CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 258, 6 November 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

Saturday's Carnival was most successful from an athletic point of view, and the financial results I am glad to hear were equally satisfactory. Six thousand tickets were sold at the gates during the afternoon, and a large number were disposed of prior to the meeting. Had .the weather been more settled another couple of thousand would probably have put in an appearance. Those present had every reason to be satisfied with the afternoon's -racing. More excitingfinishes than those which marked the majority of the events have rarely been seen on the ground. AH the races —both handicap and scratch-—brought out fine large fields, and every event was fought out in a most determined fashion.

A. E. Barker, the Christchurch crack rider, was in great form on Saturday, and rode with splendid judgment. His sprinting powers were greatly in evidence in the scratch races. Thus in the Two-mile Challenge Pace Barker simply buried his field in the last lap, and won as he liked; while in the Five-mile Interprovincial, though Clarkson hung to him gamely, the little man kept his lead, and a last kick at the finish sent him home a bare half-wheel ahead of his clubmate. On his present form Barker should be able to annex a good share of the championships at the League's meeting next March.

Clarkson did not seem in the best of condition, though he rode pluckily enough. He fought out the finish of the Five-mile with great determination, and had hard luck in being beaten. He did not last out so well in the Challenge Baee, and could not hang to Barker when the Litter spurted at the home turn. In the handicap events both the oracles were called upon to concede much too large starts and consequently did not over-exert themselves in these events.

That promising young rider, Angus Campbell, gave the spectators another taste of his quality in the Auckland Club Two-mile Championship. The finish of this race was worth going a long way to see, every inch of the ground being disputed in the race up the straight between Campbell, Hendry, Smith, and G. Hyauiason. The first-named beat Hendry by about a wheel, but the others were very close up, and the quartette are undoubtedly a Very even lot. Campbell also rode third to Barker and Clarkson in the five-mile scratch race, finishing well up to the latter.

R. Hendry I thought showed great improvement in his riding, which was very consistent on Saturday. He finished second in the Club Championship, and third in the Auckland Wheel Race, and on each occasion went very near winning. Hendry also, in conjunction with Chainey, rode second to Barker and Clarkson in the multicycle race.

G. Hyauiason was one of the most successful of the local men. His best effort was in the Auckland Wheel Race, in which a field of 28 competed, and he showed excellent sprinting powers in the tussle for premiership which marked the finish of this event. Hyauiason also rode third in the Club Championship.

Next to Barker, J. Chalmers, of North Otago, carried off the honours among the risiting contingent. ChalDicif'won the Mile and Two-mile Handicaps, and came second in the Threemile, thus securing first prize with a total of 13 points. McDowell and Ramsay also rode well, and among the local men who showed good form were Chainey, Smith, and C. Curteis, the latter of whom carried off the Half-mile Handicap, besides coming second in the Auckland Wheel Race.

The pacing of the Dunlop triplet in the Two-mile Challenge Shield race caused a good deal of unfavourable comment at the time, the crowd especially being strong in their expressions of disapproval. The triplet joined in in the secoud lap, and Angus Campbell, who was leading- at the time, at once spurted to pick up the pacer, the rule being that the machine was to be for the benefit of the man who had the lead. When he got up to the triplet, however, it seemed to spurt away from him, and Campbell fell away out of the race, while Clarkson and Barker caught up to the pacing machine and were taken round by it. Some people consider that the triplet spurted away from Campbell, but the riders deny any such intention on their part. They say they heard the bicycles coming on behind, and the captain of the team on calling out 'Are you right?' receivea the answer 'Yes' from someone behind them, they did not know who. They therefore at once put on the pace. It is said also that Campbell never properly picked up the triplet, which means getting within a foot of the back wheel, and that was why he could not hang to the big machine when they cracked on the pace. Whatever the explanation, the Committee did wisely in taking off the pacing machine in the succeeding races ' ' ,

ItSs the intention of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen to hold a Championship Meeting this year at Dunedin. The sports will probably be held about March, on the Carisbrooke Ground.

The League were to consider on Thursday evening last an alteration in their constitution, to provide for the governing of amateur cycling. The amateur definition which was to be moved by Mr W. Thomson, captain of the Christchurch Cycling Club, provides that an amateur must accept a trophy which shall be engraved by his club, and further provides for the abolition of the open order system

The Otago Cycling Club, which has a membership of 350, has seceded from the N.Z. Cyclists' Alliance and affiliated with the League. Two other southern clubs, the Alexandra and the Vincent, have also gone over to the League. It is probable that a team consisting of Messrs P. Hendry, A. J. Campbell, and F. Chainey will represent Auckland in the big Two Mile Wheel Race at Christchurch on December 16. The Challenge Shield presented for competition in a two-mile scratch race by the 'New Zealand Cyclist,' and won for the first time on Saturday by A. R. Barker, has to be won three times in the aggregate, when it becomes the property of the club of which the winner is a member.

A writer in the English 'C.T.C. Monthly Gazette' advocates the use of a high gear for those who know how to use it properly. He 'strongly suspects that much of the outcry against high gears comes from riders who have attempted a high gear without having learned how to ride it, and have in consequence been discouraged by the initial difiiculties. In this, as

in everything else, an apprenticeship is required; and there is no doubt that until a proper ankle-action is learned a high gear involves considerable fatigue.' Speaking about style he says: 'Surely there is something dignified, almost stately, in the slow, steady sweep of the high-geared man, which contrasts favourably with the short, fussy, piston-like action of the lowgeared man, trotting along by his side vainly attempting to keep up the thirteen or .fourteen miles per hour which the other is accomplishing- without difficulty. Of course the dropped handles which are necessary for a proper leverage on a high gear may cause a. painfully cramped position, but it is by no means necessary. Except when going up-hill, or in spurting for a short time, the drop need not be used, and the hands can rest on the top of the bar.'

It is averred that the lambent evening air is often shocked by the cry, in a feminine voice, of 'Stop me!' The appeal proceeds from a woman on a bicycle which has bolted. No one seems to know exactly what ought to be done in such cases, and the bicycle is supposed to very frequently run down violently a steep place into the sea. That is why you so often see advertisements asking Julia to 'return home and all Mali be forgiven.' Of course, neither Julia nor the bicycle can return home; they are both waterlogged, or have been digested by an octopus. A little presence of mind would, however, obviate many of these catastrophes. There are several ways of rescuing a rider from a runaway cycle. A stick cleverly inserted between the wheels will infallibly stop the cycle and prevent it playing up in the future. Another excellent method is to invariably carry a fishing line with a lead sinker. If the sinker be cleverly hurled, you can stay a cycle which has got some yards away. This device should first be practised on bicycles going at ordinary pace. Then the use of the lassoo may be recommended. The noose should be thrown around the rider's neck and the machine permitted to go its own way. A well-trained dog can generally capsize a bicycle. All that is required is a littlepresence of mind. A lady rider can herself, if she gives her mind to it, prevent the slightest possibility of a bicycle accident by never getting on the wretched -thing.—'Australian Star.' Something will have to be done to stop the careless and malicious sprinkling of broken glass on town and suburban streets. If the authorities cannot put a stop to it, cyclists should stir themselves and see what can be done. It is not permitted in old-world cities.

In purchasing Dunlop tyres (which are the most comfortable and reliable tyres on earth) see that they bear the Dunlop trade mark, and refuse any not so branded. — Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. (Ltd.) (N.Z. Branch), 128, Lichfierd-street, Christchurch.—(Advt.)