Cycling.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 119, 15 November 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

Cycling.

[By Dagonkt.3 Additional interest will be added to this season's track racing by the arrival in .Sydney of two more American riders v.-ho intend following the Australian racing circuit. One of the new arrivals is a coloured rider named Marshall, - who is spoken of as a rider of some merit. The other visitor is J. K. Hancock— a handicap rifler. Both these cyclists arrived in 1 Sydney by the R.M.S. Aorangi, attracted by the big prize-money to be raced for during the present season. Asked as to wheihev any other American riders were coming acioss, they staled that they understood that Floyd M'Farland, the crack handicap rider of America, had made arrangements to visit Australia, as also had Ivor Law son and Chapman, who were out in Australia two years ago. J. Megson, the champion of New South Wales, and one of the most brilliant sprinters Australia has produced, has not followed cycle racing too closely during recent \eaxs owing to business ties. He. intends, j^ys the Sydney Daily Telegraph, to pay moie attention to the racing this season, owing to the big prizes which are to be offered at the

November and subsequent meetings. He is in regular training, and being a. rider possessing not only both stamina and speed, but a cool head as well and splendid judgment, he will trouble all the visiting cracks on the Cricket Ground track, at the forthcoming meetings. In his first attempt at racing this .season, at the Eight-hours' sports, Megson ran a good third to Walne and Burton in the Five Mile Scratch, and these two riders are already at the top of their form. Megson is a popular rider with patrons of cycle racing here, and his performances against the visiting riders at next month's meetings will be watched with interest, more especially in the scratch races and the uig Sydney .Wheel Race, for which the prize is £150. It is not often, especially in the cycle trade, that big firms, such as the Dunlop Tyre Company, have to complain of too big a rush of business, but such is a fact. Although the company's mills at Montague are working day and night shifts, the company have dimculty in supplying the demand for their new vulcanised tires, and for their general rubber goods. The cycle trade throughout are unanimous in then praise of the Dunlop vulcanised tire, which marks a new epoch in cycle tire construction Many people wonder the reason why peliol motors are becoming so popular for road vehicles— outdistancing the steam and electric car. The reason is that the petrol or explosion motor weighs only from eight antt a half to thirteeen pounds per horse power. Steam motors range from fiftoen pounds, and electric up to one hundred and twelve pounds. These figures apply to the actual weight of the motor itself as applied to motor cars. It is said that Martin has brought out to Australia, a motor pacing bicycle that will seriously tax the speed capabilities of our best racing tracks. Miles in Imin lOsec are spoken of, which, if not greatJy exaggerated, means a big upheaval of all Australa&ian track recoids during the present season. Enormous gears are now being used by the crack motor pace followers in Europe. A. A. Chase (England) who recently established new figures for the world's mile second (Imin 20 4-oat«., pushes a 137 gear. "Major" Taylor, the great American sprinter, is a great stickler for Sunday observance. ' No infraction of the rule's he has laid down for that day will be tolerated by' him, no matter how urgent the case may appear to be. This feeling was strikingly shown at Manhattan Beach track recently. Taylor had just punctured his third racing tire, and had scarcely a good one left. He was booked to ride" at Pittsburg on Monday night, and his trainer, who was gathering the damaged tirs together on Saturday, happened to drop a remark about repairing them the next day. "Don't you do anything with them to-morrow," exclaimed Taylor, turning to him suddenly. "I won't have any work don© on Sunday, "You will wait until Monday, or else do them tonight," And the trainer, much against his will, was obliged to make other arrangements. Yet "Major" Taylor isn't a bit unlucky. An American motorist, A. A. Hansen, recently covered 634| miles iv 24 hours on the GarSeld track, Chicago. The imtermediate hundreds were reeled off as follows: — 100 in 3hrs l"smin; 200 in 6hrs 52min ; 300 in llhrs 35min ; 400 in 16hrs ; 500 in 19hrs 35inin ; and 600 in 22hrs 57min.