Rangiora Has Good Young Cyclists

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 15

Rangiora Has Good Young Cyclists

’ALTHOUGH the Mairehau • rv Novice Wheelmen’s Club was not formed until 1952, it was rating under that name shortly after' World War 11. Canterbury was strong in clubs for young cyclists in the late 1940’s for, as well as Mairehau, there was an Opawa novice club and the Ashburton Amateur Cycling Club held boys’ races. The Mairehau Novice Wheelmen, when racing before becoming a properly constituted club, were organised by Mr L. Laycock, who was better known then as an official of the Christchurch amateur club. The A and B grade champions in the early days were R. D. Arnst and D. Johnson respectively; the former is now secretary of the Papanui club.

Many of the Mairehau riders, as now, rode for another club, Opawa. This club was organised by, and under the control of the father of R. D. Arnst, Mr L. H. Arnst, and many of Canterbury’s prominent riders of about 10 years or more ago learnt the sport at his hands. Some of the wellknown riders Included L. P. Lock, twice an Empire Games representative in the

1950’5, G. Milner, J. Ritchie and A. Dean. When the Opawa club ceased to function in 1950, Mairehau was the sole club to cater for young riders until, a little over three years ago, R. D. Arnst began holding races for young budding cyclists in Rangiora. He has since received assistance from parents and last year, the Rangiora group became an organised club. Now it has a membership of 15 or 16 and is producing some very promising riders in North Canterbury. The leading cyclist so far produced by the club is B. G. Stockwell, who was Canterbury’s leading novice rider on the road last season and is already, in his first year in amateur ranks, a top junior in the Papanui club. The Mairehau club races on Saturday mornings and Rangiora on Sunday mornings and there is a regular interchange of members, many of the riders competing on both days. The potential of the Rangiora club is evidenced by the fact that its members took the first two platings in both senior and junior grades of the Mairehau time trials recently and the overall strength of novice cycling in Canterbury augurs extremely well for the future of the sport in the province.