Maurice Selbach

Maurice Gaetan Selbach (12 August 1889 – 26 September 1935) was an American-British racing cyclist and frame builder.

Maurice Gaetan Selbach was born in the 17th district of Paris. His father was Oscar Carl Selbach, an American engineer of German descent, and his mother Marguerite Kossakowska. During his childhood the family moved to London, where his father worked as a supplier in the burgeoning automobile sector. In World War I he served in the London Cyclist Battalion. On 23 December 1927 he became a naturalised British citizen, having previously been a citizen of the United States.

Maurice's cycle racing career is believed to have started in 1908/09. For most of his career he is a member of the Unity C.C. He spend a total of 14 years competing in the sport. In 1923 he rode and finished Paris - Roubaix.

Fastest time in 50 mile time trial (8x)

Fastest time in 100 mile time trial (5x)

1st in 12 hour road race (5x)

1st in 24 hour road race (3x)

1919

Fastest time Anfield B.C. 100

1920

Best on record in 100 mile (tandem) - 4h27'50" (RRA recognised)

1921

London to Bath and back record - 11h55'30" (RRA recognised)

1922

24 hour unpaced record - 337.5 miles (RRA recognised)

1923

Land's End to London record - 17h47'00" (RRA recognised)

Selbach had his greatest successes in cycle racing in the early 1920s and this encouraged him in 1924 to set up business as a cycle manufacturer in London. An innovative engineer, he pioneered the use of tapered tubes in frame construction and was amongst the first to utilise roller bearings for both the bottom bracket and headsets of his frames. He also pushed forward the design of racing tandems by incorporating a curved rear seat tube making for a stiffer and more responsive frame for use in racing.

His superior frames were recognised as being amongst the best by many of the top racers of this time and they were in great demand. Amongst the successes achieved using his frames was the taking of the World Motor-paced One Hour Record by Harry Grant.Grant managed to cover a staggering 56.5 miles in the hour.

In 1932 Albert Richter won the amateur World Sprint Championship riding a Selbach frame.

Frame builder R.O. Harrison worked for Selbach before starting his own business.

After 1939 the business was closed and the Selbach trade name was sold. Some further Selbach frames were produced in the following few years by a third party.

Two of Selbach's machines are exhibited at the National Cycle Museum at Llandrindod Wells.

On Thursday 26 September 1935 Maurice Selbach left home on one of his own cycles to go to work. On the road he made a manoeuvre past a truck and whilst returning to the near side of the road encountered badly laid tram rails that caused him to fall off the bicycle under the wheel of the truck.He died en route to hospital. His funeral was attended by over 150 well-known cyclists and representatives of bicycle manufacturing firms together with family and friends. Mrs. Selbach had a special headstone made showing a photograph of Maurice edged in gold. Below the picture was a sculpted bicycle leaning against a milestone. Above this were the words "He died as he lived. A cyclist". In order to preserve it, the headstone was moved in 2004 to the National Cycle Museum, where it remains on display.