The great American champion, Major Taylor, made at least one highly-publicized tour of Australia, so I would think it is very likely that a number of American pros, probably including Taylor himself, competed in England fairly frequently.
There have been a few books published about American cycling in the late 19th and very early 20th century and there are a few museums featuring this, one of which, at Buffalo, NY, I have visited. Until one is exposed to these, it is hard to imagine that America was then a great cycling nation, on a par with Britain or France, before cheap automobiles and cheap gasoline plunged us into a Dark Age, cycling-wise, which was to last over half a century. One of the most famous early American auto racers was Barney Oldfield, but few realize that he first achieved fame as a bicycle racer, then abandoned bicycles for automobiles. Sort of a metaphor for his generation, I suppose.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Peter Brown <peterg.brown@ntlworld.com> wrote: I don't think there is any earliest date for a subject to be off topic, so here goes.
In 1887 a new cinder track was laid down in Grimsby, and an inaugural meeting was held on 9th and 10th of August, with some of the top English riders of the time participating, including Howell of Wolverhampton, F Lees of Leicester, W Woods of North Shields, J Lumsden of Aberdeen, and the two Robbs of Birmingham. It was decided to engage the services of 3 "Yankees" who were based at Bridlington. The 3 were Woodside of Philadelphia, J Morgan of New York, and Ralph Temple, a trick rider of Chicago. After some haggling they were engaged for the then huge some of 100 pounds, or half of the gate if it was over 200 pounds. Ralph Temple had arrived in the country as a trick rider performing tricks never seen here before, but soon became an accomplished racer, and at the event beat all comers. Does anyone know anything about any of these three, and was it customary for American cyclists to come over here and earn a living at that time.
Just in case anyone asks, I don't know what machines there were riding, but I am sure there was no Campy involved.
Peter Brown, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England.