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THE AFROWEGIAN
The Fastest Bicycle Rider
in the World.
presents....
MAJOR TAYLOR
a cycling legend
BORN IN 1878
in rural Indiana - one of eight children
GIFTED A BICYCLE AT AGED 12
Aged 15 the Major set a new amateur record
BANNED FOR BEING BLACK
cycling bodies tried to exclude him, but the public flocked to his races
MOVED TO EUROPE TO GREAT ACCLAIM
the Major proved himself to be one of the greatest racers of his age
The Major Taylor Story – a rise to stardom despite the odds
Major Taylor’s story is of a rise to stardom despite the odds. He was as big a star as Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan in his day, but his grandfather was a slave. In the Jim Crow era of strict racial segregation in America, Taylor had to fight entrenched prejudice just to get to the starting line. He faced closed doors and open hostility with remarkable dignity. But nothing could stand in the way of this poor farm boy, born to a US Civil War veteran, who became The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.
The prevailing notion of the time was that whites were superior. Taylor’s success disproved this.
By the end of 1898, aged 20, Taylor held seven world records, at distances ranging from ¼ to 2 miles. He was also the most hated, most admired, most controversial, most talked about but ultimately the most famous bicycle racer in America at the turn of the 20th Century.
Watch the video and see the incredible story of Major Taylor, his rise to stardom – and the obstacles he overcame at a time of racial prejudice.
A text version of this story can be found here – The Major Taylor Story
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