club greats!
Otley CC, our Club of the Year, list innovation and relaxed social rides among their key attributes
Inclusivity is the key for all the best clubs, but especially for our club of the year, sponsored by Santini, Otley Cycle Club. “We are dead chuffed,” said Otley’s press and communications officer, Jill Birch. “It’s a huge pat on the back to all the members and volunteers, but it’s not going to change what we do; it just validates what we do.”
Not only is it home to racing cyclists and former world and national champions like club patron Lizzie Deignan, but Otley is all things to all cyclists.
Located just north of the West Yorkshire cities of Leeds and Bradford, Otley’s position on the edge of the Dales provides members with some of Britain’s best cycling country. Indeed, records evidence a cycling club in the town dating back to 1890. First, Otley Road Club provided a home for local riders, but that outfit failed to last the course and the current club was established in January 1927. Despite their seniority Otley have managed to remain current while simultaneously retaining their original ethos of providing a home for serious competitors and social cyclists alike, and it is the collective that makes the club what it is.
“We do consider the core values and how we evolve,” says Birch. “We try to get as many people as possible involved so that it is truly their club. Obviously there’s a committee, but there’s a huge number of people involved in running all the different things we do.”
When they set a 10-year plan in 2010, Otley had fewer than 250 members, but since the Tour de France passed through the town in 2014 it has more than doubled in size. Having a clubhouse helps, but the success is largely due to their holistic approach.
“We organise a race team which started with youth and juniors and now we’ve developed that into Under-23 as well, so these people are staying with the club,” continues Birch.
“But we’ve also developed our social series and they might only ride 15 miles, but that has been the biggest increase in our membership.”
“We get as many people as possible involved so it’s truly their club”