CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

'Happy Japan!' It seems to be the only place on earth where the 'cycle receives the' recognition it deserves from outsiders.' A 'cycling officer of the s-.s. Chingtu tells how, on his last visit to Kobe, he was riding in. the suburbs, and had the misfortune to run down an aged Ja,p. The victim picked himself up ruefully, and, wiping the blood from his face, fell on his knees before the rider and asked pardon for allowing" his 'miserable carcase' to get in the 'cyclist's 'honourable way.' Washington is credited with having a greater proportion of 'cyclists to its population than any other city in the world. An estimate which has been made fixes the number of machines in use at not less than 60,000.

A man who ought to know says the following is the way to clean a bicycle'lamp: Clean the surface with a pad of cotton waste, and then cover the pad with cotton velvet charged with fine rouge. This will not only reraoye the scratches, but will impart brilliancy to the glass. Lenses in lanterns should not only be clean and clear, but should' be brilliant as well, and brilliancy comes' partly from polishing. The secret of hill-climbing is the continual application of power. If the rider jumps to his work on a long hill, using great force for a short time, he tires himself, and does not get as good results as Avhen, catching the pedal at the top of the stroke and using the ankle properly, he follows it almost through the complete revolution. By constantly using- this method, he utilises not only the powers of the thigh muscles, but the calf muscles as well.

When a young man has absolutely not an idea in his head, it does not follow that there is no hope for him. Cherubs of this description, says 'Cycling,' have taken kindly to the wheel. 'Immaculately attired, they mount their 'cycles, and are thus able to exhibit themselves to more admirers than would be possible if they walked; they, as it were, get upon their triumphal cars, and are carried round in state. Eiding with high handles and low gear, 'cycling disarranges their elaborate 'get-up' even less than does walking; and because you use ordinary long trousers for riding in, that is no reason why you should not still sleep with them under your mattress at night time, and so maintain the correct fore-and-aft crease.'

The 'Cycle Traffic Bill is not likely to meet with the approval of 'cyclists as a body. If it is designed as a means of squeezing a special revenue out of 'cyclists, it should meet with determined opposition from all wheelmen who have any regard of their own interests. In this connection the 'New Zealand 'Cyclist' remarks that the question is one on which 'cyclists should make their voting-power felt, and felt strongly. 'We think,' says the paper referred to, 'that the League of New Zealand Wheelmen has taken the proper step in calling the attention of clubs to the importance of the question, and in asking its members to use their influence to veto a measure so ill-calculated to benefit 'cyclists in general. 'Cyclists as a body are willing, as ordinary ratepayers, to pay for good roads, but they decline to be squeezed for any such purpose. There is no call for a 'cycle tax. The backbone of the difficulty would be broken by judicious and up-to-date regulation of .the road-work of City Councils and Itoad Boards.'

Van llcerden, who is one of the heaviest- and tallest of racing cracks, weighing 14st and standing" 6ft 4in in height, in essaying records at Joha.nnesburg on April 23rd is reported to have succeeded in riding a quartermile (flying start) in 24 sec, which beats the previous world's amateur best of 25 2-sth sec, made by E. S. Watson, in Scotland, by 12-sth sec. Hecrden also covered a mile (flying start) in 1 mm. 45 sees., which is world's amateur record, and 1 l-sth sec better than C. B. Lawe's British amateur best.

A Philadelphia watchmaker, Figarotta by name, has spent his spare time of two years constructing'a most unique mechanical curio—a miniature bicycle, perfect in all Us parts, and although small enough to tuck away in one's vest pocket, in perfect running order. No part of a. completely equipped machine is lacking. Even a dainty lantern, with an almost microscopic coloured lens, rests on' its accustomed bracket, and a prettily designed name plate is plainly visible, Every part of themachine is strictly up-to-date, saddle, handle-bars, pedals and all. The wheels are furnished with pneumatic tyres. The bicycle rests on a stand in a glass case, and on the silver base of the case the dimensions of the machine are given. Height of frame, Jin; wheel base, l^in; diameter of wheels, lin; sprocket, 20 and 8 teeth; width of chain, .02in; length of crank, fin; with tread, pn. The complete machine weighs two ounces.

Arthur A. Zimmennan, the exchampion wheelist, is said to be very ill with Mexican fever at his home in Freehold, N.J. If he recovers it is not likely that he will be able to appear on the track this season, which means much to him, as he will lose the $10,000 that he was to have received for his proposed trip to Europe) in addition to other cash prizes and stakes that were expected to be captured by him in match and open races in which he expected to appear.

A private letter received in Wellington gives particulars of a serious accident which befel Fred Hunt, the wellknown cyclist, when riding in a race at Broken Hill, New South Wales, on 24th June. In the finish of a race he was riding second, when the tyre of the leading man's machine burst and he fell. Hunt struck him and was thrown a distance of 20yds, breaking his collarbone and receiving" a nasty wound on the hip. He has been well looked after by Broken Hill cyclists, who propose to hold a two days' meeting for his benefit in September.

It is «iore than likely that the famous Austral Wheel It ace will be-again run this year' on the unbanked grass track at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This is a pity.ior on the present track this race is run under unfair conditions, as it is as much a matter of luck in staying up as anything else. Last year a third of those in the final of the Wheel Race fell owing to the riders being unable to negotiate the bad comers, and it's just as likely to happen again this year The Melbourne Bicycle Club have now some £4000 in hand ; why cannot they put down a track of their own? They have the greater amount of the money required, and can easily obtain the balance. This club is now the strongest financially and numerically in the Southern Hemisphere, and if they would only move in this direction they would recoup themselves in two or three years.

A patent chain-cleaner has just been put on the market in the United

States. The device consists of two brushes, held in place by a bracket, which is curved to allow the chain to pass. The brushes and the bracket are attached to the same cylinder, and this automatically works up and down in the cylinder which is attached to the frame of the wheel. This arrangement allows the brushes to follow the chain in its up and down motion, and creates, it is stated, no perceptible friction. The brushes are designed to last a season, and when worn out can be replaced at a cost of 20 cents per set. The cleaner can be attached to any make of bicycle, diamond or drop frame, and is guaranteed to keep mud and dust off the chain.

In a leading article on the application from Auckland by a new cash cycling club for affiliation with the League, the 'New Zealand Cyclist' has the following: 'The Auckland Cycling Club has been in existence some two years and has clone fairly well, though not nearly so well as many other clubs would have done with the same advantages. It has held a monopoly, and it has handled a deal of- money— not much of which it has succeeded in keeping by the way—it has catered most liberally for League racing men, and has generally done its best to boom the League. What it has not done —and perhaps no other club could have accomplished the task—is to weaken the position of Alliance club, which is the one club in. the colony — in a town possessing a League clvb — that has proved itself capable of successfully competing with the opposition, lihere may be several good reasons for this. One we know. The Auckland Athletic and Cycling Club is the most substantial sports club in the Southern Hemisphere and is able to run on its own, if it felt so inclined, without troubling about an Association. It is to New Zealand what the London Athletic Club is to England and the New York Athletic Club is to America. Therefore one can understand why the Auckland, League Club has made so small an impression on it.'