At the end of December 2025 we said farewell to Andre and Shelleigh Terlouw.

Andre has been competitive cyclist since his teen years, later cycling for the Defence Force Cycling team and Northern Transvaal.

Having worked in the corporate world for a number of years he and Andy bought the old Fritz Pienaar Cycles with the dream of building a large flagship Specialized Store in the east of Pretoria (Andy was just retiring from Renault at the time).

The location was found, the frantic shopfitting happened and finally the grand opening was set. Bobby Behan (Specialized Southern Africa) said, at the shop opening, that he had been very impressed by the way that Andy and Andre were approaching the business. Bringing cycling passion and experience, but also an understanding of managing workshop and sales that was obviously from their experience in the motor industry. So he was sure that they would make a success of LCC – and they didn’t disappoint.

No wonder LCC has been recognises as the top Specialized dealership in South Africa so many times since then.

When the shop opened and the club was just months old (we had about 35 members). Andy and Jim (and other committee members) would take turns in making coffee for the two groups as they returned. Later we employed student casuals and then finally Shelleigh came on board with CoffeeWorx and when the first shop enlargement happened, the coffee shop moved across the showroom for to where it is now.  For a long time Muriel (Andy’s wife) ran the shop along with Rocky and casuals on Saturdays (Muriel retired from this at the beginning of 2025).

Then in 2024 the second shop enlargement happened with the large workshop and storage being added.

Then, in the last half of 2025 we began to hear rumours of a possible change of ownership at Lynnwood Cyclery, which finally happened in December 2025 with Anton and Mari Lourens taking over.

To Andy and Andre (and Muriel and Shelleigh) thank you for you years of service to the Club and the cycling community around Pretoria (and Centurion). You have made a lasting impact on the cycling landscape and we appreciate you all.

The Terlouws have all relocated to the Cape where they will, we are sure, make an impact.

At the end of February 2026 we then said farewell to Andy and Muriel

Of course, Andy has always been an avid cyclist. Those who know Andy will also know the Law of Terlouw.

The Law of Terlouw states: “Any two bicycles constitute a race”.

And, of course, Andy is at his most competitive with his brother Graham. In the days when Graham was leading the Wednesday morning bike rides, often at the front it was Andy and Graham – neither one allowing a gap between their two wheels.

Add to the mix a little race-car red mist (most of you know that Andy raced many different Mini Coopers, often winning because of his brain and not just the car), so, add that to the mix and you have a very clever and tactical bike racer.

Graham tells the story of he and Andy doing SA Road Champs. Shortly after the start there was a big crash and Andy’s wheels look more like pringles than wheels. But Graham is just behind Andy and so they exchange bikes – luckily they rode same sizes. Andy caught the bunch, which included the late Alan van Heerden, and went on to win the race. He had good backup with Graham, now in the van, cheering him on, with blood still pouring out of Andy’s injured elbow.

We all know Andy to be a very determined cyclist. While doing a national MTB event in early ’90s, Andy broke his saddle clean off. So he looked around in the veld and found an empty plastic milk container. He pulled the bottle spout over the seat post and shaped a saddle with the rest of the bottle. And, of course, finished the race, sore butt and all!

Andy has always been a proper petrol head and his long career in Renault is legend (especially Auto Extra Renault). Back in 1970’s, as sanctions bit hard and Renault pulled out of SA leaving the SA Renault dealerships in a pickle, Andy, being Andy, found a way around that in order to support his Renault clients importing parts via Reunion island. 

But at the same time started importing bicycles … 

First Peugeot and later Bridgestone (Road and MTB) and then KONA (Road and MTB.

And so Auto Extra Cycles started (using the same yellow, black and white colours of his car dealerships). And soon he was ensuring that local riders, and later teams, got the support they needed to race in big South African races like the Rapport Tour.

When Renault returned to SA, the business got too big to do the car dealerships and bike shop, so Graham took over Auto Extra Cycles.

But Andy was always looking to add value to the cycling community. Apart from supporting the racing scene, he was instrumental in getting Richard Sterne to put up a tap at his house on Johan Rissik drive – at the top of Klapperkop. Later the Sternes put up the stone wall with the tap in it and it has served cyclists (and runners) for the past 30 years.

Soon after Fritz Pienaar cycles was bought, there were a few of guys that would ride together on a Saturday morning. Andy, Andre, Bruce Gaylard, Etienne Changion, Tom Colley, Kelly Payne, Gert and Jim – now collectively known as ‘The Originals’.  Not long after Shane joined them.

One morning Andy announced to the group that he thought they should start a club.  He had found the list of the old Fritz Pienaar club (many will still remember their Camouflage Kit with the Red Star across the front.  As they were heading home, Andy said we need a Chairman and the seven others all looked at Jim. He agreed as long as the rest were on the committee – so Tom became Vice-chair, Kelly Treasurer and a club was born.

Andy invited old Fritz Pienaar Cycles Club members to ride with us and at the end of that year, after 3 months, we had 35 members. The second year, 140 members, then 250 members, then 350, then 500 – and just before Covid, we had nearly 700 members.

The committee grew over the years and changed but Andy (and Andre) had always been there. Whether it was Wednesday morning rides, events, making sure that, when we were getting 200 LCC riders to a Trailseeker event, the gazebos got to the event and went up, that there was wors to be braaied.

And then we started looking at supporting younger riders who showed potential.  And Andy was able to do what Andy did for many over the years. He helped, supported and encouraged these youngsters to be better. And now the next generation would experience his passion for the sport. Sponsorship, kit, servicing, spares.

Racing points were added to the support, with Andy managing the team, keeping the kids wheels turning – fast.  Wessel Botha was one of the first riders we were able to support. Later it was Jaedon (his grandson – who was obviously there on merit) as well as Karlise Scheepers and countless others who have done really well in the Schools Racing circuit.

Most of us have known Andy as a cycling buddy, bike shop owner, maker of jokes, descriptor of bicycle parts by their proper names in Afrikaans, a loyal friend, someone who has a good heart and will help anyone.  

Andy, thank you for your commitment to cycling in Pretoria for so very long. For your encouragement and support of the ordinary rider on the trail. For your example to so many of us and for just being you.

We at LCC are going to miss you with great fondness.

Enjoy your retirement and don’t hurt the Cape riders (or Graham) too much.