Two clubs into one
Despite being formed in 2000, Kettering CC has a long, proud heritage, formed as it was from the amalgamation of two other clubs.
Kettering Amateur started life in 1890, formed by John Bosworth, a local cycle and motorcycle dealer who created an inflatable bicycle tyre. Sadly Mr. Dunlop registered a patent before Bosworth, something which may have influenced the ban on pneumatic tyres at club events of the era.
Though it was suspended during both the First and Second World Wars, Amateur thrived as a racing club.
Kettering Friendly was established in 1945 primarily for leisure cyclists, though that did not last long as younger members began competing. In 1952 the club successfully appealed a one-year competition ban for hosting an unregistered massed start event and went on to build an enviable reputation as a racing club which lasted through to the 1980s.
Both clubs raced regularly on the velodrome which now forms part of the go-kart track at Wicksteed Park, but in 1999 old rivalries were put aside and merger talks began. The club’s first event, a hilly 20-mile TT, attracted 44 members and while membership has fluctuated, it has always run a full calendar of races.
The past in pictures
Do you have any photos from the past?
If we can use them on website gallery please contact one of our committee members.
#23 TT 9.4m Old Circuit 28-07-22
A nice night for quick rides 😀 With the prospect of what turned out to be very nice food at The White Horse in Old every rider went as quickly as they could to get round the Old 9.4m circuit for the first time this summer. Everybody pushed hard and there were a number...
#22 TT 50m Champs 24-07-22
A good bike ride followed by a cooked breakfast. What’s not to like about that? It was an early start for the riders and volunteers at the Club 50 mile Championship on the N7 Earls Barton course. The wind was a good south westerly which helped with the push up the...
#21 TT 10m Earls Barton 21-07-22
Well that’s more like it 😀 On this year’s one and only club 10 on the revised N7/10 course at Earls Barton it was great to see a fabulous turnout of 23 riders who got pretty good conditions for the race. You can see from the results below how well everybody rode. I...
#20 TT 3.8m Flags to Old 14-07-22
Well that was a bit of fun 😀 With our planned course not being available we decided to run Thursday's event on the shorter Flags to Old course. I had hoped that this might have encouraged a few more riders to dip their toes into the TT waters but in the end 4 riders...
#19 TT 10m Broughton 10-07-22
Everybody who rode really enjoyed it! On what turned out to be a fast morning on the Broughton course we didn't get as many entries as we'd really had liked so thank you to Dan Bates and Chris Old for making the supporting efforts of Andy and Scott Barber...