Christchurch Cycling Craze #15 - Lancaster Park - Grandfather Was A Bikie

Ten mile championship of New Zealand (Jan. 1896) at Lancaster Park, Christchurch.
1st: C. H. Jones, N.Z.; 2nd: W. L. Kerr, N.S.W.; 3rd: Peterson. Christchurch City Libraries.

Paternal grandfather was a competitive amateur cyclist in the early 1900s during the days of the "cycling craze" in New Zealand. He was a card-carrying member of the Christchurch Cycling Club (est. 1891) in 1901/02 and competed in the New Zealand Wheel Race Meeting at Lancaster Park on 19 December, 1903 - at least that's what the programme states. I've not been able to trace whether he placed or not.

Grandfather's interest in cycling was obviously strong as he worked at Adams Ltd, a cycle sales company, before establishing his own Fern Cycle Works for what was probably a fairly short period before moving into the motor taxi business.

One wonders what Grandfather would think of the abomination that has become AMI stadium. Name aside, the ground has long since lost any suitability for cycling and cricket has been vanquished more recently, the grandstand configuration being useless for any decent spectating of the game. Perhaps though he would find solace in the fact that rugby still thrives.

Though he died just two weeks after I was born - and hence I never got to learn directly from him about his enthusiasm for cycling and his inevitable stories of his experiences, the cycling tradition lives on to the present day among his descendants as yet another example of one of those informal inheritances that often goes by unremarked.

Christchurch Cycling Craze #12 - Scorcher Jones - Lancaster Park circa 1890

"Scorcher Jones" - Clement Goodwin Jones (1875?-1908) being paced by a quad team of cyclists at Lancaster Park, circa 1890. Photo: Standish & Preece. Christchurch City Libraries.

Scorcher Jones was a well-known competitive cyclist in Christchurch and New Zealand in the 1890s and early 1900s. In the above photo he can be seen being assisted by a quad team in a track trial. The quad or tandem teams would pace the trialist, helping to create a draught that allowed the cyclist to ride in the slipstream.

Clement Jones was employed as a manager at the Star Cycle Company on Colombo Street, later moving to Best & Towne, cycle makers and repairers in Manchester Street.

Scorcher graduated to motor cycles in the early twentieth century. Sadly, it was to be an ill-fated transition. While practising for a 5 mile motor cycle race at Lancaster Park in December 1908, the front wheel of Scorcher's machine collapsed, causing him to crash into a picket fence, killing him.

Christchurch Cycling Craze #11 - Lancaster Park Wheelmen, December 1887

Fred Wood "professional champion rider of the world" and W Brown, amateur, both of England, at Lancaster Park, 1887. Christchurch City Libraries

To encourage competitive cycling in New Zealand, national associations such as the New Zealand Wheelmen in collaboration with local clubs like the Pioneer Cycling Club sponsored international cyclists to compete in New Zealand.

In late 1887 and early 1888, Englishment Fred Wood and W Brown participated in a series of Champion Test Races around the country.

In Christchurch, the Test races consisted of one, five, and ten mile races with prizes totaling 100 pounds ($18,100 in 2009 prices). With race days on Boxing Day (26 Dec.) and 29 December, 1887, Wood and Brown raced against the competition from around New Zealand.

A crowd of 3,000 saw Wood outperform the competition in the Five and Ten Mile races, resulting in Wood placing first in the Champion Test Races with Wilmot of North Canterbury placing second.

Cycling was not without its dangers. As reported by the Otago Witness of 30 December 1887, in the Five Mile race, Hall of the Pioneer Club held first place some 300 yards from the post but when Wood challenged him for the lead at that stage, Hall missed his pedal causing him to fall from his cycle, dislocating his wrist. In a Half Mile race, Steadman and Bean collided which resulted in both incurring severe cuts about the face.

F Wood comes a cropper at Lancaster Park.

This appears to be a staged crash as the newspaper reports do not mention any crash or injury to Wood, although other riders were injured in the racing. Christchurch City Libraries