THE FELLOWSHIP OF CYCLING OLD-TIMERS

BACKGROUND

In 1916 the Fellowship of Old Time Cyclists (FOTC) was formed, membership being confined to men who had ridden high bicycles (or ordinaries, as they were then called) or tricycles before 1890. It was proud of the fact that its end was inevitable and it took pains to ensure that every applicant for membership was entitled to join. The last member died on 31 August 1971. During the final years of the old Fellowship its secretary (Derek Roberts, who was not a member) decided that some similar body ought to take its place. He had found that many old-timers had lost touch with most and sometimes all of their cycling friends, and that they eagerly welcomed the tenuous link which their annual meetings provided. Unlike the older organisation, however, the new body should enable all cyclists to keep in touch with one another and the world of cycling even if their active days were over. The new venture received the enthusiastic support of the remaining members of the FOTC, and on 14 February 1965 the Fellowship of Cycling Old-Timers was formed, with membership open to active or former cyclists, men and women, aged 50 or more.

FORMATION

There was some argument over the age limit, but it was decided that 50 was realistic in today’s circumstances. The days of Lacy Hillier, Bidlake, Wayfarer, Stancer and Kuklos are gone forever, and cyclists today are unfortunately largely in two groups. The first group contains those who leave the game in their early twenties, or even before then. The second group contains those who either keep on cycling or come back to it after months or years of absence – the return is nearly always permanent. Today the cyclist of 50 has almost certainly some 30 years or more of intermittent or continuous cycling to his or her credit, and can fairly be called an old-timer on the modern scale of values. After all, 40 is the qualifying age for the Veterans’ Time Trials Association; we add 10 years. It is worth remembering that when the old FOTC was formed there was a minimum age of only 44.

FELLOWSHIP NEWS

The FCOT is not intended to be an active body competing with the CTC, the VTTA the Autumn Tints Cycling Comrades or any other national or local associations, but that does not mean that active cyclists are not welcome. They are often keenly interested in the past, and are glad to refresh their memories of people and events and to say what they are thinking. The FCOT publishes a quarterly magazine - Fellowship News - in which members are able to reminisce over past events, give and seek news of old friends and acquaintances, discuss current facts and fancies, and generally air their memories, their opinions, their hopes and fears on any subjects they care to raise, cycling or non-cycling. Editing of letters is done only with the writers’ consent – there is no censorship. The magazine is A5 size, printed by offset litho, has 100 pages or more, and contains illustrations including sketches by Frank Patterson, the artist who captured the spirit of cycling better than anyone else (by kind permission of the CTC and Temple Press). A large-print edition can be made available. All our members assert that in ‘FN’ they have a magazine which embodies the essence of cycling to an extent unequalled by any other cycling periodical today. Fellowship News is free to members but can be and is bought regularly by non-members who may be too young to join but who have similar tastes and interests.

ACTIVITIES

There are no organised FCOT runs, but many groups of COTs do meet regularly and ride together (for example the Thursday Club and the Potterer’s Club have been formed by groups of COTs); and Merseyside members meet socially every week of the year. In fact most COTs are still active. An annual luncheon is held, after which the annual general meeting takes place, when the name of the incoming President is announced. Other gatherings are held from time to time; any member is entitled to arrange any function anywhere at any time, so long as adequate notice is given in Fellowship News.

MEMBERSHIP

If you would like to join the Fellowship, or, if not eligible, subscribe to Fellowship News, click the Join now button. Separate forms are required for husbands and wives (or partners) although one donation covers both if only one copy of the magazine is required per household.