CYCLING NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9812, 23 August 1897, Page 7

CYCLING NOTES.

•» Weekly Press and Referee."

5 [By Velox.] At the Queensland Cyclists' Union Champion meeting on July 31st R. H. Walne broke the Queensland mile record by doing Btnin 58acc for a paced mile. Relph failed for a two miles' record owing to bad pacing. Reynolds, the well-known Irish cyclist, has arrived in Adelaide and competes in ' forthcoming events. A one hour's match for £300 was decided between T. Linton and J. W. Stocks at the Crystal Palace track on June 19th, when Linton won easily by about 100 yard.. The pace was fast from the start, and fivo miles .Were reeled off by Linton in 9min 2l_scc. At this point Stocks lost nearly 100 yard. '..by a had change in his pacine, and try as he would, he was never abln to make up his Jost ground, Linton winning as above, by ".covering 31 miles 170 yards. f Wally Kerr'thanks to Lord Jersey, whose kindness ho says ho never will forget) had ijpo of the best positions in London to view tt>e proce.sion (says a Sydney paper). It &as a special stand near the Crimean MonuM_vat, and aa her Majesty stopped to recognise tlie Crimean veterans the Sydneyite lu«A«n excellent view of lier. She looked Wonderfully well for her years, he writes. The coloni.B in the procession had a grand reception, and Kerr was quite carried uway pvith the enthusiasm. The ftUo committee of the Australian "Natives' Association has recommended to the council that the A.N.A. Wheel Race for 1893 be run on January 26th, and that the prizes fer the event be £500. Another £150 will be provided for other bicycle races. The New Soutli Wales Government intends to place £1000 on the Estimates for the purchase of bicycles for the use of lettercarriers in Sydney suburb?. It is said there ftre 8000 bicycles in Sydney stores at the present time. If tendered for to-morrow £hat £1000 would bo over-applied for a good many times. The Cycling Board of Trade at New York Jhas decided that there shall be no more cycle Jjhows in the States for one year, from June Jtst, 1897, as such shows have ceased to be of value to the trade. In place of shows, the directors recommend a general " opening day," on February 22nd, throughout the •country. J. Michael, the far-famed Welshman, has Dot yet been defeated in America. His latest victory was gained over Eddie 'McDuftee in a 15-mile paced match at JJoston. Tho American led for 12 miles ; {then the Welshman went to the front, and fcvon by 50yd9. McDuffee'a fine riding was a feevelation, and the excitement waa terrific "throughout. All previous existing American records were lowered, the mile times being : •— 1 mile, lmin 54j.ee ; 2, 3min 42.cc; 3, |_smin 39Jsec ; 4, 7min 35_seo; 5, 9min 31§ &ec ; 6, llmin 31sec ; 7, 13mm 24_sec ; 8, *_smin 21„sec ; 9, _7mii_ 22_sec; 10, 19min jjSljjsec; 11, 21min 19_sec ; 12,23min 18_sec; &3, 25min 12_sec; 14, 27min 14fse. ; and 15, 29min 12sec. If a rider or riders can be found capable of X' hanging on " there cannot bo much doubt hat through the medium of the electric riplet pacer, which was put through its paces in the presence of the inventor, M. I)arracq, at the Seine track, Pari., recently, all existing records at the present time must bo altered. There are twelve of these machines being made in England. The one which was tried in Paris waa manned by three Parisian riders, and ran very smoothly, h .proving a great success. That it travels at H a great rate is proved by the times accomplished, those recently set up by the Pingault tandem being equalled at two kilometres, land beaten thence to 12 kilometres. The ■toarracq triplet went on until 10 miles had been covered, this distance oeing accomplished in the marvellous time of 16min 9_sec, which is a world's record. This time represents "Asm average per mile of a shade under lmin 37Bfcc. Stook's world's record for 10 miles is 18mln 20_sec. It is expected that Tom _inton will be paced by electric triplets and •"tandems in his next attempt to regain the 'hour record, which was held by him previous to tho marvellous performance of Stocks ■tin covering 32 miles 448 yds within the ehour. ■ The bicyole carnival held at Brisbane on •July 3lßt was attended by 6000 spectator.. KThe chief ovent was the Mile Amateur fcftampionship of Australasia. Fourteen started, The Queensland riders asked to ftave the event split up into heats, but the New South Wales and Victorian representatives preferred one heat. A good start was effected by his Excellency Lord Lamington. In the last lap Park, of Victoria, was about te pass Bees, -who led, when his machine wobbled, causing both men to fall, and also bringing down New, of Sydney, and Beal, of RocShampton. This left the way open for J. A. Smith, the present mile champion, who had closely followed Park, to go to the Front, which be did. Maintaining his position, Smith won easily, in 2min 31see. He was followed home by his brother, F. Smith, , with Dodwell third, and the others tailed pff. Sympathy was expressed with Park and New in their misfortune. Foster and well, both Sydneyites, also ran. I By his riding at Brisbane on Saturday - If&ys a Sydney paper of August sth) C. H. pew, the stockify-built Redfcrn Club man, pas proved his right to be classed among the Very beat amateurs in Australaaia. In the $file Amateur Championship the Sydneyite collided with Park, of Victoria, in the last J»p, and both fell, leaving the brothers praith to win easily. Subsequently New tame out and won the Five Mile Scratch I fcvwrt very brilliantly. He cleared away worn the mile champion when the bell rang, Md won by half a dozen lengths. : A curious bicycle, en route from Hamilton , to Warrnrtmbool, was inspected by a number «interested persons at the train (writes the Koroit correspondent of the Melbourne Arm)- It is of the old style, the front *neol about 3ft Bin high, being made solid from the Iwards of an old washing machine, WW the hind wheel is from a small wheelbarrow. Both wheels are most ingeniously tyred with bark, with a strip of linoleum overall. The backbone arid hind fork is a gam bough in its natural state, bent with gfeat accuracy to tho required position. *ne front fork is another gum bough in its natural state, excepting that the parts forming the fork are bent together so as to ■.«i parallel. This works through an old from a light cart, fixed in the wick part of the first branch, which forms , *&»backbone, and an iron rod passed through '_-} r i to P Berves a 8 handles, and the PWWS are ingenious adaptations of some »w iron utensils, tho maker is a lad of wurteen, who lives on the north of Hamilton, jj™« it is said, has never seen a bicycle «ceyt in pictures. He used the bicvele for wv»g cattle home on the farm, and found II ♦t ry x_ erv,ceab * c ' Tue machine has gone j?* h * 7 wmambool agency of a well-known Th kV-le makers. There have been rumours all through the "•*«> in the United States of sensational bfe. I W€re to be mnde in the P-* ice oi __2_k*_ d the F a P ers b y the mftil contain tk_T j lO . hM caused a great stir among • __.. . of that country. The cut has come j"w» no ie_H prominent a firm than the Pope of r i Urin ß Company, which sell bicycles v i_H*_. c thoil - ht as highly of in the States The A ' 8h wlieels I, *- tcd bere at £30 fellow « lean neWB P B P erB comment as it n : ~~'' The important announcement of £"lope Manufacturing Compauv of Hart_Z_^° n ?-' that -he prices of its 1897 ™Mttoia bicycles would be reduced to $75 ■■Wan July I s t, __97, will prove a boon to i«mj '• and wiH undoubtedly create a com«L*lTle<P* trade - With 1897 Olumbias at trf I™ Columbias at $60, and Hartfords a _LTh '_ aui * 530 * evcl- y lid « may have , tt *»«a-grade mount at a price r.o higher bjJV 8 .demanded for less distinguished >utWv Bearin 9> one of the hest American le__j, ,ea . on cycling matters devotes a n«r«8 article to the matter, and says :— r -VUmffo 01 ! ,n the P" ce « nad « by the Pope oniactunng Company will not be followed j, wason by a general cut in list prices. many firm 3 who wiU not «« inPti__.l *„ pleasure of agents by outting En_J_? c "? iddle of *"« reason. It is _ -wit]V?" inclusion, however, that there gwttl« ge^i:Rl H,tin « of w »eela at a price See? LV! an 5 next seaßon - Ifc w »-ld have general if f[ for the h '-h-grade makers in befow it the , cut ,n Columbia, had not come - -**t?or ?1 thi9 seaßon ' Wh** » ' «temD-£ y _ l » lr ual , concern we wiU not J WwK V. Numbere of manufacturers *h_t fk_ mt€rv, ewedin attempt, to discover «» mat_ gene w * feeUn 8 in tlhe trade »on JoBtSTi;. p an , y d , Pn y rt an y intention of ' «w, n_fkJ_ c Pope lead " one b, '« how■•4 tK! n ,° 86cr ? t that {t will reduce, •*rt2__ P H* ,den t t ? another W « concer n *«odtt_L. i ufc the direct res «it of over-

