There was a quarter mile banked cinder track with well rounded corners at the new ground. The track was around the football pitch, with little space outside it, making the bicycle track rather narrow with some sharp corners.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian annual athletic sports at Tynecastle started at the old ground in 1881 but it was not until 8th June 1889 that bicycle races were included in the sports at the new ground. There were one, two and five miles open handicap races and the sports were held over two Saturday afternoons. Admission to the ground cost sixpence and another sixpence for the grandstand. The football club's annual sports were to continue, with a break, until 1906.
Bicycle race meets were popular at Tynecastle through the 1890s, with events promoted by the SCU, Vulcan Cycling Club, Edinburgh Shepherds, the Union of Hearts and Castle Mills
The ongoing dispute between the Scottish Cycling Union and the Scottish AAA over control of Scottish cycle racing was particularly acrimonious during 1895 and bicycle racing at Tynecastle featured prominently in trying to bring the SAAA to heel. Tynecastle needed to improve their track to promote SCU Championship events and after a race meeting on 9th May 1896, riders complained of the insufficient banking, the poor condition of the track surface, the track being too narrow and corners that could not be taken safely at top speed. The track was banked in 1896.
The Vulcan Cycling Club held their first race meeting at Tynecastle on 21st May 1898, they promoted two professional bicycle races, a half mile handicap and a five mile scratch. The amateur handicap races were over half and three miles and there was a one mile novices race. The professional five miles race was won by Chesterfield star rider Jed Gascoyne who went on to set English track records, he raced in America where beat Major Taylor and then he emigrated to Australia.
At the Vulcan CC 2nd annual sports on 20th May 1899, the attendance was 1,500 and the club made a loss. The Scottish Referee reported that "the amount of betting that went on was deplorable, the shouting being at times deafening, but what could the SCU and SAAA do when the police authorities refused to help them?"
A new cinder track was made at the ground for the start of the 1901 season. Vulcan CC had by then made their home at Tynecastle and promoted club and open race meetings there. SCU East of Scotland championship races were often held at their meetings and the club introduced motorcycle racing in 1903.
The 30th Scottish Cycling Meet** was held at Tynecastle on 16th June 1906 where the ten miles SCU championship of Scotland race was held. The other bicycle events were the one mile SCU Eastern District Championship and quarter, half and one mile races. The ten miles race was won by Dan Flynn of Glasgow in 27 min 24 sec, this was his fifth championship of the season. An ex-champion Haig of Hawick, fell at the finish of the race and broke his collarbone. The Vulcan Cycling Club held their sports on June 9th 1906 with quarter, half and one mile handicaps and a three miles scratch race. There were also two motor races. The Vulcan also held evening races on the track.
The Hearts annual sports continued until 10th July 1906, when 5,000 spectators watched the cycling, athletics and five-a-side matchess, the handicap bicycle races were over quarter and half a mile. This was probably the last bicycle racing to be held at Tynecastle Park.
The Directors of Hearts met on 6th March 1907 and decided to do away with the cinder track to increase the spectator accommodation at the ground. Vulcan CC moved from Tynecastle to Hibernian's football ground at Northfield, Portobello Road in 1907, where there was a new track.
** The Scottish Cycling Meet started in Edinburgh in 1876 and was a very popular meeting of club cyclists who rode in procession around the streets of Edinburgh, the meet ended with a bicycle racing at Powderhall. There were 587 riders representing 69 different clubs at the 1884 Meet. In 1904, the race meeting for moved from Powderhall to Tynecastle, then when Tynecastle track was removed, the racing went to the Hibernian FC ground in 1907. After 1908, the Scottish Cycling Meet seemed to have stopped.
