The first bicycle racing at Sale Botanical Gardens took place on the 24th September 1881. The Athletic News Sept 28th 1881 reported the event "The track is exactly 355 yards in circumference, perfectly level...there are no sharp turns to negotiate". At the first meeting the prizes were quite large (15 guineas for the 3 mile event), the bicycle events were 1 and 3 miles open handicap and 2 miles handicap confined to residents within a radius of three miles from the Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately bad weather stopped the meeting which was concluded the next day. At the opening, Mr Whitty, the proprietor, said that he intended to promote a series of bicycle handicaps in the gardens.
The gardens increased their popularity in 1882 with bicycle race meetings put on by Manchester BC, Manchester & Southern BC, Rusholme BC and the West Manchester BC. Evening race meetings were also introduced. Crowds of 2,000 have been reported at the racing but press comment on "the small value of prizes". The Athletic News commented that "Ward was on an exceptionally light ‘jigger', as it weighed only seventeen and a half pounds, saddle and pedals included. Surely we have got machines as light as they can be made."
Manchester Wheelers held a long series of race meets at Sale, the first being a club event in 1884. In 1886 the Wheelers joined forces with the YMCA and ran a small open meeting which was a financial success thanks due to the arrival of a large number of visitors to the gardens for a political picnic.
In 1887, the North Manchester CC and Manchester Southern CC held their club championships at Sale but the West Manchester CC, a long-time supporter of the Sale track, held their annual meeting at Pomona Gardens, although they continued with their evening meetings at Sale. The gardens remained popular, but there were complaints that there was no cinder track in Manchester at that time. Queen Victoria's Jubilee was in 1887 and the track that was built in Manchester for the exhibition seemed to have taken some interest away from Sale. The Manchester Athletic Club trained on the new track and held an open meeting there.
The local Cheadle Cycling Club** was formed around 1888 and held their club races at Sale until the end of the century. The newly formed Harpurhey CC also held their successful first meeting at Sale in 1888. The number of events at Sale seems to have reduced in the late 1880's along with the attendance and there was fresh competition from the new track at Old Trafford.
The pneumatic tyre made its appearance at Sale in 1890 and the handicapper decided that it should carry a penalty of 40 yards if the day was wet it 35 if dry. HA Clarke of Stoneygate on the new "air bags" won both handicaps from virtual scratch. Pneumatics had first appeared at the Queens College Sports in Belfast on Saturday 18th May 1889 where William Hulme rode and won every bicycle event using the new Dunlop pneumatic tyres.
There does not seem to have been any bicycle racing at Sale from 1901 and the opening of the new track at Fallowfield in 1892 sealed the fate of Sale as a bicycle racing venue. The Gardens and Pleasure Grounds closed in 1896-7 and the land was subsequently developed for housing as the Moorfields estate which still exists.
** Cheadle Cycling Club
Cheadle Cycling Club was formed around 1888 and soon began racing in their first year, with a 34 miles road race. A year later, the club had thirteen members, nine of whom rode safeties(1). Even though the club was relatively small, they could muster up to sixteen members on a club run.
On Wednesday evening 5th June 1889 they held a club one mile handicap race on the Sale Botanical Gardens track (2). There we're sixteen entries, but a few non-starters. The winner, for a gold medal, was FH Foottit from WA Lowcock by a yard.(3)
On Wednesday evening 26th June 1889, eight members of the club rode in a club ten miles handicap race at Sale Botanical Gardens, 49 laps being required to cover the distance. Foottit and Lowcock rode off scratch, but the event was won by JHC Dawes, off 2½ laps in 33m 45s (4).
Harry Fleming won first prize at the Castletown (Isle of Man) one mile handicap on 16th August 1890 (5). There was an inter-club race with Stockport Social Club in 1891. The club held their one and five miles club championship races at Sale Botanical Gardens on 19th September 1891, both events were won by JA Perkins (6).
In 1892, Molineux, a well-known racing man was elected to club membership (9). Cycling magazine reported that the Cheadle CC club races were held at the Sale track on September 17th 1892, when a five miles Championship, one mile handicap and two miles novices handicap were decided. The Championship race was won by HE Perkin, who beat his brother JA Perkin by a wheel.
The Cheadle Civic Society has a photo captioned "Competitors wait at the start of the 1892 Cheadle Cycling Club Championship."
The club's annual sports were held at Belle Vue Gardens on 30th September 1893, Dawes won the one mile off 85 yards and HE Perkin won the five miles from his brother PA Perkin (7).
By 1896, the club was holding fifty miles club handicap races. In 1899 FW Lowcock won the Manchester District 50 miles track championship. The club was still prominent on club runs in 1903.
- References -
(1) Stockpot Advertiser, 7th June 1889, p9.
(2) Stockport Advertiser, 31st May 1889, p9.
(3) Athletic News, 10th June 1889, p7.
(4) Alderney & Wilmslow Advertiser, 28th June 1889, p5.
(5) Alderney & Wilmslow Advertiser, 22nd August 1890, p5.
(6) Manchester Courier, 21st September 1891, p3.
(7) Manchester Courier, 2nd October 1893, p3.
(8) Cycling , 17th September 1892.
(9) Cycling, 6th February 1892, p4.
Cheadle Cycling Club - some members
Dr Henry Wilson Vice President, then president
S Fernyhough, A Brewis, Dr Carlyle, E Potts, H Neal
FC Lowcock president and captain