The NSW Cyclist Union was formed in 1883, off principles set by the British Amateur Cyclist Union, while the League was established in 1893, and really was just the formalising of the good old Aussie colonial cash-racing sports carnivals that were so popular in the late 19th century and into the 20th century. However, in modern times, the complexity of having two cycling administration bodies had become apparent. So it was very significant, in a period when the League of Wheelman pro cycling clubs were disappearing across NSW, that Harlequin Wheelmen League Cycling Club formed in January 1982.