Now & Then - Adelaide Oval bicycle track: Ron stretches his legs in the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Adelaide Oval is a place every South Australian thinks they know a lot about. After all it is one of the most famous and picturesque cricket grounds in the world and most of us can recall an epic football contest here over the years. But there's a lesser-known tale about this famous sporting venue.

For a period of about thirty years or more cycling was all the rage with attendances sometimes rivalling those for cricket and football. The first track was laid in 1883 when, instead of pickets, the ground was rimmed by a chain fence. A batsman who hit a boundary back then was said to have hit a "chainer". The first cycling track was a flat affair but soon a banked track was built.

The banked track followed the area we now know as the concourse, between the stands and the current fence. Look closely and the banking is obvious. The cycling craze at the turn of last century had another dramatic impact on the eventual shape of this historic ground.

It's led to deep pockets in the footy season and short boundaries come summer - cycling has left it's mark on this hallowed piece of turf. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Published 27th May 2007