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Ever clocked a local club run speeding past and reckoned their amazing kit could teach the WorldTour fashionistas a thing or two? Or maybe you felt it had no place being displayed in a public place and should be consigned to the recycled fabrics bin in the supermarket car park.
We're giving you the chance to make your feelings known as we assemble club kits from all over the place and get the stories behind them. Even better, you get to choose your favourites in a weekly poll – this isn't called Club Jersey Clash for nothing! In each week's instalment we'll announce the winner of the previous week's clash.
Meet our clubs this week: Bourne Wheelers and Icknield Road Club. Let battle commence!
Bourne Wheelers
We spoke to Stuart Handley of Bourne Wheelers, Lincolnshire
Q: How long has the club been going and what sort of riding do you do?
The first mention of a club in Bourne is 1888, the first photo shows a group in 1910. The club became Bourne Wheelers CC in 1930 with 15-20 members, it was thought that it was 1935 and this landmark anniversary was celebrated in 2015 with a special edition 80th anniversary cycling jersey.
The club was dormant and was resurrected by a group of cyclists in 1961. Bourne Wheelers hold time trials during the TT season, club social rides at the weekends and during the week.
Q: Tell us the story behind the jersey design.
The club has gone through a series of club colours over the years. The latest official design was passed by the club at this year's AGM. The colour ways are taken from previous designs and blend into to black shorts. The official supplier is Ellmore.
Q: What are some of the most interesting rides – or biggest achievements – members have worn it for?
The biggest ride that the club has organised is the longest day ride. This is a 100-mile and a 150-mile ride in aid of Cancer research. Each year there are two fish and chip rides, which are around 120 miles, plus a sportive.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add about the club or jersey?
Since Covid many clubs saw numbers decline, this happened to BWCC, over the last two years club membership has virtually doubled.
The club has organised races for Junior Nationals and In 2019 the club hosted the Bourne CiCLE festival, a weekend of thrilling cycling for everyone from sportive riders to professional race teams. In 2024 the event will be called the festival of wheels.
Icknield Road Club
We spoke to Martyn Anderson, committee minutes secretary of Icknield Road Club.
Q: How long has the club been going and what sort of riding do you do?
The Icknield Road Club was formed at the White Hart in Ampthill, Bedfordshire in 1933, so we've just celebrated our 90th anniversary. It was named after the local Roman road 'The Icknield Way'.
We have a Summer Evening League of 10-mile time trials which we run as 'come and try' events and other local clubs and non club affiliated riders also participate. We also take part in interclub league events.
We operate a Sunday club run over approx 60 miles all year round and in the summer months we have an additional shorter ride of around 30 miles. We sometimes have an excursion to ride in the Cotswold as well as weekends away to France and Belgium to visit WWI battlefields, the Normandy landing beaches, and Spain.
We promote a 30km sporting time trial each April, and each September we raise over £1,000 for local charities at our Charity 10-mile TT. Our members also ride sportives and regularly support the Ride London 100 and the Welsh Dragon Ride along with many others. The club has also promoted charity sportives to support the East Anglian Air Ambulance and has raised a total in excess of £15,000.
Q: Tell us the story behind the jersey design.
The club badge was one of two designs submitted by early committee members in 1933, which also discussed and agreed the club colours of scarlet and gold which remain the primary colours of the club kit.
Our current kit is supplied by Kalas and makes us highly visible on the road to other road users, and during events such as sportives it's easy to see where we are.
The current kit was designed by an art teacher at Icknield High School in Luton who happened to be a member of the club. It had a minor tweak when we moved supplier from Endura to Kalas, but has remained the same over the last 20 years.
Q: What are some of the most interesting rides – or biggest achievements – members have worn it for?
It's always significant when we wear our club kit, however, John Lee, our president was featured in Cycling Weekly a couple of years back and was interviewed by BBC news during his track record attempts at the velodrome – wearing club kit of course! [Lee, who is in his 90s, has set numerous records, including four Hour records]
IT'S TIME TO VOTE!
Last week's winner was Beaconsfield CC with 58% of the vote. Ashby Ivanhoe RC received 42%. Thanks to both for taking part.
