Mile-a-Minute Murphy rides a mile in under a minute (1899)

Charles Minthorn Murphy, known as Mile-a-Minute Murphy, became the first person to ride a bicycle one mile in under a minute in 1899. He achieved this by drafting behind a Long Island Rail Road train on the Central Branch between Farmingdale and Babylon. The feat required a specially prepared track and a locomotive to provide the necessary slipstream for his bicycle.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Murphy, an American cycling athlete, believed that bicycle speed depended on equipment, tracks, and pacemakers. After an argument with friends in Brooklyn, he proposed that a rider could break the one-minute barrier if provided with the right conditions. He persuaded a railway company to prepare two miles of track and run a train to allow him to ride in its slipstream.

Execution. The attempt took place on the Long Island Rail Road's Central Branch between Farmingdale and Babylon. Murphy arrived in Babylon on June 21, 1899, to watch the proceedings. On the successful run, he held the pacing compartment until his bicycle was rolling, prompting the driver to open the regulator to generate the required speed.

Outcome. Murphy completed the mile in 1:08 during one recorded run, with splits of 16.4 seconds for the first quarter-mile. The event was witnessed by a party in Babylon. After the run, the driver shut off steam, fearing Murphy had crashed into unprotected ties between the rails, but Murphy had successfully completed the distance.

People involved

Sources

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