The Rodney Cycling Club
[I decided to create this page dedicated solely to the Rodney Cycling Club because I was receiving so many comments from old members who had discovered my blog as it contained one of very few references to the club on the internet. Please be aware that this is a work in progress – I have lots of content to add when time allows]
I used to belong to the Rodney Cycling Club, based in Kitto Road, Nunhead. That club doesn’t appear to exist any more. I was only 14 at the time! I wasn’t with them that long but I can recall cycling up Leith Hill with them, after meeting up somewhere near The Oval, I think (if anyone knows where, please let me know). I remember that we carried our bikes up the wooded hillside of Leith Hill once we got there. I also remember a 10-mile time trial out on the A20 near Badgers Mount, that half killed me, and a hill climb in Ranmore that I still have the results sheet for:
On that sheet it looks like someone (maybe me at the time) has gone over the letters in pen, but I see that David Bowin looks like it says David Bowie underneath! I also remember going to the clubhouse in Kitto Road – all I can remember about that evening was that there was someone riding their bike on rollers with sweat forming a pool on the floor beneath him.
Although I was only with the club for a very short time, this page, being one of the few references to the club, has become a kind of repository for memories and the like connected with it.
The daughter of a long-time “secretary, tea maker and general dogsbody” of the Rodney sent me a wonderfully-drawn potted history of the club and of some of the more notable members. It was created by Les Somerville. It appears that the drawings were made around the time I was there. I have converted them to a pdf, which can bee seen by clicking the image below.
If anybody has any more information or memorabilia connected to the Rodney Cycling Club, please leave a message below at the bottom of this page.
I still have some more stuff to post here, so keep checking back.
Hiya Vince
I was interested to read you were in the Rodney club. An old colleague called Pete Howe was too, and gave me a Rodney CC wooly jersey. Yellow and blue.
I’m currently restoring a 1950 Allin. The best of Croydon!
Kind regards
Neil
Many thanks for your comment Neil. At last, someone who has heard of the Rodney CC! I was beginning to think I had imagined it, although I knew it was real because I still have a results sheet from a hill climb back then. I was only 14 at the time and I was only in the club a short while. I assume they disbanded at some point since. Nobody I have spoken to has ever heard of it! Good luck with your restoration. I wish I had kept all my old steel frames – they’d be worth a bomb now.
Vince
Hiya Vince
more on the Rodney CC that my old mate Peter told me about.
It started, possibly in the 1880s calling itself the Salisbury CC, having been formed by someone in Salisbury Close SE17. Not long after, the city of Salisbury formed a club and the Salisbury CC were asked to give up their name, which they did. Their new name came from the road around the corner, Rodney Road. I believe they used a hall there as their meeting place.
I don’t know when they moved to Kitto Road.
Peter remembered doing a few summer midweek TTs. He said that when the club was wound up, there were only three old boys left. I guess anything in the subs account was split three ways!
I rode the 1997 London to Brighton with him and he emigrated to Oz not long after. I last heard of him about ten years ago, riding the Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam. A true gent!
May your saddles be soft
Neil
Neil, Once again thanks for the extra info you have provided. Isn’t the internet a wonderful communication tool!
Hello to fellow Rodney CC ex members. I used to be a member from 1975 to 1980 . I guess I still hold most of the club TT records, I have recently found records of club events including the hill climb of which you speak (I remember doing it myself) some of the times done on heavy steel bikes would be hard to match now.
For more info if you like is available,
All the best
Keep pedaling,
Marc Cunnington
Thanks for the info Marc
I was in the Rodney when the clubroom was in St James Rd Bermondsey, the road I lived in. I joined in Sept 1951 and left when I joined the Sydenham Wheelers in Sep 1952.
Blimey John, you must have an excellent memory to know those dates! That’s about 20 years before I was there! Interestingly I lived quite close to St. James Road so that would have been nearer to me. I didn’t know that it had once been there.
Thanks very much for your comment.
My Grandad (Bill Lanigan) was a member of The Rodney and I think at some point he would have been club president. I rode for them as a 10 year old and won my only race at Crystal Palace, however the result was in doubt for a bit as the infamous Eddie Wingrave was not happy with me taking my hands of the bars to celebrate!
I remember attending Grier 100th anniversary do back in 1994 I think. I can’t remember many names but do remember a Dave? Barker and his wife Mavis.
