1896: Kansas City bicycling history

On Saturday, June 20th, the National Circuit bicycle races were held at Fairmount Park's amphitheater (Roper Stadium). There were two classes, professional and amateur. It was easy to spot the pro's in the crowd: they were the ones with the bruises and bandages. The event was sponsored by the Kansas City Bicycle Dealers Association. $600 in gold coin for the professionals and $235 in silver and jewelry for the novice, were offered. Twenty-five professional wheel men from New York City to San Francisco were drawn to town. The 1/4 mile track was a combination of cinders and dirt and was described as "one of the swiftest in the country." Over 2,000 people attended the events and while no new records were broken neither were any bones. It rained early Saturday morning so there were a few spills. Sixty-two locals wheeled around the oval track competing for prizes like silver service sets, diamonds, gold watches, opera glasses, etc.