| A Short History of the South Western Road Club Between 1927 and 1929 there were ‘faster riding’ and ‘hard riders’ sub-sections within the South Western section of the Metropolitan District Association of the Cyclists Touring Club. These sections were virtually one and the same and were made up of mainly male riders. They went cycling for the exercise it provided, as well as the comradeship and contact with nature that it offered. In 1929 one or two of the riders decided to join a local time-trialing club and try their hand at what was, for them, a new aspect of cycling. By 1930 so many of the riders in the section were interested in time-trialing, it was suggested that it might be a good idea to form a time trial offshoot for the section. The SWRC is Born On July 16th 1930, a special meeting, of some of the members of the South Western section who were interested in the formation of a separate club, was held at the CTC offices. Thirty members were present, including one lady member. The club was formed as the South Western Road Club, with a ruling that membership be restricted to ‘gentlemen’ of the age of 16 years and upwards, who were at the time full, family or juvenile members of the CTC. Ladies were admitted as ‘honorary’ members but were not entitled to enter in any of the club’s competitive events. The Club had early successes in 1931. In its first year of competition, the Club managed a third in the Balham ‘rough stuff’; the normal type of riding for the faster sub-section of the CTC. Then came a team win in the first low gear Open 25 of the season and on the same morning, in a different part of the country, first fastest and first team in the Kentish Wheelers ‘Novices’ 25-mile event. These successes were the fore-runners of many others, particularly in ‘rough stuff’ events – Balham, Centaur and Southern Counties. |
The Club had a flair for these events and over a number of years recorded many team wins. The South Western Road Club’s team spirit was born. Soon the Club held a National record to Portsmouth and back. This required good teamwork from the helpers and officials drawn from the club. Before 1939 membership of the CTC ceased to be compulsory and gradually there was a greater emphasis on training for time trials rather than hard touring plus time trials. The War and After During the war years, although initially depleted in numbers, a time trial programme was maintained and the SWRC played a big part in helping other clubs to form the South West London Combine to pool resources. During this period the Club also inaugurated an Open 12-hour event which became well known and was a focus for the racing year. At this time everything was done ‘on the bike’. Riders and helpers rode out to events or, if time was short, went by train. Overnight accommodation or ‘digs’ were the norm especially at Theale for the famous Bath Road courses. As motor transport became more accessible, riders were able to travel further, seeking faster times. Serious road racing or ‘massed start’ events came into being with races held throughout the day (as opposed to the early morning time trials). Competition became fiercer and it was no longer good enough to just ‘ride your bike’. More specific training was required and support for longer distances fell away. For several years the Club dropped the Open 12-hour event to 100 miles and then to 50 miles and, as the emphasis on speed developed, went on to promote an Open 10. The Club’s move out of SW London to Hook, Surrey, in the late 1970s ensured its survival and helped it become one of the largest and most active cycling clubs in the area. |
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