Our thanks to Alan Bennett for sharing this sad news of the demise of the the 133 year old cycling club. Ed
2016 saw the sad demise of the 133 year old IW cycling club, The Vectis Cycling Club, due to member apathy.
Despite valiant efforts of long suffering committee members, others were not prepared to help run the club or assist at organised events, preferring instead to turn up, take part and disappear, expecting a dwindling minority to organise everything for them.
When consulted at meetings to help or face the club being wound up, all the members could do was criticise the committee and still not step forward to help.
So farewell, one of the oldest and in recent years, most successful Island sporting clubs.
(See Vectis Cycling Club race reports from over the years)
The excellent Historic Ryde Society has the following entries from the 1880s, reporting on the formation of the new cycle club. Ed
Formation of The Vectis Cycling Club March 1883
A number of gentlemen residing in Ryde and neighbourhood have formed themselves into a Bicycle and Tricycle club. About 30 gentlemen have already joined. MR J R West has been elected president, and the vice persidents are the Rev W H Redknap, Surgeon-Gen Ross, Col Garlick, Capt Wellesley, Me Evelyn Rich, Mr Dudley Watkins, and Mr A Morse; captain, Mr H M Tarrant; deputy captain, Mr Thirkell; treasurer, Mr Jabez Hughes; secretary, Mr H H Morgan; bugler, Mr D R Wayland; committee, Messrs G Colenutt, H O Colyer, Durrant, H Lowe, D Marvin, and W Watts. The club is called “The Vectis Cycling Club,” and the annual subscription is 5s.
Isle of Wight Observer March 31, 1883
THE VECTIS CYCLING CLUB – The opening run of this newly-formed club took place on Thursday evening. Fifteen of the members met at 5 o’clock at the Town Hall, and the start was really a very pretty sight, there being seven bicycles and eight tricycles of various make, the Salvo, the Delta, the Phoenix, and the Victor, being amongst those represented. The captain, Mr Tarrant, led the van, with the bugler, Mr Wayland, the bicyclists following, and the deputy captain (Mr Thirkell) bringing up the rear. They proceeded, via Brading, to Sandown, returning through the lower road and back through Brading.
Image: © Historic Ryde Society
