Charlotteville Cycling Club

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Charlotteville Cycling Club is a cycling club based in Guildford, in the South of England.

1 Club Colours & Emblem
2 Formation & Early History
3 Guildford Town Centre Races
4 Racing
5 External link

[edit] Club Colours & Emblem

Club colours are Red, Green and White. The club kit design has changed many times over the years. The new kit design shown here is for the 2007 season and was designed by Roger Morgan

[edit] Formation & Early History

The first cycling club in Guildford was founded in the early days of cycling in 1877, when the high bicycle (later mocked as the Penny-Farthing) was in vogue. It began as the Guildford Bicycle Club and later changed its name to the Guildford Cycling Club. The club lasted for 35 years, by which time the remaining members were middle aged, middle-class and motoring-inclined.

In the meantime, a group of working men in the Charlotteville area of Guildford decided they wanted a cycling club that would cater for them. Charlotteville, being an area on the north-eastern side of Guildford, was funded by a wealthy Doctor, Thomas Sells. It was laid out by the Guildford architect Henry Peak, beginning in 1862, and named after Dr. Sells' wife Charlotte. Thus, at the Charlotteville Institute in Addison Road on the 27th of March 1903, it was decided to form the Charlotteville Cycling Club. The then Mayor of Guildford was the first President.

Although, the Club has an interest in all matters cycling, the Charlotteville has been very much involved in racing since running its first club event, a 25 mile time trial, in 1905. However, the racing tradition in Guildford goes back much further, to the time when Harold Crooke of the Guildford CC, became the first winner of the Anchor Shield in 1886 at the races in Woodbridge Road. This trophy was provided by the landlady of the Anchor in Ripley, a favourite venue for cyclists at the time. These races were organised in conjunction with a Southern Counties Cyclists' camp held in Shalford Park. Two years later, Crooke again achieved prominence by gaining the national high bicycle 100 miles record.

In the Charlotteville, a similar level of achievement was first attained when Vic Jenner was elected to represent the Country in the World Championship Road Race in Italy in 1932. Then in 1938 and 1939, George Nightingale gained the National 25 and 30 mile records and became the second person to beat the hour for 25 miles in this country. Derek Cottington took the National 25 and 50 mile straight-out records in 1970 and won the National 25 and 50 mile Championships in 1971.

Time trials for Club members had been run ever since that first 25 in 1905, but in 1928 the Charlotteville promoted its first Open event, an evening track meeting, the first of an annual series. After the war in 1946, track promotion was renewed with the famous Whit Monday sports meetings at Woodbridge Road.

One of the Charlotteville's most famous promotions was the World's Championship Trials, held at the Brooklands Motor Racing Track in 1933. The motivation for this was Vic Jenner's experiences in Italy the previous year. This was, in effect, the birth of modern road racing.

[edit] Guildford Town Centre Races

The Guildford Town Centre Races were first promoted by Charlotteville Cycling Club in 1984 as part of the Guildford Festival. The route was the same as it is today involving the small circuit of North Street, Market Street and a stiff climb of the cobbled High Street which proves to be very demanding on the riders. The first race was attended by a large crowd of nearly 2000 spectators who enjoyed some high spirited racing in the two events, one for 3rd category riders and the other for 1st and 2nd category riders. Prior to the racing, nine members of the Southern Veteran-Cycle Club Ripley Section rode two laps on veteran machines. The oldest was a French Michaux velocipede of about 1868. There were also two high “Ordinaires” of about 1880 and a Singer solid-tyred safety of 1890. So if you think that it looks hard on the riders of today with their aluminium, titanium and carbon frames just think it must have been like on those machines !!!

The Town Centre Races are now the most prestigious of the Charlotteville CC’s many annual promotions and regularly attract a first class field, good sponsorship and many spectators. The inspiration came from Les Smith, Mike Willimott and Stuart Campbell who promoted them for the first ten years. Since 1984 the races have had to be cancelled three times (1995, 1999 & 2000) due to roadworks or builders’ scaffolding encroaching on the road. Over the remaining years the swish of board-hard racing tyres and the characteristic rattle of aluminium racing frames over the granite setts of the High Street, together with the loudspeakers, have created an exciting atmosphere.

[edit] Racing

The Charlotteville CC promotes a full calendar of competitive events every season, from the Club Hilly in mid-March through to the Club Hill Climb at the beginning of October and including our season-long Evening 10 mile TT series, three Open time trials at 10, 25 and 50 miles under Cycling Time Trials rules and the spectacular Guildford Town Centre Road Races (one of the events in British Cycling's Elite Circuit Race Series). With a few notable exceptions, our events are held in the Pirbright area. Charlotteville C.C also helps in organising Road Races for the Surrey League and assist with marshalling etc. for local associations.