Aspatria Bicycle Club was formed on 11th October 1881, at the meeting over twenty people showed an interest and a scheme was set up whereby members could pay two shilling per week and each month there would be a draw for a bicycle. J Foster was elected as club captain.
The first bicycle track in Aspatria was known as the Aspatria Bicycle and Recreation Ground, it was situated close to the railway station. The ground was provided in 1882 by a local man Joseph Langcake, he constructed a cinder bicycle track at the ground of eight laps to the mile. There was also a running track and other sports facilities and Langcake allowed the Aspatria Bicycle Club to use the ground free of charge. Langcake was 30 years old, he was Secretary to the Fire Brigade and Market Hall, Chairman of the School Board and President of the Football Club.
The first bicycle race on the track was organised by the Aspatria Bicycle Club on 24th June 1882, the weather was dull and showery, but this did not deter a large number of people from attending. There were one, three and five miles handicap races, the five miles event was won by G Graham of Carlisle, in a time of 17m 18s, which was a record time for the county. The concluding race was a two miles handicap for members of Aspatria BC, there were fourteen riders and the race needed three heats. The final was the most exciting race of the day with scratch man and club captain J Foster just edging out J Sandwith (off 20 yards) at the finish. The Wigtown Volunteer Band played music and there was dancing in the evening. The Carlisle Journal noted that "the corners were rather too sharp for turning. This, however, we understand will be remedied before another meeting takes place."
The Aspatria BC quickly gained popularity and at the Maryport Bicycle Tournament in June 1883, they won the bugle award for having the most club members at the event in club uniform, with seventeen members present.
The Aspatria BC sports were held again in 14th July 1883, the track had been re-surfaced and was still rather loose. The meeting became an annual feature, but in 1884, both the number of entries and the attendance had fallen. In 1885, the Aspatria BC joined with the Foresters' Benefit Society to promote the annual sports, which included bicycle racing, running, athletics and wrestling.
In 1886, Dr HJ Webb^^ was appointed as the Principal of the Aspatria Agricultural College. Webb was a world class tricycle racing cyclist, in 1884 he held the world 100 miles tricycle record both on the road and track. Webb had a major influence on the education of young people for a career in agriculture. He raced locally for a short time after 1866.
The 1886 Aspatria joint sports included one and two miles open handicap bicycle races and an attempt by Dr Webb on the one mile tricycle record, which unfortunately failed. The press reported that the cinder track was not in very good condition because of the drought. This was to be the last bicycle racing at the cycle track, presumably because of its poor state of repair
There was a sports meeting on 22nd October 1887 at the Agricultural College at Aspatria, it included a one mile open handicap bicycle race, the West Cumberland Times reported "There were 10 entries for the bicycle race and the final heat produced one of the most exciting races ever witnessed in Cumberland. Osborne, the scratch man, won by a few feet from Sandywith, to the evident satisfaction of all present".
The Foresters' held their own summer sports meeting without the Aspatria BC on 20th July 1888, the sports "were carried on near the cemetery, in a couple of fields......under obligation to Mrs Bouch." The sports included a bicycle handicap race over four miles. The Aspatria BC held a fifteen miles bicycle and tricycle handicap race on 23rd June 1888, but it took place on the road.
Joseph Langcake died in December 1888 at the age of 36 and the Aspatria Bicycle and Recreation Ground was not mentioned in the press after this.
** The name Aspatria derives from "Ash-tree of St Patrick"
^^ Webb beat the world 100 miles tricycle road record in 1884, returning 7 hours and 35 minutes on the Great North Road, later that year, he improved his time to 6 hours and 40 minutes on the Crystal Palace track. At the 1884 NCU National Championships Webb came second to CE Liles in both the one mile and twenty five miles tricycle races. In September 1884, Webb beat the Land's End to John O'Groats tricycle record, recording just under 8 days, but his claim was rejected because of a dispute.