Ian Brown
Ian is the founder and Director of Ian Brown's Cycle Shop. Ian's
passion for cycling and cycle racing began as a 15 year old taking
part in the Guernsey Velo Club races.
In the winter of 1981 Ian was recruited to manage a new business
known then as simply "Cycle Shop". The business began selling
bicycles made French based Gitane and ridden by the
legendary Bernard Hinault, five times winner of the Tour de France
and then another French legend and Tour winner Laurent Fignon. In
August 1983, after 18 months managing the business, Ian became the
sole proprietor of the company. At that stage the shop became known
as "Ian Brown's Cycle Shop".
During the next two decades he represented Guernsey at two
Commonwealth Games (Edinburgh - Scotland 1986 and Auckland - New
Zealand 1990) and seven Island Games 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997,
1999 and finally in the Isle of Man in 2001. Ian didn't know it at
the time but the 2001 Island Games Town Centre Criterium was to be
his last competitive race, choosing to take a few weeks off, but
after 26 years non stop he never ever got going again.
Ian also raced for Great Britain in 1989 and 1990. In both of
those years he rode the Tour of Normandy competing amongst the
world's finest cyclists of the era including Ekimov, Jdanov, Ivanov
and Nelubin from Russia, Moncassin, Virenque, Vivien and the Carlin
brothers from France with World road and Olympic champions amongst
them.