History
Established in 1891 in Cape Town as City Cycling & Athletic Club. Yes, the club did have a vibrant athletic section as well. Today the main interest of the club is Cycling. The club caters to cyclists from all walks of life, with an interest in all disciplines of cycling, and is based at Edgemead Community Centre. The club is affiliated with the Western Province Cycling Association (WPCA), which is in turn affiliated to the national body, The South African Cycling Federation (SACF). The SACF in turn is affiliated with the World Cycling Body, the UCI. Regular events are held. As a WPCA affiliated club, the club organizes 2 road races and 2 track meets per year and is open to all SACF registered cyclists. Regular club races are held, which are restricted to club members. There is a very impressive collection of silverware for which club riders compete. Monthly meetings are held on the first Monday of every month. Cyclists are encouraged to attend these meetings. The AGM is held on the first Monday in March each year. Members are encouraged to make themselves available for selection for the numerous posts necessary to facilitate the smooth running of the club.
Historical Highlights:
- 1875 Cape Town Amateur Athletics Club formed
- 1880 Cape Town City Cycling Club founded
- 1891 Cape Town City Cycling Club incorporates athletics and is renamed Cape Town City Cycling & Athletics Club
- 1897 Club officials’ man the first Boxing Day Meeting
- 1904 Minutes of all Annual General Meetings have been kept on record from this year.
- 1937 Athletics activities cease due to members moving to bigger clubs, despite this, the club retains the name to this day.
- 1991 The Club celebrates its Centenary Year.
Founding Members
Sydney Chicken – 1891
Sydney Chicken won the first 25 mile road race championship for the Blake Cup in 1893. He was the club’s chief time keeper for many years. He was made the club’s third Life President in 1929. Sydney Chicken passed away in 1950.
Colonel Jack G Rose – 1890’s
Jack Rose was a member of City Cycling & Athletic Club in the 1890s. He established a human-paced 1-hour record in 1898 when he rode a distance of 29 miles 1373 yards on the Green Point Cycling Track. On 3 June 1899, he broke his own record by being paced by quads (4 man cycle) and completed 30 miles 606 yards in the hour. He won many races over the years and this is confirmed by the numerous medals that were bequeathed to the club when his daughter passed away.
Sir James Sivewright
The very first President of the Cape Town City Cycling & Athletics Club. He was the Minister of Railways in the Cape Colony in 1899
Andy Arnesen
He was the 3rd City Member to win the 25-mile race at the Paarl Boxing Day in 1904 after OJ Imsland (Jan 1897), Dave Rees (Dec 1897 & 1898). Danie Cillie of Paarl Cycling Club won it in 1900. This photograph was taken directly after he won the race. The medals were fixed to a bib and hung around the neck of the cyclist.
Our Forerunners
This photograph was taken in 1881 of the Cape Town City Cycling Club. This club was the forerunner of City Cycling & Athletic Club, which was constituted in 1891 when athletics was incorporated into the club’s activities.
Top Row (left to right): WS Darter (jr), RPL Wahl, GN Lindup, JF Marshall
Front Row (left to right): EC Baxter, CH Rhodes, T Mossop, GBS Darter, W Jeffries, WS Darter, W Lindup, PFF Broers, G Kuhlmann, J Dyce, L Wahl
Reference: South African Sport & Dramatic News
Extracts from the Official Journal of the City Cycling Club
