Angela Mills-Bannon
@genkigalcycling.bsky.social
A blog of my Great Uncle, Bill Mills- one of the most influential cyclists and sports journalists you’ve never heard of. He pushed British cycling to be part of the TdF. He was “a man who dared to dream of yellow before Britain believed it was possible”
Sending some Christmas cheer from 1937 The Bicycle - not that much has changed for club runs has it? #cyclinghistory
December 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Sending some Christmas cheer from 1937 The Bicycle - not that much has changed for club runs has it? #cyclinghistory
If Great Uncle Bill Mills had been alive today he would’ve been anti-Brexit (thank god) - a topic that still splits families up over Xmas dinner! This article reflects how his paper ‘The Bicycle’ had a direct impact on the growth of continental cycling and increasing 🇫🇷 bike sales in 🇬🇧 1930s
December 17, 2025 at 6:28 PM
If Great Uncle Bill Mills had been alive today he would’ve been anti-Brexit (thank god) - a topic that still splits families up over Xmas dinner! This article reflects how his paper ‘The Bicycle’ had a direct impact on the growth of continental cycling and increasing 🇫🇷 bike sales in 🇬🇧 1930s
The teams raced in pairs with one rider on the track whilst the other rested, relaying each other at will. After 6 days of non-stop racing, crashes and vast amounts of food being consumed by the riders (inc. pigeons, chops, steaks and 12 egg-omlettes), the winning pair was Cozens and Van Kempen.
December 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
The teams raced in pairs with one rider on the track whilst the other rested, relaying each other at will. After 6 days of non-stop racing, crashes and vast amounts of food being consumed by the riders (inc. pigeons, chops, steaks and 12 egg-omlettes), the winning pair was Cozens and Van Kempen.
The last 6 day race had been held in Britain in 1924 and was a failure. Interested, the NCU officials asked him when did he want to hold it. He responded in “in 21 days”
December 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
The last 6 day race had been held in Britain in 1924 and was a failure. Interested, the NCU officials asked him when did he want to hold it. He responded in “in 21 days”
A TALL, burly Anglo-American walked into the National Cyclists’ Union (NCU) offices one day in 1934 and said “I’m Bill Spencer and I want to run a 6 days race” (it seems everyone was called Bill in those days).
December 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A TALL, burly Anglo-American walked into the National Cyclists’ Union (NCU) offices one day in 1934 and said “I’m Bill Spencer and I want to run a 6 days race” (it seems everyone was called Bill in those days).
Forget about pro-cyclists towing planes - I want a chimp that pumps up my tyres! Story from 1937 in The Bicycle - Ann and the Chimp and a specially made miniature tandem by Claud Butler!
December 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Forget about pro-cyclists towing planes - I want a chimp that pumps up my tyres! Story from 1937 in The Bicycle - Ann and the Chimp and a specially made miniature tandem by Claud Butler!
In 1933, Bill and Jenner held their first massed start racing event at Brooklands Motor racing circuit in Weybridge. These quickly became an integral part of the British cycling race calendar and a highlight of these events was “The Bicycle 100” in 1937 sponsored by Bill’s paper.
December 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
In 1933, Bill and Jenner held their first massed start racing event at Brooklands Motor racing circuit in Weybridge. These quickly became an integral part of the British cycling race calendar and a highlight of these events was “The Bicycle 100” in 1937 sponsored by Bill’s paper.
The two men were Bill Mills and A.V Jenner - members of Charlotteville Cycling Club.
December 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The two men were Bill Mills and A.V Jenner - members of Charlotteville Cycling Club.
It all began on a sunny afternoon in August 1932 in Rome - 2 men dreaming about how to improve British chances in ‘continental’ cycle racing - both of them having just crashed out of the World Championships racing for GB.
December 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
It all began on a sunny afternoon in August 1932 in Rome - 2 men dreaming about how to improve British chances in ‘continental’ cycle racing - both of them having just crashed out of the World Championships racing for GB.
I have a lead on Bill that I really need some help on. This 1936 article from Cotton Factory Times reports the first all-cycling film presented by Bill and Bill Bailey. It includes the Wembley Six, 1936 TdF and the Olympics. Desperate to find out if this film is in archive somewhere. Ideas?
November 29, 2025 at 11:41 AM
I have a lead on Bill that I really need some help on. This 1936 article from Cotton Factory Times reports the first all-cycling film presented by Bill and Bill Bailey. It includes the Wembley Six, 1936 TdF and the Olympics. Desperate to find out if this film is in archive somewhere. Ideas?
Another article by Bill in World Sports which states a committee of cycling journalists selected the 10 man 1955 British team! What would happen if that practice would be adopted today?
November 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Another article by Bill in World Sports which states a committee of cycling journalists selected the 10 man 1955 British team! What would happen if that practice would be adopted today?
Finishing off this thread with a list of items in the fleet of support vehicles following the 31st #tdf
(Sorry Alt text is just not working for me tonight! Doesn’t like the list!)
(Sorry Alt text is just not working for me tonight! Doesn’t like the list!)