get down to bedrock, so that only concerns with established reputations will be able to sell wheels at any price. Mr Simpson, the well-known cyclist and an enthusiastic all-round athlete, from Gore, was in Christchurch for tho "National" week. A French gentleman who visits England every season, and who used to be very enthusiastic respecting racing in Paris, now tells a very different talc (k&vs an English writer). If what he says be true, racing is an clean played out in Paris as it is in London. People no longer go mad over the sport, and none of the tracks are paying expenses. The snort, he thinks, has l>3en overdone, and the conduct of the riders themselves has also conduced to keep spectators away. It takes something out of the common to draw even a decent crowd, whereas the public last season would pay to see anything. The One Mile Bicycle Championship of Wales was brought off on the Harlequins' ground, Cardiff, on July 3rd, when G. Barrett, of Newport, won by two lengths from J. Metcalf, of Cardiff, H. C. Prickett, of Cardiff", being third . Time 2niin 37f sec. J- W. Parsons, the ex-champion of Australia, arrived in New York from England on July 3rd, and he started training at ones. VV. C. Sanger defeated a pacing horse named Albatross in a heat race at Colorado Springs, Col., July Ist. Each contestant won one heat at a half mile, and the final heat, quarter mile, was taken by Sanger, the time of the heats being, respectively, lmin 3*sec, lmin 4Jsec and 30sec. Jimmy Michael, the little Welshman, on Saturday afternoon, July 3rd, at the Buffalo (N.Y) Athletic Grounds, broke the world's record for ten miles, in competition, (says a New York Paper). The weather was perfect, the sun broiling hot and not a breath of air stirring. Michael and Fred Titus were to have raced ten miles, but Titus gave up after having gone two miles, claiming that he was not being properly paced. Michael was then an eighth of a mile in the lead. The little fellow finished ahead of his pacemakers, with plenty of speed to spare. The Century Cup Race, held under the auspices of the London County Club, was decided at Heme Hill on June 26th, when fifteen competitors started, and the winner was F. "R. Goodwin, who finished nearly a mile in front of A. H. Harris, J. G. Gibb being third. Time, 3hrs 55min 22_sec.

