The History of Rugby RCC

The Early Years - by Bruce Townsend

In the 30’s cycle racing was either track or time trials : “Massed Start” racing had been banned many years before and cyclo cross had not yet arrived. Time trials were always as early as possible on Sunday mornings and dress had to be black tights and black alpaca jacket - to be inconspicuous! But everyone knew the Rugby RCC because we ran the last Open 50 of the year. The BAR was very important, being the major year long competition, started by “Cycling” in the early 30’s, and for many years the result was not known until after the Rugby 50. We still have the Simpson 50 Trophy that went to the winner. The event was not held during the war and never restarted.

The Club was founded in 1928 but did not really get going until 1929. Two of the founders were Fred Carvell and Les Smith : Fred had a cycle shop in Bank St and Les, who worked at the BTH, provided some of the finance. Carvells is still there but is now sells electrical goods, not cycles. In the 50’s however the cycle shop was very active - with the workshop run by a young Eddie Brodest. The Club used to meet in the workshop every Saturday morning but Fred Carvell gradually got fed up with the fact that no work was ever done on a Saturday morning! Another employee - and Club member - was Eric Capell: his girlfriend Mary Fletcher left the Club to join the Coventry CC and was a member of the ladies’ 25 Championship team. They married and Eric eventually became manager of Carvells shop; he retired a few years ago and Mary died at the end of 1998.

Apart from the Open 50 the other major pre war contribution by Rugby RCC was the ‘invention’ of Cyclo Cross. From the mid 30’s we organised an event which became known as the November Handicap. This started in a field near Crick - a field which is now occupied by the Post House Hotel - and went across what is now the M1 and over the fields to Stanford on Avon, returning along lanes and fields to Crick : about 10 miles of very hard riding. After the war the event was restarted and other similar events gradually evolved in the Midlands and then all over the country. Riders started in four or five groups at several minute intervals - the handicapping being based on 25 mile TT times!

However, Rugby RCC's main pre-war claim to fame was ‘The Rugby Flyer’: Ralph Dougherty. Ralph joined the Club in the early 30’s and rapidly became the fastest rider, head and shoulders above everyone else. He started to do well in open events and became known as ‘The Rugby Flyer‘. Ralph was also interested in team wins but there were no other riders comparable : but there were in the Leamington C & AC and Ralph joined them. Early in 1939 George Fleming got inside 60 minutes for 25 miles - in an event in Ireland but neither the event nor the course were RTTC recognised and so this was not a record. A few weeks later Ralph Dougherty did the same thing in England and became the first 25 record holder under the hour. After the war George Fleming became the first rider under 2 hours for a ‘50’ and won a Paris to London race but Ralph never really came back into racing. He lived in Alwyn Rd until his death a few years ago and became very interested in walking.