The first bicycle track racing in Rye was at the Second Rye Harbour fete and sports, this was held on 8th July 1896 and there were two bicycle races, one for local residents and the other for visitors.
The Rye Harbour fete and sports continued on August Bank Holiday 1899 and included one and two miles open handicap races and a two miles handicap for members of the Rye & District Cyclists' Club. August Bank Holiday became the popular date for sports and bicycle races as holiday makers would increase attendance and hopefully make meetings profitable.
Rye Cyclists and Athletics Clubs held a joint amateur sports meeting on 5th August 1901 on a marked out grass track of six laps to the mile. This was a busy meeting, there were six bicycle races, 1 and 3 miles open handicaps, 2 miles scratch, 1 mile under 16s, 2 miles Rye and District Cycling Club race and a 1 mile ladies race which was won by Miss May Fuddle, from Miss Frances E Kenward (two riders). The meeting made a loss and a concert was held later in the year to make good the deficit.
As part of the King Edward VII Coronation Festivities on 9th August 1902 the sports included one and two miles bicycle handicap races and a two miles scratch race. Bicycle racing was never popular in Rye, the cycling club struggled and local racers seemed to prefer the track at Hastings. There was very little bicycle racing after 1902.
Rye Wheelers became the leading racing club in Rye during the 1930s, which led to a renewed interest in track racing in the town. The Rye Sports Day on August Bank Holiday 1935 was the most successful sports day ever seen in Rye and the bicycle races were one, two and three miles open handicap, a half mile open scratch and a flying quarter mile race for members of Rye Wheelers. There was then a period of track racing inactivity when Rye Wheelers ceased to exist.
At the August Bank Holiday sports in 1951, Shiela Till of Eastbourne Rovers won the 880 yards open women's race, but the meeting had to be abandoned after rain made the track dangerous. There was another gap in track racing activity until 1958, when Rye Wheelers re-formed and at the Rye sports in August 1958 there were seven cycle races, the one mile Rye Wheelers championship was won by D Ashdown.
Cycle racing continued at the Rye sports summer meeting through the 1960s. The last track racing in Rye was reported on 30th August 1965, the meeting had a record 300 entries for the 45 events and drew a crowd of 1,000 people. The Ashdown brothers, Mike, Dave and John had a field day for Rye Wheelers, coming first, second and third in the 880 yards handicap race.
Rye cricket club still play on the Flats. Rye & District Cycling Club is still going strong and Rye's Own Magazine (https://ryesown.co.uk/) published a history of the club in January 2010.
