ROY WILLIAMS REMEMBERED.
To understand the contribution of Roy Williams to the BTOTC it is helpful to appreciate the differences (and similarities) between the group back in the 1980’s and now in 2013. Competitive cycling in the fifties and sixties was confined mostly to time trialling on fixed gear single speed cycles with the size of gear subject to certain regulations. Time trials were run as semi-secret events with coded locations, riders dressed in black and starting soon after dawn – the whole thing must be worthy of a book in its own right.
Roy was well established in this scene and competed with many successes becoming club champion of the Bristol Road Club for several years in the fifties. Always a ‘single-fixed’ man, Roy put up some incredible times on incredibly low gears and still holds several records, including a local low gear 25 for which he used a 59’ gear. At times his feet were doing 2.015 revs per second. Not surprisingly he found it harder to ride down Milbury than up it!
The well known cycling journalist of the 1950’s “Cotter Pin” (A.J. Widman), reported Roy as attaining an average speed, over 4 rides, of 21.953 mph in 1952 – and this was to be his regular form until his eventual marriage to Mary Peacock (herself a cycling record holder).
From his earliest days with the Bristol RC he was a Committee man and served as its Treasurer. He also he served on the DA Committee as the BRC Representative. Between the years 1961-67 Roy gave up organized cyling to devote his attention to his family but in 1968 he returned to the game – very gently at first and his old form revived to the point of putting up a creditable 4 hr, 52 min, 35 sec. for a 100 mile event in 1981. Roy remained a true CTC Clubman, being a strong supporter of DA events. In the days when the DA Dinner included “Fun & Games” after the formal proceedings, he always acted as Master of Ceremonies and general organiser and few could resist his persuasion to take part. In the Clubroom he often entertained with well contrived slide and sound shows on the other
subject close to his heart – the old steam GWR where he worked as a fireman for many years.
As well as the racing scene Roy was a member of the century club. They would ride out on a Sunday to the south coast, enjoy the beach and start for home in the afternoon. By the early hours of Monday morning they would be approaching the Bristol area and stop at a hostelry where the lady owner left out food and drink for them. Suitably refreshed they would continue the homeward journey arriving in time to cycle to work on the Monday morning.
But it is not possible to stay competitive all your life and as several of the more senior racers lost their edge they had started a more social riding group which became the BTOTC and Roy became an active member in the mid-eighties taking over leading duties for most of the rides unlike today where a dozen people take it in turns. One thing that is still the same today is the disparity over what constitutes a reasonable pace between the front and the back of the peloton. One rider back in the day recognised this in a poem that name-checks several BTOTC members called “A” “K” “Z” OLD TIMERS. (Referring to the start points of Ashton, Keynsham and Aztec – Almondsbury)
It’s time to leave this meeting Place,
For us, says Ernie this is not a Race.
Roy takes his normal place, at the Front.
The others for their placements Hunt.
The line takes time to straighten out.
From the back “hey not so fast” comes a shout,
Perhaps it’s Jean or maybe Jack
Who started slow and are off the Back.
The pace is pleasant as the group meanders
But of course you’re right, up comes Saunders,
Gordon follows increasing speed to such a Pitch
Some one’s bound to chase, who but Arthur Rich.
Up the Hill there looks to be a Break
And the one who helps it is Roger Blake.
Ernie’s walking says it’s too steep for beast or man
Agreed is Gilbert and together, joined by Peter Solomon.
Others with extra effort struggle upwards
For some it’s easy, such as Ted King & Colin Walters
The Lunch today is at the Old Railway Inn,
And there we’re joined by Johnny Kempe & Peter Baldwin.
The Fare, Egg & chips etc. but the fish is off,
But all is well, there’s Black Gateau for Ken Ainscough:
One Thirty now and it’s time to ride for Home,
We’re all together, Les, Mike, Dave, Eileen & Joan.
Colder now, and as time goes by maybe we’ll get a frost.
One thing, last to leave, make sure Johnny’s not lost.
If your name’s not mentioned, I did my best
I’m glad I’m home now, I need the rest.
Mike Whiteman is one of the longest standing members of the group still active on a Thursday and remembers meeting them for the first time in 1993. In his own words:
I was quite shocked when I arrived at the start. I was 48 and everybody else seemed to be twenty years older or more. There were about ten of them with half on fixed wheel which I thought was because they were poor. I was on a two year old Dawes Galaxy (the cream of touring bikes).
As we set off I admit to feeling embarrassed cycling with such a decrepit bunch and fervently hoped that I would not be seen by anybody I knew. I decided to ride to the lunch stop and then make my own way home. After several ups and downs where I had no trouble staying near the front we approached our first steep climb. It would be an understatement to say that I was staggered when some of the fixed riders overtook me led by a guy in a woolly cardigan and woolly hat. Taking up the challenge I sprinted past them and raced down the other side at speeds around 35mph. Unbelievably the woolly cardi on fixed overtook me, his feet a blur and his backside like a high frequency ram on the saddle. I warmed to this guy and he immediately gained my respect. In the afternoon we stopped for tea near Bitton garden centre and woolly cardi was in the café first, ordering the teas and coffees. I’d noticed that he had a shaky hand, the early sign of Parkinsons. But as he approached with a tray of clattering cups he asked “Do you like your coffee shaken or stirred young man?”. My heart went out to him – Roy Williams in his all-weather ubiquitous woolly.
John Bishop also remarked on the ferocious descending battles between Mike and Roy, as well as Roy’s vast knowledge of lanes all around Bristol. Despite leading groups across fields and down private driveways, Roy always managed to get the group to their planned destination without recourse to maps or GPS. Roy was also well briefed when it came to local history, particularly anything to do with the railways. He would relate bits and bobs of info whilst riding along, most of which you could not hear because firstly his voice did not carry well and second conversation on a bike is a skill that Roy never mastered. During lunchtime in the pub he was forever on the move! If he was not offering you a chip he was taking your photograph! He also loved to stop of for a cup of tea on the ride home, usually close to the end of the journey. It was at such times that you would actually get to hear his many tales of this and that you had been unable to whilst cycling!
In February 2007, on the occasion of Roy's 79th birthday we presented him with a large can of bike/chain cleaning fluid and lubricant, specifically to enable/encourage him to clean his bicycle chain. This chain had gained a reputation as the most clogged up in the UK. At least none of us had ever seen anything like it. We lived in hope rather than expectation and predictably nothing happened.
Roy always tried to compete in the Annual 25 mile Time Trial for ex and current Post Office employees. He would dutifully use his best bike which was a Stuart Purves with a higher fixed wheel gear than he usually rode with, just to see if he was fading at all, year on year! But time catches up with us all and as he rode his beloved fixed-wheel Hetchings at a steady but relentless 10/12 mph he invariably commented about a hill we were just about to climb saying "This is steeper than it used to be" or words to that effect. "I must be getting older".
But it was not until he was in his eighties that he was forced to dismount and walk, which he genuinely found humiliating.
In 2011 Roy’s health forced him to give up cycling and although he continued to drive to the lunch stops for a while by 2013 the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease had such a firm grip that the car keys had to be confiscated. In August Roy finally passed away at the age of eighty five. A true character that will be sadly missed but those who packed the crematorium at his funeral will be proud to have known him and counted him as a friend.