Mexborough and Swinton Times, June 28, 1929

Mexborough Cyclist Going Strong

Mexborough sportsmen are following with interest the career of that fine young athlete, Ernest Smith, a son of Mr. Charles Smith, motor and cycle dealer, of Mexborough.

Ernest has already taken 15 first prizes In his short career as a track rider, and this is only his third season. He has been out four times this year so far, winning a first and a third at Goole, a second at Brodsworth, and last Thursday two firsts at Morpeth. It was at Morpeth that he brought off his best performance of the season, winning the half-mile handicap from 67 yards, and going on to win the mile scratch and a, silver cup against some of the best riders in the north, before a crowd of 15,000.

Next week be is riding at Swineshead, near Boston, one of the best meetings at the East counties (July 4th), and Stockton-on-Tees (July 11th), and in the next week or two he will have appeared at five or six good meetings.

The lad is rapidly gaining experience, he has both the build and the brains for the business, and is full of enthusiasm for cycling. Although employed in a garage, with the run of motor cycles and motor cars, he never dreams of motoring for pleasure. As he says—and there are thousands of cyclists who will agree with him—there is not much sport in being towed along by an engine.

He is also an enthusiastic member of the Mexborough Cycling Club, and turns out pretty well every Sunday, At any rate, on about forty Sundays of the year he averages 70 or 80 miles, but has only taken part in one road race, last year’s “twenty-five,” in which he finished second, doing the distance in an hour and ten minutes. :His best time for the mile was two minutes six seconds, and for the half-mile (done at Brodsworth in the Yorkshire championship this year, in which he finished second), one minute one second.