Icons of cycling: The Derny
Noisy, smoky and often ridden by a bloke with a beard, Dernys are an integral part of track racing
Jump-started in a cough of blue smoke, these buzzing, mini motorbikes were typically ridden by overweight ex-racers; legs turning slowly and knees stuck out to avoid the overhang of their stomach. Each with a lithe young rider pedalling furiously behind.
They were the original Derny pace bikes, ridden on the road and track by ‘pacemakers’, gangmakers in Dutch, and entraineurs in French.
The French name for a Derny pace rider provides a clue to their other use. Yes, they were used in motor-paced races, which ranged from a few minutes’ excitement around a noisy, smoke-filled velodrome, to one of the longest single-day races there has ever been, Bordeaux-Paris, but they were also used to train riders at race speed, giving their legs, bodies, minds and reactions ‘allure de course’, the feel of a race.
>>> Watch: Geraint Thomas disqualified from Longest Lap again, this time for taking selfies
Dernys still exist as a generic term for a motorised pace bike, named after the creator of the original, Roger Derny. He made the first ones in 1938 for Bordeaux-Paris, which was at least 350 miles (560km) long, done in one go, and in the beginning the racers were paced all the way.
At first it was raced by cyclists working in relays, then as time passed by tandems then by small mopeds. The Derny was the first motorised bike made specifically for pacing cyclists.
The original Dernys were powered by 98cc two-stroke petrol engines, and on average their riders pedalled a massive 70x11 fixed gear.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
>>> Electric derny bike causes upset at Track World Cup
This ensured that all the Derny’s accelerations and decelerations were as smooth as possible, because the push of a pacer’s legs and throttle-use combined offers more control than using the throttle only. That’s crucial when the rider behind is a couple of centimetres from the Derny’s rear wheel.
The modern Derny
The first Bordeaux-Paris was in 1891, then from 1945 until its demise in 1988 the competitors started together and met their Derny pacers shortly before halfway.
>>> Icons of cycling: Silk Six Day jersey
Each competitor had two Dernys; one to ride behind, and a spare that took over during refuelling or in case of breakdown. The original Dernys were also used in track racing, often as part of six-day races, where pacemakers would tune them to increase performance and use bigger gear ratios to increase the speed and spectacle.
>>> How they used to train: Stan Ockers's Derny session
Dernys are still used to pace track races. Not the originals, although they lasted well into the 1970s due to maintenance by a company called Service Derny in Paris. Modern Dernys are greatly refurbished old Dernys or copies made in Neerpelt, Belgium.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris has written thousands of articles for magazines, newspapers and websites throughout the world. He’s written 25 books about all aspects of cycling in multiple editions and translations into at least 25
different languages. He’s currently building his own publishing business with Cycling Legends Books, Cycling Legends Events, cyclinglegends.co.uk, and the Cycling Legends Podcast
-
Dozens of riders left stranded as National Cycling League announces 2024 season hiatus citing 'current economic challenges in domestic and global cycling industry'
Effective immediately, the NCL paused all its operations in order to focus on restructuring and rebuilding for the 2025 season.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Welsh Grand Départ for first ever Tour of Britain Women, British Cycling confirms
Race will get underway in Welshpool before concluding in Greater Manchester four days later
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I'm horrendously competitive': Get to know GB track sprinter Sophie Capewell
Olympic hopeful tells Cycling Weekly about her cyclocross roots, wanting to be a scientist, and her proudest moment to date
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Zwift might be about to add a new map, leaked pictures suggest
Zwifters might soon be able to compete in a virtual Omnium, or take on the Hour Record
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘It’s a performance thing’ - why riders are eating Calippos and Greggs steak bakes to fuel gold medals
Forget expensive gels, the best race nutrition comes from corner shops
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I'm sure I could get over 2,000 watts' - meet the Gladiators contestant with track sprinting ambitions
Jamie Christian, also known as Giant, has jaw-dropping power on a bike
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Why aren't GB using the new Hope-Lotus Olympic track bikes?
An updated design was released last July, but might not feature in competition before the summer
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Katie Archibald to miss European Championships in key Olympic year
Scot will focus on Nations Cup events ahead of Paris Olympics in August
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘I went straight through the boarding and broke my back’: From horror crash to Olympic hopeful
Philip Heijnen has battled physical and mental challenges to be on the track today
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Vittoria Bussi makes history with new UCI Hour Record
Italian becomes first woman ever to surpass 50km in her effort
By Tom Davidson Published