J. Platt-Betts, the famous English professional rider, in an attempt to Tower the record for a paced mile, standing start, at the Crystal Palace track, Sydenham, London, England, June 25th, created a new record of lmin 45_sec, displacing lmin 46|sec, credited to J. W. Stocks. He also made a record for three-quarters of a mile, lmin 19_sec.

The aunual meeting of the Dunedin Cycling Club was held last Wednesday night, when Dr. Roberts presided over upwards of seventy members. The report showed that the membership roll now stands at 340 and it claimed to be the largest club in new Zealand, and the balance-sheet showed a credit of £149 lis 8d and the assets amount to £297. After the report and balance-sheet had been adopted, the following officers were elected for the ensuing season:—President, MrC. B. Grierson; vicepresidents, Messrs W. D. Milne, W. Melville, Drs. Roberts, Fulton, Batchelor and Colquhoun ; captain, Mr A. J. Sullivan ; deputy-captain, Mr F. M'Kechnie ; hon. secretary, Mr G. Moodie (re-elected); hon. sports secretary, Mr W. H. Matthews ; hon. treasurer, Mr G. Frier ; handicapper, Mr R. Crow ; committee, Messrs R. Crow, A. E. Boot, S. Minn, W. B. Bell, A. H. Tonkinson, J. McMillan, C. Speight, A. Aitchison; auditors, Messrs E. H. Reid and A. G. Melville.

M. Pognon, who is Lesna's manager, and was with the French rider through his recent Australian trip, has written to Sydney to say he will return to Australia in October next, and Lesna with him.

While Porta, the Italian rider, was training at Charters Towers some ten days ago, his pace-maker fell. Porta ran over him and dashed into a fence and pitched a somersault 15ft over a bank on to a heap of sand, falling on his head. He is now in the hospital badly shaken. The other rider was badly cut. The tme Mile Amateur and Twenty-five Professional Championships of Scotland -were decided at Glasgow on June 26th with the following results :—One Mile—C. A. Easson 1, Jeffrey 2, D. B. Stirling 3. Time, 4min 17|sec. Twenty-five Miles—J. Silver 1, A. D. McFarlane 2, W. T. Hall 3. Time, 61min 35sec. During the. day Easson rode a mile match against Killacky, the Mile Professional Champion, tho latter winning by a foot in 3min 42sec.

The filty kilometre, cycling race at the Velodrome, Paris, on July 4th, between Linton and Stocks, resulted' in & victory for Linton, who won by half a lap. The match attracted 20,000 Bpectators. All French records, from one kilometre onwards, were beaten. At the fifteenth kilometre, Linton passed his opponent and kept increasing the distauce until lie lapped Stocks, amid thundering cheers. Towards the end of the fiftieth kilometre Stocks drew up, but only reduced Linton's lead by half a lap. Forty-nine kilometres 30 metres were covered in an hour, 50 kilometres in lhr lmin 24_seo. Afterwards an electric triplet established a record for fivo miles, covering the distance in 7min 42§sec.