Career
Born in Rushden, Northamptonshire, Wood was a keen cyclist as a teenager, and moved to Leicester around 1878 and joined Leicester Cycling Club to take advantage of better facilities and stronger competition. His success inspired North. Corah & Sons of Leicester to produce the "Fred Wood Champion Suit" for cyclists in 1883. In 1886 Wood competed in the United States, winning a one mile professional race and a five mile handicap at Roseville, New Jersey.
Wood moved to South Shields in 1888 where he went into business, becoming a licensed victualler.
He became a local councillor for Saint Hilda Ward in 1914. He set up the catering company Messrs.
Johnson and Wood with Thomas Henry Johnson. In 1891 Wood toured Britain competing in events at various tracks.
On 26 January 1935, Wood suffered head injuries in a fall down cellar steps at the public that he ran, The Mariner"s Arms, and died two days later in the Ingham Infirmary aged 73.
A coroner"s inquest determined that the death was accidental.
