The Grantham Bicycle and Tricycle Club held their open sports meeting on August 30th 1883 on a marked out course of eight laps to the mile. The events were open 1 mile bicycle and tricycle handicap races and a club 1 mile race. In the tricycle race it was reported "The scratch man H Sturmey* of Coventry, had not the ghost of a chance from the first, but nevertheless stuck to his work to the finish."
The cricket club started holding Whit Monday sports meetings in 1886 with bicycle races, often over half and one mile and attendances reached 3,000. These cricket club Whit Monday sports continued at London Road until 1900.
The Grantham Cycling Club (see note below) held a hospital charity open race meeting at the cricket club on September 4th 1886. The bicycle handicap races were over 1 and 2 miles, with a 1 mile local race and a 1 mile tricycle race and the prizes totalled £50 (£3,000 in 2022 value). The attendance of less than 1,000 was disappointing and the event was judged a ‘disaster' as only £12 was taken at the gate.
There were others cycle races in the 1880's, between cricket matches and at horticultural shows.
The newly re-formed Grantham Cycling Club held their first annual sports at the cricket club ground on September 8th 1892. There were four bicycle events and a crowd of 600 attended. The bicycle races were ½ and 2 miles handicap, 2 miles open scratch race and a club race over 1 mile.
Bicycle racing at London Road in the early 1900's was provided by Grantham annual flower show and Hornsby Cycling Club sports, among others. The Grantham football club started to hold their sports on Whit Monday 1911 with one and two miles handicap bicycle races. The football club sports continued until 1920.
There was not much bicycle racing after the First World War until Rustin and Hornsby held their sports and gala on June 25th 1938 and included a one mile open cycle race. This was the last time that there was bicycle racing at the London Road ground.
The London Road ground was used by the cricket club until it was sold to Safeway around 1990 and it is now a Sainsbury supermarket.
* Henry Sturmey was a pioneer of the cycling and automotive industries and devised the Sturmey Archer hub gear with James Archer. In 1893 he founded the International Cycling Association to hold the World cycling championships each year, this was superseded in 1901 by the UCI. Sturmey would have been 36 years old at the time of the race.
Grantham Cycling Club
Grantham CC was formed in 1886 and enjoyed immediate success with a series of races at Belton House. Later in the year they ran an open race meeting at the London Road ground and made a bad financial loss on the event. After staggering on for a couple of years, the club became defunct in 1888.
Grantham Cycling Club was re-launched in 1891, but was again troubled with financial irregularity. After holding their 2nd annual sports on August 10th 1893 at Paper mill lane the club was defunct by the end of the year.
The club was once again re-launched in July 1896, but found some difficulty in getting support, there was very little racing and the club fizzled out.
Yet another re-launch was made in 1936 with monthly racing taking place at Belton Park. The club did not seem to survive WWII.
The name Grantham Cycling Club seems to have re-appeared in the 1990's.
Other cycling clubs in Grantham were:
Grantham Bicycle Club was formed around 1878. The club changed its name to the Grantham Bicycle and Tricycle Club in 1881.
Grantham Road Club, formed in 1923-1965
Kesteven Aces CC 1948-1965
Witham Wheelers 1958-present