Logo

15 Facts About Jack Lauterwasser

1.

John Jacob Lauterwasser was an English racing cyclist and cycling engineer, who won a bronze and silver medal in the same race at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

2.

Jack Lauterwasser - he pronounced it Law-tuh-woss-uh with the "w" as in English - was the son of a German who emigrated to France in the late 19th century and then to England.

3.

Jack Lauterwasser's parents ran a pie shop near Oxford Street, London, where they lived in poor housing.

4.

Jack Lauterwasser's father was returned to Germany at the outbreak of war in 1914 and Lauterwasser lived with his mother and the rest of her children.

5.

Jack Lauterwasser joined Finsbury Park cycling club in 1924 and won his first race, his club's 25-mile time trial for novices, when he was 13.

6.

Jack Lauterwasser began riding longer races, including time-trials that lasted 12 hours.

7.

Jack Lauterwasser broke the Road Records Association 50-mile record in 1928.

8.

Jack Lauterwasser was picked for the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam and cycled there from London.

9.

Jack Lauterwasser was then sent the silver medal as well and was never asked to return the bronze, he said.

10.

Jack Lauterwasser won the Polytechnic CC 12-hour race with a record 237.8 miles.

11.

Jack Lauterwasser opened a cycle shop in Holloway Road, London, in 1929.

12.

Jack Lauterwasser built lightweight bicycles to order and created a design of handlebar named after him.

13.

Jack Lauterwasser moved to BSA during the Second World War and made folding bicycles for parachutists.

14.

Jack Lauterwasser moved to Raleigh when peace returned and worked as a sales rep in the 1950s and early 1960s.

15.

Jack Lauterwasser died after a fall at home where he broke his leg.