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Interview: Ray Betts - 50 Years of Membership!
July 2010
Ray Betts with his 1951 licence and his current British Cycling membership
British Cycling's Peter Maxwell recently spoke to one of British Cycling's longest standing members, Ray Betts, who has been involved in cycling since well before the formation of the British Cycling Federation.
Q: How did you first get an interest in Cycling?
A: I think I was about 15 and I had a carpenter and joiner job in Bognor, about seven miles from my family home in Slindon, Sussex. Loads of my friends from school were into cycling and I just kept it going really. In 1950 a load of us rode a 120 mile round trip to see the London boat race. I remember the local paper headlines called it an ‘epic journey'. On the way to work, we used to pass the "W.J. Richardson bike shop" which had a beautiful blue FC parkes bike in a shop window. I saved my wages and bought it for 19 guineas. Shortly after that I joined the Bognor Regis Cycling Club and by 1951 I became ‘track secretary'. This was the start of my life long interest in track cycling.
Q: Can you remember your first bike?
A: My very first bike was a "Hercules" I think. I needed a crane to lift it. Safe to say it was rather heavy!
Q: When did you first become a member of the BCF?
A: It was when I joined Bognor Regis CC in 1951. Back then of course it wasn't the BCF but two separate organisations, the National Cyclist Union (NCU) and British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC). I was automatically a member when they merged in 1959. Though we didn't get membership cards for the new British Cycling Federation for another year or two, I'm pretty proud to be able to say I have every single British Cycling membership card. My career with cycling has been pretty ‘Illustrious' really.
Q: What, in your opinion, has been the most memorable moment in Britain's cycling history during the last fifty years?
A: There's no doubt that with the introduction of lottery funding in the late 1990's, it has transformed the organisation. We are definitely on the up because of it and continuing to grow. In later years, which have seen the organisation grow so much, I think it has become a lot more professional in the way it is run.
Q: Who or what do you feel has been the biggest influence on the organisation over the last fifty years?
A: There are a number of people I could mention I'm sure, like Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins most recently, but three stand out for me; Peter King, for his resurrection of British Cycling when he was CEO, Dave Brailsford for how he has developed the performance programme of British Cycling and Sir Chris Hoy, British cycling's greatest ever Olympian. They have all brought great things to cycle sport in very different ways.
Ray remains a hugely committed volunteer to the present day and continues to put on races for up and coming youth riders. He has worked domestically and internationally as a bike mechanic and has organised countless races in both road and track disciplines.
Throughout the years Ray has figured as the President of the Sussex division in 1964 and was Chairman throughout the eighties. In 1983, he started to work alongside (2010 Hall of Fame inductee) Keith Butler, who has been such an influential figure in the running of the highly successful Surrey League. In 1993, Ray was awarded the Regional Badge of Honour for services to the Sussex division and is in his 17th year of being a Regional Councillor.
Despite his 76 years, Ray remains a manager, mechanic and commisaire for the VC Stella Club and a Regional Councillor. Long may he continue to a part of our sport.