I recently managed to get a a Rodney CC jersey of eBay however I am far too overweight to wear it.
I used to spend many a summer up at Herne Hill and still remember some of the names, especially that of Jim Robertson, who recently turned up on the Sky thing about Bradley Wiggins.
Great to hear that there are some other Rodney CC members out there as it was a big part of my Grandad’s life.
Chris, that’s excellent info – thanks for taking the time. I can’t believe you got a Rodney CC jersey! At this rate we’ll soon be able to relaunch the club!
Hi, I love hearing about the great stories of the Rodney, I have recently been given the task of emptying my great uncle harry’s old house in south London (he’s now in a care home)
And upon starting the task soon realised he was a member of the Rodney Cycle Club,
I found paintings, drawings, photos, trip notes etc, and even 3 bike’s, one black and red R.O.HARRISON, one yellow and chrome A.S.GILLOTT, and a never ridden early Charlie Roberts, which I am in the process of restoring the paintwork, and am going to build as a fixie to ride and enjoy like it was meant to.
I am currently compiling a blog site of his memories, sketches, paintings, and anything else I come across Rodney related.
https://ddowdall73.wixsite.com/rodneycyclingclub
Some of the original members might remember him, his name was Harry Russell.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any (rodneycyclingclub related) items that you want displayed.
There’s not much about the Rodney on the interweb, let’s hope we can publish some great memories of the club.
I used to be a member of the Rodney, and have a history of it written by an older member at the time. On the hill climb result sheet on Vinces page, I actually came last.
I will dig out what I have if I can find it and forward it. I will also have a look at your website.
Hey Albert, thanks for your comment. Why do you say you came last? It has you as being faster than everyone! Good to hear from more people from the Rodney.
Cheers
Vince
Hi all,
I joined the Rodney CC in circa 1982. I remember Marc Cunningtons name, I believe he was friend of Martin Luff. Also remember Bill Lanigan, he was president at the time and was instramental in getting my first racing bike, a Ron Cooper. I still keep in touch with Betty, by Christmas card. I was secretary for a couple of years. The club had many trophies (some with my name on!). Wonder where they are now? Was friends with the Barkers, used to drive us out to races in a Cortina Estate. Have a few club medals , but nothing else.
Hi Ian, thanks for your comment. You were a bit after my time. I have found an old score card from a hill climb I did in 1973 (see above). I was only 14½ at the time! I don’t know if any of you will recognise any of the names on it
Cheers
Vince
A few more members seem to be turning up. Just been up in the loft to get some football figures for my daughter (have got her into football but not cycling yet) and found the centenary handbook from 1994. Its a great read and i see some of the names on here mentioned in it. I will see if i can get it scanned and posted up on the web somehow.
Vince, all of my family (the Crichton’s) were all members of the Rodney CC. Jim, Frazer and I all did time trials in Rodney colours in the mid to late 80’s and early 90’s. The legendary Dave Barker introduced my Dad Jim to the club and that’s how I ended up riding for the Rodney. My Dad introduced Pete Howe as they used to work together.Here’s a list of members I know, some of them no longer with us: – Dave Millward, Anthony Dixon, Laurie Stafford, Bob Chambers, Derek Higgs, Dave Barker, Anthony Barker, Nick Richardson, Julian ?, Steve Ehrenberg, Johnathan Vickery. Apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone.
Hi Paul, thats’ brilliant. Thanks for your input. Amazing that you remembered all those names. We’re gradually building up more info about the club here, between us. Sounds like you were there more than 10 years later than I was.
Cheers, Vince
Hello Vince, just remembered Julian’s surname it’s Graham. I think of my time in the Rodney with a lot of affection. The last Swansong for the club was the centenary dinner held at the Queen’s Hotel in Crystal Palace. My Dad gave a memorable speech and we had Vin Denson as the guest of honour. The real driving force behind the club was Dave Barker. When he tragically died of a heart attack after completing a time trial in the early 90’s, the club never really recovered. We bimbled along for a couple of years afterwards, but people moved away etc and the dear old Rodney faded away. Often think that if we could have kept it going for another 10 years it would have been able to reap the popularity of the sport after Beijing etc. Thanks again for creating the post of the Rodney. Like you said, you were the generation before me, it was great to read of your experiences with the club.
Paul, thanks once again for your input. It’s really good to hear. You’re right, (road) cycling’s popularity surged ten years later. If only…
Vin Denson eh! Impressive!
