The oldest road race in Scotland (massed-start) was Glasgow-Dunoon in 1934 and became the oldest continuosly run road race in Britain....
I've original evidence though of local organised "velocipede" races in Laurencekirk in April 1869 with the competitors on "bycicle & tricicle's" (their spelling) pedal powered of course.....Angering the local community with allegations of "furious driving" during practice in the days & nights up to the race (it was a criminal offence then) !
The problem with all these claims to having the "first" is that they often don't distinguish between organised or so-called "official" races, and the many unofficial local competitions that took place I'm sure from as soon as more than one person in an area had two wheels and something to sit on.
Organising bodies didn't help the matter, as often there was more than one "official body" and a power struggle - we had two bodies for massed start racing within Scotland, and each declared the opposite's "races" unofficial barring competitors from their events should they take part.......until sense prevailed.
Bob (I should have been born with the Surname Millar to enter the TdF and win a stage for Scotland)Reid Stonehaven Scotland
> Re. Old races. Not wishing to get in to a competition with Dale on this one,
> I just mention it for fun. I raced at the Burntisland highland games last
> Monday (even won the 3 mile handicap). The games were 350 years old.
> (Obviously they have not always included cycle races, but I think cycle
> racing was there in the century before the last one). Apparently they are the
> second oldest games in Scotland, but they do not like to brag, as their near
> neighbours, Ceres, have the oldest. They are about 650 years old!
> I was very kindly help by an American tourist, from Florida, he pushed me off
> for the start of the 2 mile race. (2nd). I was racing on a newly build Bates
> track frame, 531, Nervex lugs, cinelli bracket, Chater lea track ends and
> some monstrously oversized fork blades. Black and cream.
>
> Regards
> Martin Coopland