Page 23 - PBCOctober2012

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine. Volume 9 No.3 October 2012 23

The road surface in those days (pre tarmac) were awful
being continuously broken up by the combined efforts of
horses, horse driven vehicles and the weather. The night
journeys with ineffective lighting must have been
frightening. There is no reference in these early years
as to what uniform the members wore but it was
customary for cyclists of the period to dress in a formal
style with tight trousers, a box jacket and pillbox hat. It
is unlikely that they would have ridden in races or
embarked on a long distance ride such as that undertaken
by Tom Smart, wearing a straw boater.
The first reference
in the club history
to a badge is
recorded in March
1876, when the
Committee ordered
that two dozen
badges with the
monogram PBC in
gold on a cloth
Original Badge from
back, should be purchased. The Brooklands Museum
Essentially they are similar In Silver wire on cloth
to those we now provide. An original is in the Harold Scott collection
in Brooklands museum.

The earliest example of the club rule book which is in our possession is undated but, by a process
of elimination, bearing in mind the name of the officials printed therein, it seems clear that it was
published in 1881. There is no longer any reference to the straw hat with the black and amber
band, but the club uniform is described as
“dark blue diagonal cloth single - breasted jacket, vest, and knee breeches, dark -
blue stockings, and black polo cap with gold embroidered initials. It continues... - the club
buttons to be worn on the jacket and vest”. (The word vest appears to be that now used
by Americans in describing a waistcoat).
The second oldest rule book in our possession is dated 1910 and firstly,
under paragraph 3 iii(c) it states “members taking part in official runs, or
tours, shall wear the cap or button badge of the club.”

Paragraph 12 however states “ members are allowed to use their own
discretion as to riding costume, it being imperative only that in all runs they
wear the official cap or button badge.

Unfortunately we do not have a button badge in our possession but Old Nobs (Don Booth) has
kindly let us have a photograph of one in his possession. The reference to the colours of the club
are reinstated as, quite simply, “the club colours are black and amber”; it is unclear where one
would wear the club colours except, possibly in racing, but the club was never very much involved
in racing, although in its early days it had some useful riders, together with some silver trophies
which, regrettably, are no longer in the possession of the club nor is it known what happened to
them. Continued