melbourne to Castlemaine again in 1934, knocking 40 minutes off the course record.[16]
Milliken won the 129 miles (208 km) Goulburn to Sydney in 1932 [4] and twice set the fastest time, in 1932 [4] and 1933.[10] Milliken’s time in 1932 of 5hr 46' 10 1/5" was faster that the professional cyclists race.[4]
Milliken rode strongly in individual time trials, often referred to at the time as unpaced races, including the then Olympic distance of 100 kilometres (62 mi). In 1931 he won the 20 Mile Victorian time trial [2] and twice won the Victorian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial, in 1933 [9] and 1934.[15] Milliken won the 1932 100 kilometres (62 mi) Australian championship time trial at Hobart, Tasmania [3], but in a rare defeat, he failed to defend his title in 1933, beaten by J Buckley who also broke Milliken’s record.[8] Milliken regained the Australian record in winning the Victorian 100 kilometres (62 mi) time trial in 1934 in a time of 2hrs 45' 42".[15] Milliken again finished 2nd in the Australian championship time trial in 1934, this time to C Winterbottom.[17]
Milliken broke 11 records in 1933, [27] including the Sydney to Newcastle record in 5hrs 21' 27", the first attempt using the newly opened Sydney Harbour Bridge.[6] Milliken won the 104 miles (167 km) Melbourne to Wonthaggi time trial, and event that the first 100 miles (160 km) carried with it the title Australian amateur road title. Milliken rode the 100 miles (160 km) in an Australian record time of 3hrs 45' 54".[11]
While Milliken was best known as a road cyclist, he also competed on the track, such as in promotional events at Goulburn[28] in 1933.
In 1934 Milliken set yet more records, breaking the world 25 mile amateur record by winning the Campbellfield Open Road Race with a time of 59' 6" [13]. Milliken also set the fastest time in the 39 miles (63 km) Melbourne to Geelong in a new course record of 1hr 23' 55".[14]
Milliken was touted as a potential Empire Games and Olympic Games medallist,[29][30][31] however no road cyclist was selected for the 1932 Olympics and Milliken did not finish in the 1931 Australian road championship [32]. There was no road event at the 1934 British Empire Games. Milliken decided not to wait for the 1936 Olympics and turned professional in 1934.[33]