In the beginning …
Our internet domain anerleybc.org dates back to 2005. There is a record of a website from 2006 but not what was on it as it was a now long lost image.
Fast forward to 2010 when the first WordPress website was launched. It featured the (then) Anerley colours of black and gold and a phpBB forum.
It was, at the time, the main way of communicating with our riders. It featured upcoming rides and ride reports besides encouraging new riders to join us. And they did – doubling the membership until it was replaced in 2015 by a new website.
Becoming responsive …
By 2015 most members had smartphones. Websites that looked great on a desktop were unreadable without a great deal of scrolling on a phone browser. We stayed with WordPress but changed the theme to one that would automatically re-order content to be easily read on the small screen but would still be fine on a widescreen.
We had incorporated online versions of the quarterly Gazette and weekly Bugle which was taking over the role of updating members. By this time Facebook and WhatsApp replaced our forum for online conversation.
Changing times …
Then came covid and the big Sunday rides were forbidden. The Anerley restructured to accommodate more smaller rides carefully managed by a ride register. Many members were at home making weekday rides more popular.
Post covid members decided we would retain the format of multiple rides with up to eight cyclists. The website structure was no longer fot for purpose. Hence, in 2026 a new WordPress site was born.
Nothing lost …
The new website is aimed at new people to discover who we are, what we offer and if that fits – to come and join us. It also has the archive of a club proud of its history dating back to 1881.
The look’n’feel may have changed but every single post back to 2010 is still here – somewhere! We added a search box which also reveals the categories to which each post is attached. We invite you to dig and discover.
It’s really hard to get everything right first time. Please use the form below to let us know of any errors, missing or dead links so we can continue to make it better.
Thank you