History

Founded 1925, by Glasgow cyclists who met in the back shop of the cycle business owned by Malcolm C.Smith, the Club’s Founder President. Malcolm had been brought up in the cycle trade.

In the 1901 Census his father, also Malcolm C. Smith, was a “bicycle builder” at 65, Drygate . Then aged 14, Malcolm was an “apprentice cycle maker”. Later a cycle shop was opened at 54 High Street, which Malcolm inherited. The bikes he built carried the maiden name of his mother and he gave the newly formed club permission to use it to identify the Club.
Malcolm had been a well-known track rider in the early years of the 20th century and had had the opportunity to compete in international meetings on the concrete track at Celtic Park, a track demolished when Celtic Park was redeveloped just before the First World War. ‘Old Malky’, as he became known to everyone, remained President of the Club until his death in 1983 at the early age of 97.
The Club was only 14 years old at the outbreak of the Second World War and with so many members conscripted it fell to a small number of individuals to keep the Club alive. When the war ended cycling again became very popular and with practically empty roads the number and size of clubs grew enormously. At that time and for many years afterwards the Club had a membership exceeding a hundred very active members.

Before the war there had been a tendency to believe that a cycling club should be just that and that their meetings should be ‘out the road’. For many years the Club met outdoors at the ‘Rocks’, at Mollinsburn (removed in recent years to make way for the M73/M80 junction).

However, after the war, the Club started to meet at a Scout Hall in Stepps, before moving into more congenial premises at the clubrooms, which eventually became the Glenmarnock Wheelers clubrooms in Old Dalmarnock Road.

In the Fifties and Sixties the Club leased rooms in Monkland Street in Townhead. With the redevelopment (demolishing) of Townhead, new quarters had to be found in Springburn Burgh Halls and then in Torrance Community Centre where the Club remains today.

From about the mid-Sixties the Club’s racing members have concentrated on the various forms of road racing but between the wars and through the Fifties there had been a strong contingent who confined themselves to track racing. In those days Westhorn Track was a busy venue and there were large and prestigious track meets held at Helenvale Park and at Scotstoun Showground.

Between the wars bicycle polo had a substantial following and the Club had a team playing in the local league. After the war this became less popular but there were still some members playing in an informal league at Westhorn Park in the Fifties.
The Club has always been a racing club although Club runs, hostelling and touring have at all times been very popular.

In time-trialling and road racing there have been a host of riders who have been successful at all levels in the sport, from riding local ‘10’s to representing Scotland and Great Britain in international events. The Club has always promoted open time trials and, since the Sixties, road races, the main Club event in the Scottish calendar now being the Sam Robinson Memorial Road Race around the Trossachs and Lake of Menteith.

The racing colours of the Club (black, red and yellow bands on a light blue jersey) are those of the national Belgian professional teams and were introduced just after the war at the instigation of members returning from serving in the armed forces in Europe. Prior to that the colours had consisted of brown and gold bands on a cream jersey.

Confined events have always been very popular with the members, especially the annual hill climb which has been held on many venues but mainly on the Cuilt Brae at Blanefield and, prior to that, on Barnego Brae at Denny and on the Orchard Brae at Crossford. Another popular event in former days, although not competitive (supposedly), was the ‘100 in 8’ (100 miles in 8 hours) for which medals were awarded.

In its long history the Club has only had three Presidents, Malcolm Smith from 1925 until 1983, Isobel Campbell MBE from 1983 until 2017, and Denis Mitchell from 2017.