Falkirk Junior Bike Club: Decade of kids' pedal power celebrated
It’s been a busy start to May for Falkirk Junior Bike Club (FJBC) with youngsters, parents and dedicated volunteers all celebrating the club’s 10th anniversary.
The charitable organisation, which has well over 150 members, celebrated 10 years one week ago today back in 2016 with initial meetings at the Larbert Legacy Cycle Track kicking off what is now one of Scotland’s top, fastest growing cycling clubs for those aged four to 16.
Fast forward to now, FJBC now hosts various weekly events across the district, with riders taking on and excelling in different disciplines. FJBC has won the Scottish Cycling club of the year award twice alongside picking up a number of accolades - including being named Cycling Weekly’s club of the year in 2021 and being named the club of the year at the Scottish Sport Awards.
The club has also helped host various national and UK-wide cycling events, helping Callendar Park become one of the best-rated cyclo-cross venues.
Last Saturday, members got together for a special celebration at the Woodlands Community Sports in Falkirk.
Mark Drackford, FJBC’s proud chair, said: “The last week marked 10 years since our first sessions at FJBC. What started out on the grass pitches of Larbert High would quickly progress into something that’s become very much part of day to day life for so many of us. It couldn’t have happened without the time and commitment of so many volunteers over the years, well into the hundreds of people who’ve been part of the FJBC story at some point or another. We are now looking forward to the rest of the celebrations throughout the year, here’s to the next decade!
“The club has been doing regular intakes through April and May, with around 20 new riders inducted into our Wednesday and Saturday sessions so far. If you are on the waiting list, please watch out for emails from [email protected] or they may land from Spond, our membership platform.”
As always, it was a busy weekend for the club, who continued the celebrations by hosting round one of the FJBC Dirt Crit Series with over 80 riders taking part. FJBC stars impressed, earning podium placings.
In the under-eight boys category, Archie Addis took victory ahead of Stuart Marrison in second and Owen McLaughlin in third. Innes McAusland finished fourth, followed by Max Murray, Blair Oliver, Corey Erskine, Reuben Dunlop, Torran Kidd and Angus Dobie completing the top ten.
Harry Magennis finished 11th, Oscar Shields 12th, Henry Cameron 13th and Seth Friel 14th. Fraser Lissaman took 15th place ahead of Roddy Lloyd, Arran Casserly, Dylan Murphy, Harris O’Neil, Noah Shields, Jack Ramage, Daniel Pollock, Elias Reilly and Archie McSherry.
The under-eight girls race saw Isla Clark claim first place, with Esme Nicol second and Isabella Douglas third. Ainslie Friel finished fourth and Eilidh Rose Dryburgh fifth.
In the under-10 boys race, Cameron Lynch took victory after a confident ride at the front of the field, with Corey Mill finishing second and Sebastian Douglas taking third place. Dexter Thomson crossed the line in fourth ahead of Ruaridh Nicol in fifth, while Olly Richardson, Oscar Potter and Archie Nimmo all produced solid rides in the middle of the field. Kaeden Baty and Adam Gourlay completed the top 10, followed by Finlay Robertson, Matthew Short, Lewis Glen, Blake Scott, Finn Shields and Aaron Elliott.
The under-10 girls category saw Aoife Magennis race to victory ahead of Isla Fichen, with both riders making an excellent start to the series.
In the under-12 boys event, Euan McDonald secured victory ahead of Benjamin Mullen and Daniel Rice. Miles Krievs took fourth place with Logan Verhaaf fifth.
Isaac Magennis finished sixth, Fraser McNally seventh and Finley Fields-Minogue eighth. Caleb Nicholson, Rupert Potter, Reuben McLeod and Aaron Reid completed the field.
The under-12 girls race was won by Sophie Tomb, with Lucy Dixon finishing second and Gemma Tattersall third. Isla Murphy took fourth place ahead of Dylan Pritchard in fifth and Ella Broadway in sixth.
The under-14 open race delivered one of the most competitive contests of the evening as Alexander Mullen secured first place ahead of Ethan Kidd in second and Cody McPeake in third.
Ellis McAusland finished fourth with Niall Gallagher close behind in fifth, while Dominic Carroll and Euan Williamson also turned in determined performances to complete the standings.
In the under-14 female category, Rose Martin claimed the round one win ahead of Ally Clifford after another strong display of racing from the growing girls’ field.
The under-16 open class saw Lewis McAusland take top honours after an impressive performance, with Aaron Wilson securing second place and James Goodman completing the podium in third.
Round two of the Dirt Crit series takes place next Friday with round two of the SXC (Scottish Cross Country Association) also coming up the following weekend.
Elsewhere, Ella McQueen and Isla Reekie defended their Bute Triathlon title with a team-mate from Pentland Racers. JBC stars Ethan Kidd and Theia McKay also took on the British XC Series round three at Tong Village, putting on great performances and beating 38% and 31% of their fields respectively. Gregor McNaught sadly came off during a practice session so couldn’t take part.