Career
In 1938 he was acclaimed as the British Best All-Rounder when his three best event performances were aggregated into 399 miles at 22.627 mph. Earnshaw started road racing in 1935 when he was 18 years old, winning his first event, 25-miles in 1 hour 18 minutes despite several delays, a fall and mechanical damage. He was renowned as a tough, resilient, uncomplaining rider, coping with mechanical and physical set-backs.
Although Carlton Cycles may have supplied machines on favourable terms to certain riders in the club, the rules governing amateur status were so strict that it was even forbidden to allow the makers name to be shown in any photographs of the rider.
There was certainly no such thing as a sponsored club in those days. In 1938, the R.T.T.C. (Road Time Trials Council), the governing body of this branch of the sport, issued an edict prohibiting amateur racing cyclists who were staff employees of cycle manufacturers from appearing on their trade stands at the National Cycle Show.
lieutenant is alleged that the ban on names being shown led to the development of certain unique frame designs (Bates, Hetchins, Baines etc) to circumvent this. This was reward for his victory in the Westerley 100-mile competition in a record time of 4 hours 20 minutes 48 seconds, plus two seasons best performances of 50-miles in 2 hours 4 minutes 21 seconds and 249 miles in 12 hours.
Harry died on Thursday, 16 May 1985 aged 69.
