Chris Watts ACC History

Compiling the early history was relatively straightforward from the first Addiscombe Cycling Club in 1883 through to the early years of the current century including the formation of the present (3rd) Addiscombe Cycling Club. However, by 2006 I was considering...

The first recorded bicycle race took place in France in 1868 and within a year racing was introduced into England with numerous clubs springing up from the 1870’s onwards. In 1878 the Bicycle Union was formed, its aims being to look after cyclists’ rig...

One of the founders of the second Addiscombe Cycling Club was Charles Frederick Davey. His older brother Ted was a member of the Catford Cycling Club. Little is known about Ted but he raced an Ordinary bicycle at Herne Hill. From a postcard supplied...

The national Road Records Association was founded in 1888 following a decision by the National Cyclists’ Union to confine their jurisdiction to track competitions, it being imperative that a body was required to continue the work of certifying claims t...

Time trials had been held as far back as 1895 when F. T. Bidlake promoted the first North Road 50. An official ban on such events on the highway was brought in by the National Cyclists’ Union in 1897 but not to be outdone cyclists continued ‘secret eve...

In the Cycling magazine, 11th January 1929 the following announcement appeared “With the object of resuscitating the Addiscombe C C, founded in 1906 and now for many years defunct, a meeting has been called for January 15th at the Dorcas Rooms, Clyde H...

By 1940 members were fast disappearing into the armed forces while others were putting in long hours as ARP Wardens (Air Raid Precaution) or auxiliary firemen. The Eleventh Annual Dinner in January 1940 took the form of a luncheon at the County Oak Tea...

Because the next ten years were to bring National honours to club members in time trials and on the track, and to both men and women, it has proved preferable to record the disciplines separately. There was a mood of optimism by 1947 and people could...

Roller racing was extremely popular and in use as a form of public entertainment. As a club the Addiscombe had members in excellent form. Contests running for a whole week were frequently held at cinemas as an interlude between films or one-off contests...

The majority of members still opted for time trialling as their chosen discipline. It fitted in well with traditional club life and touring and did not necessarily call for any extra equipment or preparation other than for their normal riding. All they...

The name of the Addiscombe C.C. continued to be found high up in the results whether the events were on track, road or rollers. Events were strictly single sex until the introduction of “mixed racing” in 1970, by which time the number of women competing had...

Although massed start events had been supported by club members pre-war, with Ernie Mills finishing fourth in the Commonwealth Games RR of 1938 and 2nd in a 10 mile event in Bombay en route home from Australia, the first Addiscombe win is thought to...

Roy Norman starts the club hill climb pushed off by Stan Harvey 1958 had started well with first the January Social, followed by the annual dinner attended by 153 people, and then a Sportman’s Night that included judo, weight lifting, strand p...

The British League of Racing Cyclists may have brought about radical changes in road racing in the 1940’s but it was 1965 before some major steps occurred in competitive cycling. Hitherto, by regulation, open events less than 25 miles in length were r...

With the club having celebrated its 50th year it was inevitable that members of the 1930’s were in decline. Charlie Davey, Percy Huggett and Ernie Mills were three who passed their knowledge onto younger members, timekeeping being one of their specialities. T...

The influx of junior ‘mountain bikers’, led by Marco Faimali, certainly breathed new life into the Addiscombe. Ian Joseph wrote an account for The Gazette of a 50-mile sponsored WALK in the Chilterns he and two more of these new members, Marco Faimali and...

Pat Mundy had been a hardworking official of the club for much of her 44 years of membership. She had organised the annual dinner since 1963 and despite recent illness had helped Eddie with the January 1995 function. Two days later everyone was both...

The reason for the revival of the Addiscombe appears once again to have been kick-started by Marco Faimali. Following a quiet period on the MTB front, Faimali and Andrew Ince had purchased new machines and by the beginning of the new century they had...