Bernard Smith (Press Secretary)

I was a member of Kettering Friendly for forty-three years and with K.C.C. for ten years. Despite having been on shift work and weekend work all my life I have managed to ride 2,250 events. I’m currently the Press Secretary, Dinner Organiser and sometimes Tea Boy. In my time I have run two national championship events, fourteen open time trials, thirteen road races and nineteen club dinners. I also ran the Winter Circuit Training Classes for eighteen years and the clubroom for four years.

I’m now retired. I worked for 18 years on British Rail and for 27 years colour matching at Scott Bader. I cycled to Wollaston for 27 years before retiring.

I don’t do any other sports and before cycling I used to participate in school activities. I have cycled for as long as I can remember and have competed for 53 years. It was a neighbour that introduced me to club cycling. I enjoy cycling because of the fresh air, freedom and hopefully a healthier life. I have no particular favourite run as I like variety, especially new routes.

The cycling discipline I am mainly interested in is T.T’s but have also ridden R.R’s and Track. My favourite was long distance T.T’s. I remember my first race well. It was a low gear (63in.) 25 mile race (Kettering to Bulwick and back) on a very cold day in February. I did a 1.18.22. My first bicycling memory is of riding a Triang (pressed steel), red and blue tricycle, on the bricked surface in our back yard in Regent Street. I was aged about 3 or 4. At the age of thirteen, a mate and myself cycled to Skegness and back in a day (160miles). I carried on doing this every year, plus a day to Hunstanton, as training for the 12hour events, until I eventually gave up the longer distances about ten years ago.

My best cycling performance is possibly winning both Coventry and N.& D.C.A. Best All Rounder Championships. The longest distance I have ridden was 250 miles in a 12 hour event. I have also cycled across the Pyrenees (450mls in four days).

My sporting ambition at my age is just to keep going! The cyclist I most admired in the past was Reg Harris and recently it’s Lance Armstrong and Ian Cammish as a time trialist.

When I’m not cycling I enjoy Northamptonshire history and the countryside. I have no real favourite food, just basic English food and tea to drink, of course, and the odd beer.

In the future in the UK I would like to see greater respect from other road users and more closed circuits for racing.

Last Updated: 23/02/2010

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