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Watch this 1920s newsreel footage of cyclists whizzing around the Herne Hill Velodrome

Written by
Cath Clarke
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Think the London cycling craze is a new thing? Watch this incredible one-minute newsreel from 1929 documenting the boom in women’s competitive cycling.

Shot at Herne Hill Velodrome – where all the action went down in the 1920s – it’s part of a new DVD from the BFI, ‘A History of Modern Cycling on Film’. The clip, called ‘Women Wheelers’, which captures an end of season race, is not what you’d call enlightened in its attitude to female sporting prowess (the cameraman is more interested in leg shots and two cyclists on a tandem applying their lipstick). But watching the girls go hell for leather around the track is a treat.

Take a look at more snaps from the video here:

'On Yer Bike' is out now on BFI DVD.

Got the urge to get on your bike? Here are eight ways to make the most of cycling in summer.

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