Report from Chair 2025 and AGM 3rd April 2025

Chairs report for AGM 2025 – 3rd April 2025

It’s a privilege to present the 2025 Chair’s Report for CTC Edinburgh, Lothians, and Borders. 

This main report has been circulated prior to the meeting and will be uploaded to the website. Salient points from the report will be shared at the meeting.

This is a moment to reflect on the past year’s achievements, look ahead to exciting opportunities, and most importantly, express immense gratitude to every member for making our club a vibrant, welcoming, and dynamic community. Thanks to your contributions, we’ve had another fantastic year, and together, we can ensure an even greater one ahead. Now, let’s celebrate the incredible events and support that made 2024/25 so special.

Group Rides – The Heart of the Club

Our group rides remain the foundation of CTC Edinburgh, Lothians, and Borders, offering a diverse and inclusive weekly programme—flat or hilly, short or long, easy or challenging, but always friendly and supportive.

Each ride brings moments of camaraderie: swift mechanical assistance, words of encouragement on tough climbs, shared treats, and dedicated back markers ensuring no one is left behind. These collective efforts create lasting memories and a true sense of community.

Together we have ridden far & wide.

Looking at our core rides of Sunday/Tuesday/Wednesday occurring between recent AGMs.

Year                                       Sunday         Wednesday           Tuesday       Distance         Cancelled   

                                                                                                                                    Covered                Rides

2023/24 (12 months)            45                      45                           18               6000km                   16

2024/25 (11 months)              39                      42                           17               5800km                   12

• 24/25, has slightly less rides as the reporting period is 1 month shorter than 23/24.
• In 24/25, Sundays suffered with more cancellations, but overall less rides cancelled.

Thanks to everyone for playing their part on these rides.

At the core of these adventures are our ride leaders— stars all of them. Nearly 40 ride leaders have led you on the Tuesday evening Edinburgh rides and the Wednesday & Sunday rides. Some have started to break out from our “conventional” Lothain & Borders destination and gone a little further – more on this later.

Thank you to all our ride leaders for the support you provide, and a warm welcome to our newest leaders: Perry Gourley, Michael Hamilton, Mike Henderson, Lee Shedden, and the very recent addition, Pete Easson. We look forward to seeing those who have recently completed training lead rides this summer.

Please could you join me and show your appreciation to all ride leaders (round of applause).

Ride Convenors

Our ride convenors play a crucial role in organising our group rides, we greatly appreciate their dedication. This year we have welcomed Rebecca Chu into the fold,  who has seamlessly taken on support for the Sunday rides. 

A heartfelt thanks to Cathy Riley for her outstanding dedication over the past years, for organising such a sociable, welcoming and enjoyable programme of Sunday rides.

Also, a massive thank you to Charles Wallis & Rhona Emerson, who tirelessly seek support to fill the Tuesday & Wednesday rides.

Winter Halls Organiser.

Clare McDonald continues to do a fantastic job finding winter lunch venues and coordinating with halls, which is greatly appreciated by the Wednesday team. She welcomes suggestions for new spots. A big thank you to Clare for her excellent organisation. 

Winter Halls Fees.

With increasing hall hire costs, we had to take the tough decision to increase the contribution requested from attendees. To help with the administration of these payments we also offered a subscription model at £15 to cover all rides. We are thankful to the large number of members who signed up for this offer. We will review the process at the end of the winter season to make an informed decision for the upcoming year.

Ride Etiquette & Safety

Safe group cycling is the main priority for every ride. Thank you all, for listening and paying attention to the leader and to others around you, emphasising important aspects of the ride to keep everyone safe. The recent ride to Haddington in memory of John Palmer was an exemplar ride, with 43 riders cycling smartly and safely with great awareness of what was going on around them and being courteous to others. 

Incidents.

There were no incidents requiring a report to Cycling UK this year, thanks to the group's awareness and mutual support, as well as consideration for other road users. Please continue following good ride etiquette and looking out for each other.

Health & Well Being & Friends no longer with us.

Sadly, this year we lost 4 cycling friends.

Marion Lawson, who was an active cyclist, not only being a member in the club but also being involved in Edinburgh cycling activities including time keeping at Meadowbank velodrome. In later years she was still a welcome attendee at the Christmas lunch and potluck lunch.

John Palmer, a cherished member of our community who has left us far too early. A regular rider and leader who supported group rides on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. A "man of the track," he had a special knack for adding a spark to every ride, often weaving in an off-road section to spice things up. His passion, energy, and adventurous spirit will be deeply missed.

Les Douglas, a long-time member of the CTC. Les joined the club in the 1950's as a teenager and was a regular on the club runs, many hostel weekends away as well as social events. He was a large part of the club in the 70s/80s, when he was the hut secretary and spent many happy days organising working party events to maintain the hut.

Also, the loss of Peter Martin, a devoted and active member of our group for many years. Peter was a true cornerstone of our club, always going above and beyond to support the community we all love. A dedicated cyclist and skilled ride leader who organised and led weekly rides for years. In addition, he maintained a vast collection of historical information on the club.

Forgive me if I have missed anyone in this roll call of our cycling friends no longer with us.

May they rest in peace and be fondly remembered.

Our thoughts also go to members taking a sabbatical from cycling this year whilst they recover from various medical conditions. We wish them well and look forward to their return to cycling with the group.