I’m thinking of moving these comments to a page dedicated to the Rodney CC. Hopefully someone else might chime in.
I wish you, and all former Rodney members, a happy Christmas and a good New Year.
Vince
Hi Paul, would really like to catch up with you if poss, Margaret says hello🥳
Hi all both I and my daughter Kirstie were members of the Rodney in the 80’s before moving to De Laune who had a much stronger girls team. Reading through the comments brought many fond memories flooding back, weeks spent at the Yorkshire festival finding Mavis’s secret stash of chocolate, Dave Barker falling asleep in his roast dinner after we finished riding the Otley 12 hour, Mavis’s World famous bread pudding. Happy days. May the wind be ever at your back J.B.
Thanks for your comment John. You were there about ten years after me, I think. It’s good to hear yet more memories of the club. Cheers, Vince
Just wondering if anyone can help with some further information about Rodney CC?
I run a small watch company called Mr Jones Watches and we’re renovating a property at 61 Dartmouth Road to use as a workshop.
I understand that this shop used to be occupied by Buckley Brothers cycles, indeed there are a whole load of rather small, pre-war handlebars in the basement. From the limited research I’ve done, I understand that Buckley Bros had an association with the Rodney Cycling Club.
I would love to find out if anyone associated with the club has any memories of the shop and ideally we’d love to see some photos of the shop.
If you want to post a message here or contact Vince then I’m sure he can share my email address with you.
Many thanks to all!
Many thanks for any help or pointers anyone can give me
I’ve just found lots of info re. Buckley Brothers here
https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/classic_builders/buckley-bros/
Lovely to read all this. Crispin I will ask my Mum about the shop. My Grandad, Bill Lanighan, was club president for a fair amount of time.
I have a Rodney CC shirt. Would love to be able to post a picture of it here.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comment. I’ll stick a photo of your shirt here if you email it to me. Cheers
My parents William “Bill” and Ivy Collins were members of the Rodney in the 1930’s. They were great friends of fellow members John “Johnny” and Connie Lardent. They all mostly went on tandem tours together but Bill and Johnny took part in Time Trials. I have a Rodney gold-standard medal awarded to my father for a 50miles TT on the Bath Road in 1930. I always wondered what happened to the Club and am still interested to know where Rodney Road is.
Thanks Graham, for your comment. Some excellent history there. I wonder what the Bath Road looked like in 1930!?
I have some family notes that comment that my great grandfather, Bertie Percy Rose, from Peckham, was a keen member of the Rodney Cycle Club. He met his wife to be, Florrie Ashe, at the club, and apparently the club would regularly cycle out to Knole, Sevenoaks. They married in September 1909.
Hi Richard, Many thanks for that snippet of information. I can barely imagine what bikes and roads were like back then. Thanks again for contributing to the pool of knowledge about the Rodney CC.
Cheers
Vince
The Bath Road in the 1930’s must have been even better than it was in the 1950’s. I did numerous time trials 1954-56 starting and finishing in Pangbourne Lane. Hardly ever saw a car. Most riders turned up at the start by bike carrying their sprints attached to the front axle. I was a member of the South Western Road Club and still am although hardly active. My father once told me that he had a strict training regime for time trials: Refrained from smoking from Monday and limited himself to six pints of Best Bitter the night before the event. Those were the days.
I have a collection of Rodney CC medals dating from 1934 – 1954. They belonged to my uncle Jack Deer who sadly passed away about twenty years ago. Just wondering whether anyone would be able to suggest where these medals could be donated in order that other people could enjoy them.
Hi, might be a bit late as you posted awhile ago but I wonder if Herne Hill Velodrome might be interested in them. I know that the Rodney raced up there a fair bit back in the day.
Big Hello to all Rodney Riders past and “present “ just found this site having given up several years ago to connect with old friends.
Living a good lifestyle in Australia and having a pedal occasionally 😎,
Would love to hear from anyone out there!
My father Donald Charles Wells was a member of the Rodney Cycling Club, I would say in the late 40’s. He won many long distance races and when joined the Airforce rode for them in many forces races. Have a tin full of his club fob type medals and some photographs if you think they would be of interest. Another mate of dads was Wally Bradford who was also a club rider. We moved to Australia in 1967.
Hi Chris, Thanks very much for your comments. If you are able to scan (or photograph) the photos and medals, I can add them to the site.
Cheers
Vince