...It was upon the advise of the racing fraternity in the club [ Ballingray Road C.C.] that my best bet for a racing bike was a Flying Scot which was manufactured by Rattrays of Glasgow. I remember as though it was yesterday catching the train to Glasgow with my Dad's cheque safely tucked away in my wallet, walking into Rattrays shop and seeing all the gleaming new bikes hanging by hooks from the ceiling.

The frame I selected was built from Reynolds 531 steel tubing, was chrome yellow with chrome fork and rear stay ends, Gnutti head, bottom bracket fittings and double chain set Mavic rims, Gnutti quick release hubs, D'Allesandro tubulars, Simplex 5 speed derailleur, South of France handlebars, G.B.Brakes and a Brooks saddle... I was in seventh heaven!

During the racing season our club held a ten-mile time trial, confined to club members, every Wednesday evening. It was used as a training event for the dub sponsored time trials held on Sundays in different parts of Scotland.

It was on one of these Wednesday night time trials that I experienced my first race, needless to say I was very nervous. My name was called to approach the start line, I had no sooner got to the start line when I heard the hiss of escaping air - and I knew it wasn't my own! I had a flat tire! Suddenly a bike was thrust in my direction, complete with mudguards and pannier bags. Off I went out to the turn and back with, I believe, a time of 28 minutes and 50 seconds.

A few weeks later, I sent an entry to participate in the Perth United C.C. Ten Mile Time Trial. It was considered a fast course and was held on the Perth - Dundee Road. This was a popular event and attracted a big field. I remember again being very nervous, then 5,4,3,2,I and I was gone, out of the saddle on my new Flying Scot I rode as hard as I could and finished with a time of 26 Minutes and I2 seconds. Almost two minutes faster than my previous best. At the gathering of anxious riders around the timekeeper, I was thrilled to learn that I was the recipient of the second handicap prize. As was the custom, each participant in the time trial subsequently received in the mail the complete list of riders with their times. There was my name on the prize list in black and white! Much to the consternation of my mother, I thumb tacked the piece of paper on the wall above my bed alongside the photograph of my cycling heroes Fausto, Coppi, Gino Bartali, Hugo Koblet etc.

The following year my two clubmates Chick Green and Bob Martin and I won the prize for the fastest Team in the Cowdenbeath Wheelers 25-mile time trial. Incidentally, Chick Green's son Brian was a very good racing cyclist in the Vancouver area.

From 1954 to 1956, I participated mainly in massed start racing which I really enjoyed. In 1956 I sold my racing bike to help pay for my passage to Canada to embark on another adventure!

Walter Wiltshire

First printed in the Vancouver Velo Vet News, January 1999

The full text of this article, can be viewed at their website.