Cycle Club Bexley was formed in January 1966 with the merger of three clubs, the Long Valley Cycling Club, the Ruxley Wheelers and the Thames Road Club. The Thames Road Club and the Ruxley Wheelers were both based in South East London with the Long Valley Cycling Club based in the Dartford area.
With decline in interest in cycling experienced in these times, due mainly to the growing affluence of young people and the loss of older members from the boom years of the fifties as they all married off, the committees of these three clubs felt that a merger was a better proposition than the possibility of seeing our clubs fade away.
The Club started life meeting at The Seven Stars in Footscray, which was the last clubroom used by the Ruxley Wheelers. Since then we have moved from venue to venue, all the time moving towards North East Kent.
We have more recently seen a renaissance in cycling with many of our past and now older members returning as their families have grown up and “flown the nest”. The club has long been associated with our distinctive blue and yellow kit. Although the team strip was revamped five years ago, it retains the bold blue and yellow combination; the addition of white further increases the visibility of the CC Bexley. You’ll find us riding around some of the best country lanes Kent has to offer.
The club has been very active in the cycle racing community, be it producing racers or hosting events. A healthy contingent of members raced competitively in the Seventies and Eighties and continue to provide raucous support during the summer evening 10s, before toasting the riders at the Horton Kirby Cricket Club.
The club actively encourages all sorts of racing, from road racing to time trialling and even tricycle racing. In fact, between 1956 and 1959, Clarice Masterson set multiple national time trial records on a tricycle. Masterson isn’t the only successful tricycle rider; Ian Finch, who holds the club 10-mile time trial record on two wheels, has set national trike records too.
The club’s most notable rider is Kathryn Kitt (named Miles at the time). Kitt raced in the 1986 Tour Féminin, the female equivalent of the Tour de France. She went on to compete in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games as a tandem pilot for blind para-athlete Robert Allen in the road race, track sprint and pursuit. Unfortunately, the reigning European champions were unable to add the Paralympic title, as Kitt’s build-up was was hindered by a leg break.
Impressively, we still have a monthly club magazine delivered to each member’s door, keeping everyone up to date with the club’s activities.
Historical pictures
see if you know these people from the DeLaune CC’s 10 mile TT on the Isle of Grain on 10th September 1983
Ian Finch (18 in this photo) is sporting the lycra balaclava which was considered to be an aero advantage at the time.
Ray Appleby was 48 at the time – teeth are more aero than lips 😉
Gawain Dickinson-Standing is, apparently, still the CC Bexley Junior 10 Mile Record Holder.
CC Bexley have an amazing set of inter club events that we combine for our club championships. Take a look at our events to find out more
Our Shield for this Competition has gone missing.
If anyone can locate it we would be grateful, so look in your lofts and junk rooms to see if it is lurking there.
Race Report by our intrepid roving reporter and competitor.
C C Bexley Triathlon Championships 2016
For the second year running the Club’s Triathlon Championships were held within the excellent and inclusive sprint event promoted by the East Essex Triathlon Club. The race, based around the Blackshots Leisure Centre in Grays Essex, is comprised of a 400 metre swim, a 25km cycle route and a 5km run on the grass paths around the Blackshots Playing Fields.
Despite the early start, Andy commenced his swim at 07:18, we all enjoyed warm sunshine out on the course. The gentle breeze was a definite advantage in the early stages of the bike route along the old A13, however, it certainly worked against you as the route turned back towards Grays. The fact that each club member was seeded well apart from the rest of his/her club mates meant that there was no opportunity for any comparison, it was therefore a case of going flat out all the way.
The Men’s Champion, Mark Starbuck clinched C C Bexley honours by three minutes over second placed Murray Spencer. Starbuck took advantage of his strong swimming by seizing two minutes here, then extended his lead still further with a powerful showing on the scenic run section. The Ladies prize was won by Jo Hovenden who, besides scooping the prestigious C C Bexley Claret Jug, also won her age category by a considerable margin. Second Lady, Angela Spencer, 20 years Hovenden’s senior, put in a personal best on the day, she too claimed first in her age group.
This was Andrew Elford’s first ever triathlon, the nerves getting the better of him causing a panicked wrong turn on the cycle route. Paul Blacker, now on his second event, was feeling the growing confidence, he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
Men’s Championship 1st Mark Starbuck 1:16:03 2nd Murray Spencer 1:19:04 3rd Paul Blacker 1:29:16 4th Andrew Elford 1:22:17 (Incorrect Bike Route taken)
Ladies Championship 1st Jo Hovenden 1:09:13 2nd Angela Spencer 1:20:46
It is with sadness that I learned of the recent passing of Fred Jones and would like to extend his families invite to attend his funeral on the 8th March at 11:15 at Eltham Crematorium.
I first met Fred in early 1980. He like Ray Appleby with Colin, had been drawn into Cycle Club Bexley by his son Peter. Colin and Peter were the fast youngsters that I aspired to when I started racing, whilst Ray went on to be a good mate and prolific club member breaking many Vets records. Fred however didn’t get the racing bug and instead he stepped up at the (I think) 1981 Club AGM to fill the very large shoes of the Club President and outgoing Treasurer Arthur Boxall.
The symmetry being that the Fred years are sandwiched by the Boxall family and having only three treasurers in 56 years must be some kind of record – all three have given many, many years’ service keeping our books balanced and straight, with Fred being our treasurer for around a quarter of a century. After he handed over the treasury duties, Fred was honoured for his very long service to the club when he was asked, accepted and became President of Cycle Club Bexley.
Fred didn’t just help with his official job in the club counting house, he also held up 1000’s of riders over the years giving them the ‘famous’ Fred push-off…which was worth several seconds in a ten and probably gave me my only ride inside 23 minutes on the club course. He was also a great joke teller, in the style of Dave Allen…they were very long and drawn out with a brilliant punch line at the end and became part of the committee meeting standing agenda; the committee meeting could not be concluded without a joke from Fred.
Outside official duties Fred was a great supporter of the social side of the club and I was lucky enough to go on a number of trips with Fred over the years, including Gent, Antwerp and the infamous day trip to Boulogne (you will need to ask an older member about that!!!)
He was always a great person to keep the spirits up and help you see the funny side of life, which I always suspected was due in part to his job travelling around the UK as a welfare manager for the CEGB helping people that were in need of support. It was just in his nature to be kind and caring and very calm and with his calmness saving a club open event when a car drove into our own Keely Corder out on the course; when the Police arrived at the HQ demanding paperwork, Fred stepped in, calmly took over, stopped the panic and ensured everything continued as normal with a simple and absolute clarity to get things done whilst keeping the event running.
Sadly for us all, towards the end of his life Fred developed a form of Alzheimer’s which ended his joke telling and his participation within the club; his last club appearance was at the club dinner about 6 years ago where he stood and said a few words to the guests.
May he find his fellow club members in heaven, in a pub garden in the sunshine and sit them down with a beer ready to tell them a good (long) joke.