Special Events

A truly touching moment was the recent ride to Haddington in memory of John Palmer. The ride was undertaken in the spirit of a John ride, with lots of hidden pathways cycled at a relaxed pace offering the chance for some grand banter, a further trademark of rides we all enjoy with the group.

Our annual away trip in June was to the market town of Malton. Yet again, over 40 members enjoyed the opportunity to explore a beautiful area of the country, with a plentiful supply of quiet roads, lumpy terrain, and a smattering of tracks, along with delightful villages & towns. Reviewing the notes of the 6 rides kindly offered over the 2 days, it was noted that pubs and cafes have a high prominence. 

A massive thank you to Clare McDonald and Rosanne Murphy who expertly organised this fantastic adventure. Their enthusiasm for the event was contagious, with attendees having many happy memories  to recall.

Thanks is offered to Joan Aitken & Morag Garden who have kindly volunteered to arrange this year’s annual away trip.

We were blest this year with rides being offered a little further away from our “home territory”. Janet kindly offered 2 away days outwith the normal schedule of rides. Repeating the Dundee & Angus Discovery ride and adding a circular cruise exploring the delightful Perthshire countryside between Perth & Auchterarder.

In addition, Janet Ironside & Linda Hamilton offered Sunday & Wednesday rides starting from afar. The damp conditions did not deter a good size group accompanying Janet in a loop from Falkirk to Stirling. Whilst Linda led a peloton around the picturesque Trossachs. We also enjoyed 2 rides starting slightly to the West of Edinburgh, which allowed the opportunity to explore some new territory, thank you Colin Fischbacher & Bill Crook for arranging these.

The provision of these occasional rides starting out with Edinburgh are greatly appreciated by the members providing the chance to explore areas less frequented by the group. Thank you ride leaders for providing this opportunity.

We were grateful to Linda and Michael Hamilton for organising an unforgettable adventure to Pitlochry and its beautiful surroundings. A mid-week trip in September, which had all the ingredients that make our club such a special community to be a part of. Linda has very kindly offered a repeat event this year.

The annual Christmas lunch at Merchants Golf Club was a fantastic highlight. Laughter and camaraderie filled the afternoon. A big thank you to Rosanne Murphy and Senga Bate for organising such a grand event—good news, they’ve already arranged a date for the 2025 lunch.

Ben once again guided the Wednesday Potluck Christmas lunch to its familiar Dirleton setting, where a fantastic turnout made for a truly special gathering. A highlight mentioned by many was the transportation of soup by bike from Edinburgh all the way to Dirleton, not a drop was spilt.

On the day it was announced that the Tour de France Grand Départ will leave from Edinburgh in 2027, STV News descended to our Roseburn “start-point” to capture the reaction from an enthusiastic cycling group. A huge thanks to all who faced the camera and provided such a glowing response to the great news. 

Gatherings like these create lasting memories, adding a touch of excitement. They are enjoyed by all, and in the year ahead, we eagerly anticipate more unforgettable moments from our club members.

Training opportunities

In the last year further training opportunities have been arranged by Ian Miller, our training champion. Ride leader training has again occurred to bolster our core ride leader group. In addition, training in the use of Komoot to create a route and then transfer it to a device to use when on the ride. So popular was the offering, that 3 sessions were run. Thanks to Ian for arranging these and to ColinF, Ben & Derek who supported in running these events. 

If you have any ideas on future training needs, then please share them with Ian.

The committee.

The Chair's annual report would not be complete without a heartfelt acknowledgment of the committee members, without whom the club could not function. 

A special thanks to our new members, Yoav Tzabar and Charles Wallis who both kindly joined the committee 1 year ago to support the roles of Treasurer & Tuesday ride convenor respectively. 

And thanks, should also be extended to the “established” members:

Rhona Emerson, our Wednesday ride convenor, works tirelessly to provide a programme of rides liaising with other ride convenors. Ian Miller, our training champion, who continues to enhance our skills. Bill Crook not only supports administrative tasks but has also plays a key role in liaising with the BBA, fostering a strong working relationship to collaboratively plan a sustainable future for the Polmood hut. Maryrose Brennan, our safeguarding officer, ensures our well-being. Ben Bate, our Membership Officer, diligently manages the ICE list, connects with new members and lastly, Colin Fischbacher, in the role of Secretary who continues producing concise and clear minutes.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and inspiring committee who work tirelessly on your behalf. It is particularly pleasing to know that all are volunteering to remain in post for the coming year.

In addition, I would also like to express my thanks to Grace Lyon our helpful auditor, who has kindly offered some valuable tips on how to manage the accounts – this is truly appreciated.

It would be an honour if you would join me in showing our appreciation for these individuals who contribute so much to the success of our club.

The Future

Our club continues to thrive, offering a full and diverse calendar of events that many members enjoy. Looking ahead, we can expect more of the successful activities that we know work well.

In addition to our regular rides, we have some exciting upcoming events:

• Club Summer Outing: Organised by Joan Aitken and Morag Garden. We’ll be heading to Berwick-Upon-Tweed in early June, with over 40 participants.
• Pitlochry Outing: In September, Linda and Michael Hamilton have arranged another adventure to Pitlochry.
• 100-Mile Challenge: Join us on a Cycling UK Tri-vets event. Your club is hosting one of these challenges, supported by Ben and Yoav.
• Christmas Lunch: Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 13th, 2025, for our annual festive lunch.

Remember, this is your club, and we always welcome new ideas. Feel free to share your thoughts with any of the committee members. By getting involved, you'll have a great time while contributing to the success of the club. Thank you all for your continued support.