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Finishing off this thread with a list of items in the fleet of support vehicles following the 31st #tdf
(Sorry Alt text is just not working for me tonight! Doesn’t like the list!)
(Sorry Alt text is just not working for me tonight! Doesn’t like the list!)
And the Bicycle arranged a trip for its fans to see the finish - 100 readers travelled to Paris with Bill and W.J Bailey after a day of watching the Brooklands race. Only two readers failed to turn up - for good reasons you will see from the report of the trip below
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
And the Bicycle arranged a trip for its fans to see the finish - 100 readers travelled to Paris with Bill and W.J Bailey after a day of watching the Brooklands race. Only two readers failed to turn up - for good reasons you will see from the report of the trip below
The paper’s French correspondent, Leulliot reports “Predictions are going wrong …I will take the risk and say that those "Bicycle" readers who are on the Parc des Princes on July 25 will see Charlie Holland come out of the tunnel to finish the Tour. I may be wrong, but I sincerely hope I'm not.”
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
The paper’s French correspondent, Leulliot reports “Predictions are going wrong …I will take the risk and say that those "Bicycle" readers who are on the Parc des Princes on July 25 will see Charlie Holland come out of the tunnel to finish the Tour. I may be wrong, but I sincerely hope I'm not.”
1937 is the year the first British riders rode in the #tdf. Although the rival paper ‘Cycling’ nabbed the top prize of having Holland reporting on the race directly, here’s a great front page of Holland leading the way on one of the stages and the unfortunate circumstances of how the riders retired.
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
1937 is the year the first British riders rode in the #tdf. Although the rival paper ‘Cycling’ nabbed the top prize of having Holland reporting on the race directly, here’s a great front page of Holland leading the way on one of the stages and the unfortunate circumstances of how the riders retired.
First we discovered some insight from the Editor himself - a year on after its launch how Bill’s paper has gone from strength in his ‘Personally Speaking’ column he recalls “the thrill of seeing the first copy of the first issue coming off the presses”
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
First we discovered some insight from the Editor himself - a year on after its launch how Bill’s paper has gone from strength in his ‘Personally Speaking’ column he recalls “the thrill of seeing the first copy of the first issue coming off the presses”
This afternoon me and my Dad opened the last bound copy of The Bicycle that we have - it’s been sealed in brown paper with (we think) Bill’s writing on it. We’ve been immersed in the pages of July-December 1937. And what a year of cycling this was!
November 23, 2025 at 5:28 PM
This afternoon me and my Dad opened the last bound copy of The Bicycle that we have - it’s been sealed in brown paper with (we think) Bill’s writing on it. We’ve been immersed in the pages of July-December 1937. And what a year of cycling this was!
This was an easy Google research find but so far, one of my favourite stories about Bill hosting the #Olympiccycling team in his house for the 1948 Games from the www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-news/sja...
November 22, 2025 at 9:30 AM
This was an easy Google research find but so far, one of my favourite stories about Bill hosting the #Olympiccycling team in his house for the 1948 Games from the www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-news/sja...
In my amateur status as a cycling historian I keep disappearing down rabbit holes - so I’ve gone back to the source of Bill’s writing- The Bicycle and found a photograph of him in action as a journalist, 1939. A photo with #cyclingweekly so you can see the size of this historic magazine #cycling
November 21, 2025 at 9:34 AM
In my amateur status as a cycling historian I keep disappearing down rabbit holes - so I’ve gone back to the source of Bill’s writing- The Bicycle and found a photograph of him in action as a journalist, 1939. A photo with #cyclingweekly so you can see the size of this historic magazine #cycling
I’m just discovering how influential Bill Mills really was in sending a British team to the #tdf writing in October 1950 in World Sports he says the “organisers of the tour are willing to take a British team…subject to my guarantee…that they are of sufficient standard”..
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I’m just discovering how influential Bill Mills really was in sending a British team to the #tdf writing in October 1950 in World Sports he says the “organisers of the tour are willing to take a British team…subject to my guarantee…that they are of sufficient standard”..
And then in other news - I attended an evening with Cure Leukaemia hosted by @nedboulting.bsky.social - I so wanted to talk to Ned about my Great Uncle Bill Mills and his cycling newspaper The Bicycle - but missed the opportunity!
November 18, 2025 at 8:54 PM
And then in other news - I attended an evening with Cure Leukaemia hosted by @nedboulting.bsky.social - I so wanted to talk to Ned about my Great Uncle Bill Mills and his cycling newspaper The Bicycle - but missed the opportunity!
And this is where his dream began as reported in the Daily Herald early 1932
#tourdefrance
#tourdefrance
November 18, 2025 at 8:45 PM
And this is where his dream began as reported in the Daily Herald early 1932
#tourdefrance
#tourdefrance
The winter research continues- what I love about Bill is that when his dream to be the first British rider to complete the #tourdefrance ended in 1932 - he kept that dream alive for others to follow. Writing in World Sports in July 1950 - he was still dreaming..
November 18, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The winter research continues- what I love about Bill is that when his dream to be the first British rider to complete the #tourdefrance ended in 1932 - he kept that dream alive for others to follow. Writing in World Sports in July 1950 - he was still dreaming..