The Bronte Wheelers held their annual club dinner and presentation last month.

These were for the club’s champions for various events and races the riders have been taking part in throughout last year.

The trophies were presented by Joe O’Doherty, the club’s president.

The club has some old trophies stretching back to the 50s, and of a size that we could not afford to buy today.

They include the Harry McKechnie trophy, which was originally awarded to the rider who was crowned the Keighley and Craven Cycling Association (KCCA) champion time triallist.

Harry McKechnie was responsible for restarting the club in 1972 after it had been inactive for a period of 16 years.

The KCCA no longer exists due to the demise of the original clubs that were members. Some, such as Skipton CC, have recently reformed, however most, such as Keighley Velo and Keighley Road Club, no longer exist.

The current league we run on Wednesday nights is more a battle of the roses, with two clubs fighting for honours – Bronte for the white rose and Nelson Wheelers for the red rose.

Points are awarded for club riders according to their position. At the end of the series, the club whose riders have amassed the most points is declared the winner and hold the trophy for the year.

This trophy has passed back and forth between the clubs, and this year went to Nelson Wheelers.

The cyclo cross champion this year was Steve Webster, who received a newer shield, due to the original club trophy being misplaced.

Steve is the brother of Phil Webster, who, in the early 1980s, as a member of the Bronte Wheelers, was the junior record holder of the Three Peaks Cyclo Cross race.

The tallest trophy is awarded for the shortest race – the Hill Climb – which was won by Steve Lloyd.

The most important trophies awarded are the final two. The Sid Peacock trophy is awarded for ‘Meritorious Service to the Club’, and this year went to Joe Greaves, who has done sterling work as the club’s treasurer.

Again, this is an old trophy, which is a memorial to Sid Peacock, who was the president of the Bronte Wheelers from 1942 to 1952. Without members volunteering their time and effort, the club could not run.

The final trophy is awarded to the ‘Most Promising Young Rider,’ and celebrates the future of the sport.

This trophy is an interesting read: seeing the past names shows that clubs such as ours are the starting place for some of the country’s top riders. Our trophy bears the names of some of the current local professional riders, including Tom Barras and brothers Tom and Joe Moses.

This year it was awarded jointly to Mason and Morgan Mirzaali, who have come up through the Go Ride club we run at Marley Sports Centre through the summer. This year, the brothers have been riding the winter cyclo cross events.

Go Ride starts again in April at Marley, and the club rides continue on Sunday mornings from the Cliffe Castle roundabout at 9.30am, and are usually about 40 miles.

Details are available by calling (01535) 631373, or you can just turn up.

Visit our website at brontewheelers.org if you want to know about the history of the club, as written by Harry McKechnie.