Farewell dear friend.
- Giant Fanboy.
- May 16
- 3 min read
Our club lost a dear friend, here is a fitting tribute to her.
SUZANNE
Once in a while, someone comes into your life and it seems as though they have always been there. I haven’t known my friend Suzanne for many years but the years I have known her have been special.
Sue was the best communicator I have ever met, my “go-to” person, possessing clarity of thought and a natural ability to simplify and get straight to the core of any problem.
An astute judge of character with an enviable ability to accept people for who they are without judgment was a quality that made all that met Sue feel as though they mattered. She was always there for anyone going through a tough time and she never gave up on anybody.
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With many tales to tell of broken bones and near miss encounters in the course of her various escapades, Sue needed the 9 lives she proclaimed to have. Her determination and resilience was legendary.
In early Summer 2022, Sue suffered the misfortune of a fractured wrist following an accident whilst on her way to a mid-week club ride. She feared she would never cycle again. The only person that believed that was Sue and after a long and patient recovery, in January 2023, her mangled bike found its way onto a newly purchased turbo-trainer and she began her comeback with 10 minutes of “no hands” pedalling.
In March 23 she began road riding again. Visibly afraid but motivated by the promise of a teacake and peppermint tea, sheltered from the road traffic by a duo of Hellcats, Suzanne made the 23-mile round trip to Prego with us.
Testament to her tenacity and determination, just 5 months later in August 2023, she took part in the Club’s 100-mile event.
In January 24, declaring she was “cooked” and running on empty after a challenging milestone ride. It was a sight to behold observing Sue devouring handfuls of dates from my baking cupboard to give the energy boost to ride the 2 miles home, rather than accept a lift.
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One of my lasting memories of Sue was the fun we had on our cycling holiday to Majorca in May 2024. After 50+ miles in the saddle, she squealed with exhilaration and excitement at riding along the 5-mile-long Reeds Road, wind behind, hanging onto the back of our peloton of 5 and reaching speeds in excess of 20 mph - way beyond anything she ever thought herself capable of but we all know that Sue was capable of anything she wanted.
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My final memory of Sue was the week before she was taken from us. Four of us, travelled to Stratford Upon Avon to ride the Cotswold Sportive Route we had missed the summer before due to inclement weather. This time we were blessed with great weather as we tackled the 35-mile hilly route through magnificent countryside. Hill climbing was Sue’s nemesis on the bike, yet not once did she even consider stopping as we ticked the climbs off one after the other.
I felt an immense sense of quiet pride in my friend when she messaged later that day to say “I’ve learned so much. I feel like I’m putting it all into practice and it’s coming to fruition”.
Driven by wanting to be the best she could be, just like everything else she did in life, she never gave up seeking out adventure and life experiences, wringing every last drop out of life.
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Sue was the ultimate Pelsall Hellcat, Rock Chick, Party Animal and Head of Cycling Wardrobe in our small friendship group. The Cycology “See Me” cycling jersey has achieved iconic status amongst us thanks to Sue who first sported the bright, colourful and arguably garish design to make sure she was seen on the road.
Sue was devoted to the Club, its ethos and its members. In her husband Clint’s words, “Whatever it was she was looking for, she found it in Pelsall Cycling Club”
Sue’s was a life well lived, full of love, compassion, energy, fun and laughter with not a second wasted and one day, when the rawness of her loss starts to soften around the edges, the happy memories will take their rightful place to make us smile again and forever remain foremost in our minds.
Rest easy my dear friend and Cycology Sister. I miss you.

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