Welcome to Beeston Cycling Club

Fred Shenton-McQueen is an U16 rider racing for Beeston Cycling Club. Fred competes in road, track and cyclocross events both regionally and nationally. 

Cycling has been part of Fred’s life for as long as his parents can remember. Having learned how to ride on a balance bike and graduating through the Isla Bike range, five year old Fred started
to develop his bike handling skills in the Under 9 category of the Notts & Derby Cyclocross League.

The joy of Beeston blue

As soon as he could he donned a Beeston CC jersey and raced in it with pride.  His time as an U9 NDCXL competitor culminated with him coming second in the league. Although cyclocross was his first love he wasn’t too shabby on the tarmac, coming second at the now infamous Ikea Crit (2011). Josh Giddings won - he’s now a successful junior riding for the HMT Hospitals Giant team.  

During Fred’s primary school years cycling was just one of many sporting activities. His winter weekends were full, riding around fields, swimming and playing football for Beeston Centurions plus mid week training. In the summer Fred attended the Notts Athletics Club, played cricket at Bramcote Cricket Club twice a week with tennis & triathlon added to his list. All this resulted in Fred being awarded year 6 Sportsman of the Year at Round Hill School (2015).

A dalliance with Beeston red, white and green

When he was ten (2014) Fred transferred to Beeston Road Club, which was running Go-Ride training sessions. He loved them – particularly showing the older riders how to ride corners on grass. The following year Derby Arena opened and Fred could start learning to ride the track as part of the Go-Ride Cluster sessions.  He loved it – really loved it – but he had a lot to learn…

In the same year, at Harvey Haddon, he was crowned the East Midlands Road Race Champion – by a whisker. In the same year Fred rode consistently well to be placed third in the Notts & Derby Cyclocross League.  

Fred’s success was based on hard work and ‘proper’ training sessions by the BRC coaches. He progressed from the track Cluster sessions to the Club Cluster Training (CCT) – a nerve wracking step that he quickly settled into. 

A return to Beeston blue

Towards the end of the U14 category his potential was recognised by the British Cycling youth coaches and Fred was invited to attend the Track and Road Regional School of Racing – more learning, more development. 

Still focussing on cyclocross Fred did little racing on the road until his last year as an U14. Fred is extremely grateful for all that BRC have done for him but he’d outgrown the Go-Ride sessions and took the opportunity to re-join Beeston Cycling Club in March 2019 and the Bryan Steel Youth Academy where Olympic double medallist Bryan is guiding him on his cycling journey.  

In the familiar blue of Beeston CC he produced some fine results on the track and road in his first year as a Youth A (Under 16). A horrendous crash during a track omnium in May 2019 gave him some impressive scars and revealed a determination to come back from adversity – in true grit style he was racing at the York track the following weekend.  

The 2019-2020 cyclocross season was successful regionally and the National Trophies and Champs were fantastic for gaining experience in big events.

The 2020 road and track season was always going to be difficult: juggling GCSEs and trying to bag some serious results on the road and track before progressing into the scary world of junior racing. But then the COVID-19 lockdown hit and racing was cancelled and still we don’t know when it will start again. In the meantime Fred is working hard on getting stronger and fitter: standing starts up Elm Avenue in Beeston, pumping iron at home and maintaining his endurance with long weekend rides and, of course, the obligatory roller and turbo sessions.  

Bring on junior racing… in blue.