At the 1875 Oswestry Institute Fete there was a half mile bicycle race advertised with a three guinea silver cup donated by Bayley Brothers (publishers of Wrexham) but nobody entered the race, so the cup was given for a hurdle race.
The attendance at the Whit Monday 1881 Oddfellows Fete was 5,000 and the organised sports were cricket, football, quoits, leaping bars, archery and Aunt Sally. There was a one mile bicycle race for £2 which was won by W Davies of Oswestry, six started. The entertainments were numerous and included conjuring by Professor Le Mare**, a performing dog, gymnastics, a ventriloquist, a spiritual seance, an automaton and a Punch and Judy show. The Cheshire Observer reported that there was also "a balloon ascent (which, however was a failure, owing to the balloon catching fire)." In the evening there was dancing and a fireworks display. Admission ticket sixpence, one shilling on the door.
A Volunteer's Fete was held at Chirk Castle Park on July 7th 1882, the weather was very poor and the races were run off amid drenching rain. There was a one mile bicycle race which was won by long marker WH Roberts of Gresford from WW Norton of Oswestry for a £2 prize. The Wrexham Rifle Volunteers and the Oswestry Volunteers played throughout the meeting. The attendance was poor and it was thought that there would be a loss on the event. The Wrexham Advertiser commented "The sports were attended by five or six of the ‘betting fraternity' who plied their business with a zeal that is generally only witnessed on an ordinary racecourse."
There were occasional bicycle races at Chirk for the next decade, usually over one mile and organised by the Oddfellows and the Ceiriog Vale Exhibition and Athletic Gala.
The Horticultural and Art and Industrial Exhibition was held at Chirk on August 3rd 1895. The sports were held in a field opposite the girl's schoolroom. There was a one mile bicycle handicap race, which was run in two heats, in the final, JJP Galway from Chester was the winner, but not before three out of the four competitors fell. One of the competitors HF Sherry was helped back on to his machine to finish, second only to be disqualified for taking assistance. In the two miles handicap race, Galway won again without any mis-haps and picked up a total of £4 for his victories. There were three running races, a pole leaping contest and a slate splitting competition. There were fifteen entries for slate splitting, the winner was John Morris of the Cambrian Quarry, Glyn, the judges awarded prizes on the market value of the competitor's results.
This was the last bicycle racing at Chirk. The Whit Monday sports at Chirk in 1898 advertised two bicycle races, but there were no entries.
** Professor Le Mare was a 19th-century stage magician and illusionist. Alongside his associate Alfred Le Mare, he toured extensively and performed shows during the 1880s. (From Harry Houdini's papers).