Cyclists gear up for more success after strong year
A Midlands cycling club has taken the time to look back at a successful year in the saddle.
Bridgnorth Cycling Club was formed in 2010, when current chairman Andrew Davies put an advert in the Shropshire Star, enquiring whether any local riders were interested in forming a cycling club in the town.
Since then the club has grown from strength to strength, and in late 2020 it combined with Cycling Club Bridgnorth to form a single entity, offering access to a wide range of cycling disciplines from road biking, to mountain biking, cyclo-cross and even time trailing.
Paul Mulready of BCC said: "We pride ourselves on being a local, friendly club offering an exciting, vibrant and inclusive environment across all ability levels.
"Throughout the recent pandemic our membership has grown significantly and we now have over 150 members, many of which are actively cycling every week. The mountain bike groups meet every Tuesday and Thursday led by Barry Goodyear, Debbie Anne Smith and James Taylor. The rides involve a mixture of lanes and off road tracks, in the beautiful local Shropshire countryside and often finish with a couple a well-deserved end of ride pints in the Railwayman’s Arms.
"Summer rides regularly include a Solstice trip to Brown Clee and the club also participates in local charity events such as the Batch Burner on the amazing terrain of the Long Mynd.
"The road bike rides meet every Sunday and offer a range of options covering different average speeds and distances to cater for everyone and anyone. Jase Meyer, Graham Tait and Ian Latham lead these rides and we regularly call at the Woodberry Inn for a post-ride debrief. The B and C rides will cover anywhere between 30 and 50 miles and generally always stop for a much-needed coffee and cake midway. The faster A and B groups will cover 60 or more miles and are a great way to push yourself if you are slightly more proficient. All rides have a no-drop policy meaning you will be well looked after and no one is left behind."
On the road bike side, the club is an active participant in the SCCA (Shropshire Cycling Clubs Association) and has many members that regularly compete in local events and races. Riders Tim Beardmore and John Mills-Keeling have had some noticeable results this year and finished top two overall for the time trial competition.
Andy Tennant, pro rider and ex-world team pursuit gold medallist, is an ambassador for the club. He has recently retired and regularly turns out to join the Sunday rides. BCC riders are also joined regularly by many local professional and semi-pro riders such as Leah Dixon (Tibco Silicon Valley Bank) and Ben Healy who has signed for EF Education next year.
Mr Mulready added: "We are becoming more active with cyclo-cross and recently hosted the WMCCL (West Midlands Cyclo Cross League) at Highley. It was a fantastic event and really well attended by young and old cyclists alike.
"The 2022 road bike season will get off to a great start when we host the Bridgnorth Cycling Club annual reliability events – we have two events planned for late January which will be run from Bridgnorth Rugby Club covering different distances and ability levels. These events are a great way to meet local riders and also interact with members from clubs further afield.
"Our website and Facebook pages are regularly updated with up and coming events – we welcome all riders of all abilities and would encourage anyone to come along and give it a go. We look forward to seeing you in 2022."