Historic body relaunched
New wheels for old cycling club
Developing the next generation of champion cyclists was top of the agenda when the Port Elizabeth Cycling Club was relaunched amid much excitement on Tuesday.
The club, whose roots trace back to the late 1800s, was given a facelift after months of negotiations and discussion, which saw it merge with the Friendly City Cycling Club.
Speaking after the announcement, newly appointed Port Elizabeth Cycling Club chair Cheeky Armstrong said it was a momentous occasion and would ensure the club’s history remained unblemished.
“The idea came about after Garth Botha from Action Cycles and I initially spoke about this roughly a year ago.
“Every time we saw each other we would chat about it.
“So I spoke to my wife, Faye Woolard, asked her what she thought about it, called for an AGM and spoke to our existing members from Friendly City CC,” Armstrong said.
“That was it, and now I can say we are properly up and running.”
The launch saw dignitaries and loyal supporters from the club come out to pay homage to the long history of the PE Cycling Club and to usher in a new beginning.
“I am very excited about the future of the club and where we are going,” he said.
“We have done quite a bit to get our development team up and running by way of providing kit for them.
“I took them out on mass rides during the December holidays with other cyclists and we have seen so much growth in them.
“They are now conversing with other cyclists without being afraid.”
Armstrong said the club had 15 development riders, three of them women, and their excitement of being part of the club was great to see.
“Had it not been for our generous sponsors from Action Cycles, Atlas Security and St George’s Hospital and everybody who has contributed in some way to making this a successful venture, this would not have been possible.
“So we must give a massive thanks to all those involved.”
Guests were taken on a short trip down memory lane as Theo von Ruben spoke briefly about the club’s history.
Von Ruben said the club had been formed in 1880.
The club, then named the PE Amateur Athletics and Cycling Club, was started by two friends, who would run and take part in races at St George’s Park at weekends.
“PECC has produced the most Springbok riders of any club in Port Elizabeth,” Von Ruben said.
Over and above that, he said, the club had also produced many leaders, with a number of members being elected president of cycling in the province.
The club’s treasurer, Woolard, said it was heading in the right direction.
“While we will place a lot of emphasis on our development riders, they will not be our sole focus,” she said.
“It is also about our other riders, who might not be of a competitive nature but who still enjoy riding with some of the club’s more experienced riders.”
Woolard said the club was also exploring the option of getting more involved in the mountain-biking scene by hosting some events to add further growth to the club.