A Tale of Two Chairs Part Two

Congratulations to Ian Parker who was elected to the post of Chair of WVCC at the AGM last Monday. Ian has been a member of the club since 2024 and has a long standing interest in cycling. He spoke to those present at the AGM and we thought it would be worth publishing so that all can read his very interesting story.

Standing up and addressing people is not my natural habitat, but then again completing 320km bike rides also wasn’t until I joined Welland Valley Cycling. Bear with me, I’m on it.
I would like to start by saying what a great honour it is to be asked to chair the Welland Valley Cycling Club, and to thank Judith and the committee for their trust. I have also received encouragement and support from members, for which I am very grateful.
I would like to thank Judith and past chairs for such a strong foundation to build on, making my introduction a lot easier.
As well as it being an honour to chair the club, I am proud to be able to serve the Welland Valley Cycling Club family. Since joining the club in late 2024, the Welland family has supported and enabled me to work to and carry out challenges that I wouldn’t have dreamed possible. I thank you for this. Taking on the role as chair is no exception and I look forward to our joint success.

A little about my background
Taken over by my grandfather in the late 1940’s, my family had a motorcycle and cycle shop at 75 1/2  Narborough Road, Leicester. At the time, the Narborough road and surrounding streets had numerous cycle shops. My grandparents were keen cyclists and would ride off on their tandem for days out and holidays. I remember they told me that one of their holiday trips was from Leicester down to Cheddar Gorge.

At the shop I was brought up on building push bikes, the smell of GT85, two stroke engine aromatherapy, tea and digestives. I was pretty fit at the time. We would get deliveries of up to 100 bikes, which would need to be carried up at least 1 flight of narrow Victorian stairs, with turns, to the storage rooms. How the building didn’t collapse due to the weight of stock is anyone’s guess. It was a bad day when we started selling and handling Raleigh because their robust Mustang and Activator models were in excess of 18kgs and took some lugging.

Before this, when I was 11 I had a little business where I would buy the part exchange bikes from my dad and ‘do them up’ to sell them on. I would spend hours using chrome cleaner on the wheels and handlebars to clean off rust spots to make them saleable. I would buy and fit the required spare parts, negotiated at trade of course! All of the expenditure and income was carefully detailed in my hard back book. My Dad’s business focused on commuter and the more budget end of the cycle market, whilst Ian and Nev Leedham, down the road, specialised in higher spec bikes, frames and group sets. Ian Leedham was a charming man; he used to call me squadron leader scrote! I prefer my new nickname of ‘Jelly Baby Ian’.

In the late 1980’s we started to stock mountain bikes, and from that moment I was hooked on nice bikes. I was always out and about on my bike and rode in all conditions at all times of the day and night. My friend and I would frequently ride down the Great Central Way at midnight, with our Sony Walkmans on, to Leedhams to ogle at the bling in the window. On passing my driving test a group of us started driving to mountain bike races. From memory, nutrition wasn’t really a thing, and we would be fuelled by a fry up following a couple of Guinness the night before. To say my performance was average would be an over statement. We had a good craic though.
I had a Raleigh 653 road bike, with Campag Chorus, which I would ride with a group of us. I completed a few time trials, but hills were my speciality. I never joined a club as the scene seemed very cliquey and I didn’t have the confidence. I often wonder what my potential would have been if I’d had some structure and development.

Getting back to cycling

Unfortunately, a change of work and ability to drive put paid to my cycling for 32 years. After a longing to get back into cycling, a health scare was the catalyst to get me active. I signed up for a London to Paris charity ride so no turning back. I started Parkrun which is where I met club member Steve Burgess. He mentioned the Welland Valley Sunday social club rides and, as they say, the rest is history.

The last couple of years have all been about endurance riding and seeing what I am capable of both mentally and physically. I have been putting a bit more science and structure into my training than I did in the 90’s.This year my challenges have included a 320km coast to coast Chase the Sun ride from Whitley Bay to Ayr, Dirty Reiver 200km Gravel Ride around Kielder Forest, We Ride Flanders 160km cobble smashing, Struggle Dales 160km, as well as the WVCC Summer and Autumn Gravel rides, which, hand on heart, have been some of the most enjoyable rides of the year. I look forward to more. These efforts have all been underpinned by unwavering support from my wife Mandy and family.

I enjoy Sunday Social rides and have enjoyed riding club sportives, a few Club TT’s, Gravel Rides and this year’s Interclub hill climb.
I am now preparing for two of next year’s Belgian 240km spring sportives ahead of the Fred Whitton in May. After this I aim to ride a mix of club TT’s, Hill Climbs and FNSS rounds. Hopefully I will have a bit of time left over for chairing!

Looking Forward

Next year is an historic year where we will be celebrating our Centenary marking one hundred years since we were formed on 27th June 1927. I feel very privileged and excited to be in a position to be part of the team to deliver the Centenary celebrations. We have an exciting program of fun events and challenges lined up, which will encourage members to try new disciplines in what is billed to be a festival year of cycling and socials.
I think you will agree that our primary objective in the coming year will to be to ensure that the club continues to run smoothly and that we deliver WVCC members, past and present, a centenary celebration to be proud of. It is important that members are given the encouragement and support to try something different, whether it be different volunteering roles or trying Time Trials and off-road disciplines. It is also important that the wider community in Market Harborough and surrounding areas are aware of our celebrations and that they are welcomed to enquire and join in.

I have a lot to learn in the coming months, but you can be rest assured that I will do my utmost to get up to speed as soon as possible. I am looking forward to working with the committee and members to build on our successes. Until I started volunteering for Parkrun duties, I don’t think I had an appreciation of just how important volunteers are to enable events to happen. Like the Parkrun, we have an incredible community and resource where your dedication enables us to put on a fantastic annual schedule. I hope our members get as much out of volunteering as I do. Next year will be a great opportunity to get involved and maybe learn some different duties.
I hope you have all had a great year of cycling and have met your goals. Please don’t be shy in keeping me up to date on what you have been doing or are planning to do.
There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes for next year. Watch this space for exciting news on next year’s calendar.
Thank you.