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The Early Days
The club was formed in 1963 with a group of recent incomers and local riders by the
late Norman Smith and current life president Alasdair Washington from a suggestion by
Norman at the Halkirk Games where they were competing.
The inaugural meeting was held on February 21st, the club affiliated to the Scottish
Cyclists Union and the North of Scotland Cycling Association, and a programme of racing,
club runs and Youth Hostel weekends was planned. Local grass track meetings were also
arranged.
Local cycle shop owner Mack Mowat also became the club’s first life president and
regularly accompanied the team to races around Inverness.
Then, as now, the club competed in the South most weekends and had an extremely successful
start with Washington winning the first 10 Open races, ably supported by Norman Smith,
Donnie Bruce, Harry Hughes and others, including the first 3 places in the Aberdeen
Ivanhoe "25".
More success followed both on the road, where Harry won the NOSCA road race championship
and on the grass track where Norman and Donnie had many wins including Donnie’s
2-mile Scottish championship.
The following year the Thurso Social Cycling Club, which had been prominent in the
1940’s & early 1950’s, but had been inactive for several years, made over
their excellent stone built clubrooms in the town centre. Now named the Mack Mowat
Memorial Clubrooms these are the focus of much of the clubs activity.
More Recently
The club has produced a number of outstanding riders.
In the late 1960’s there was Sandy Crawford who then moved to Glasgow, became
Scottish 25 mile & 50 mile champion & gained a Peugeot contract in France.
In recent years Gary Paterson and Alexander Ross have ridden for the Scottish Road Racing
team, regularly racing as far afield as the South of England. Both have raced extensively
in France, riding for French teams.
Currently
The club caters for many aspects of cycling. The popular 10-mile time trials are held
every Tuesday evening from early April to early September and everyone is encouraged to
come along, whether on racer, mountain bike or tourer.
Three Open Racing weekends are held each year attracting riders from as far afield as the
Central Belt, for a mixture of time trials and road racing.
On the more leisurely side day tours are run to Orkney and around the county, and
"Awaydays" are held using cars to cycle tour further afield. Club runs,
particularly in the autumn and winter, are held at a steady pace and there is an annual
Christmas run to the Bower Inn. Other activities include occasional talks, demonstrations
and slide shows, held in the clubrooms.
The club have a large array of trophies for under-16’s, under-19’s and ladies as
well as senior men.
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