CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 65, 17 March 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

The cycle racing at the Auckland A.A. and C.C. sports last Saturday, though not particularly brilliant, was noticeable for its fairness and the absence of any tendency to '"loaf/ All the races were well contested from start to finish, and beyond a dangerous habit of looking round on the part of some of the competitors there was nothing about the riding to complain of. H. H. Brook's victories from scratch in the mile and five-mile handicaps were very popular. The little cyclist well deserved his success, for he rode with great determination, especially in" the five Brook" stuck to his work like a. Trojan, gaiued on his field lap by lap, and finally caught them a mile from home, amidst hearty applause. F. 'Wade and A. Cooper both rode well, the former winning the two-mile, and the latter the half-mile; and Pelham, Meclland, and Ewen also showed very fair form. j The sports meeting promoted by the Auckland Cycling- Club passed off vA-y successfully. The attendance was certainly small, but as the meeting was held more for the sake of deciding a number of championships than of gathering in the shekels, the paucity of spectators did not trouble the management, greatly. Three cash and two amateur championships were run off.. In the cash section Tierney and E. Reynolds practically had the races to themselves, Tierney winning two events, with Reynolds second, and tieing foe first place with Reynolds in the' third event. In the amateur division W. Reynolds was in a class by himself, and annexed both events without any trouble.

Twenty-nine safety bicycles and three tandems were' to be sent with the City of London Volunteers to South Africa in January. l

Persia is likely to open up as $ touring- country. A good carriage road has just been laid between Caspian and Tehern, at a cost of £340,000. That the road is expected to prove of great commercial value may be gauged by the fact that a bid' of £200 a day for the tolls was. refused before the road was thrown open to traffic.

Some recent profits and losses of bicycle companies:—Profit (1899), Kudge-Whitwortlv £20,673; Swift, £15.244; Gladiator, £32,079; Lucas and Sons (sundries) £15,457. Losses— Humber, £12,504; Ealeigh, £ll,161;j New Rapid, £3122.

In an interview with a representative of the "Australian Cyclist," tha manager of the Dun.lop Tyre Company in Melbourne thus gave out the firm's intentions with regard to the subsidisation of racing men,: "To put it frankly, we are perfectly satisfied in more ways than one, and have determined to give up the employment of racing- men, and the supplying of tyres absolutely. In future, if a racing man wants tyres, he will have to pay for them. In, the past we feel that we have been unfairly treated in this respect, and as the advertisement obtained is not commensurate with the outlay, we have decided to alter our methods in. this direction.''

In a recent issue of "Bicycling . News," "Lancelot" expresses the opinion that English racing- men gene--rally "would prefer to be : governed " by the Amateur : Athletic''Association;*-/V'1 than, by the National Cyclists' Union.

An English contemporary is responsible for the statement that public motor-cars will shortly be placed on the streets of the principal towns in New Zealand. So far as Auckland is concerned this is evidently meant foe

sarcasm