British track cyclist
John Ephraim Sibbit (Jack Sibbit) (4 March 1895 – 5 August 1950)[1] was a British track cyclist who won a silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.
By age 41 he had held twelve national titles including tandem sprints, with Dennis Horn.[2] Sibbit built, rode and sold his own 'Jack E Sibbit' bicycles from premises at 475 Stockport Road, Manchester.
Personal life
Sibbit was the son of a butcher from Ancoats in Manchester.[2]
Career
Competition
Sibbit began racing in 1919 when he joined the Manchester Wheelers' Club. He won his first national championship in 1922, the 5-mile track.[2][3] In 1925 and 1927 he was quarter-mile champion and in 1929 he was 25-mile champion.[2][3] The 1,000-yard sprint championship was introduced in 1930, and Sibbit won in 1931 and 1932.[2][3][4]
He won the tandem championship eight times - in 1924, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936 and 1937.[2][5] Sibbit rode on the front of the tandem; Ernest Chambers was his stoker for five of the national championship victories.[2][3] His other national partners were A. White (Rover CC) in 1924, Ernest Higgins (Manchester Wheelers) in 1931 and Dennis Horn (Norwich ABC) in 1932.[2]
Sibbit held three British tandem track records with Chambers. The two won the Olympic tandem event in 1928.[2][3] Sibbit rode in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. By age 41 he had held twelve national titles including tandem sprints, with Horn.[2]
From 1922, Sibbit represented Britain in world championships in England, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.[3] He retired from racing in 1938 to become an official. He was British team manager at the 1948 and 1949 world championships, in the Netherlands and Denmark.[2]
Sibbit bicycles
Later in his career he rode bicycles that bore his own name. Sibbit bicycles were ridden by people such as Reg Harris. The badge stated 'Jack E Sibbit 475 Stockport Rd Manchester'.[6] Sibbit worked for Ford during the Second World War and resumed making hand-made cycles from 1946 until his death in November 1950 at age 55.[2]
Commemoration
The Golden Book
Sibbit's achievements were celebrated in 1932 with a page in the Golden Book of Cycling.[3]
