CYCLING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 9688, 4 May 1895, Page 4 (Supplement)

CYCLING NOTES

[By Rover.] Correspondence and queries are invited, and must be addressed to “ Rover,” editor of Cycling Notes, office of this paper. The cycling season is now drawing to a close as far as the racing men are concerned; but there is still a shot in the locker in the North, for Ashburton has an important meeting to come off, and so also have the Pioneer men, before the dormant process of winter will be allowed to slow the pulses of our modern Dtedali (flying men). If the precedent of the Northern clubs be followed locally, our clubs will formally close the season on the 24th of May. During the week Mr S. Wright essayed the Oamaru record, but broke down on the Horse Range, and had to telegraph to pacemakers at Waitati not to wait him, as he would not come through to Dunedin, but as soon as he effected repairs would return to Oamaru. Wright reports that he made good time till his tyre punctured at the Ranges. A committee meeting of the Otago Club was held on Tuesday night; present— Messrs Begg (captain), Jay, Holler (secretary), Barclay, Hart, M‘Phee, M‘Donald, and Osborne. Hr E. Howlison sent in his resignation as treasurer and handicapper, and Mr Osborne was elected treasurer pro tem., Mr Muuden being chosen as member of the Committee to fill the vacancy. . Mr M'Kegg, of Henley, surely repents his rash offer of a guinea a minute for lowering the record to Henley below Ih 12min. It is a rather severe drop from I2miu to smin, and 1 suppose M‘Kenzie will be richer by seven guineas when he chooses to lift them. Mr Muller says the team race D.C.C. v. O.C.C. is definitely off for the season, as the D.C.C. had not men to put in the field, bub they hope to be able to meet the O.C.C. boys early in the beginning of the next season. A special general meeting of the O.C.C. is to be called for the 14th inst., and some very important questions will be put before the members of the club. All members who have the welfare cf the club at heart and cycling in general are earnestly requested to bear in mind that it is their business to be present. The O.C.C. can now boast that in a’l probability they have in the person of Richard Trevor Tisdaile Stedman in their ranks tl.e youngest and most diminutive cyclist who ever accomplished the trick of balancing himself on two wheels. He is only three years of age, and rides a pneumatic-tyred machine specially built for him. His style is perfect, and he takes his spills with all the miuj-froid of a veteran, and—tell it not in Gath nor whisper it in the streets of Ascalun—he duly confounds the stone that upsets him. J. 0. Shorland, who started for Christchurch on Friday, says he thinks the cyclists of Otago are thorough sports in the very best sense of the word, and that he would very much like to stay in Dunedin. His own words are ; “ For real lovers of touring and enthusiasts in cycling matters commend me to Duncdinitcs and Invercargillites.” He is quite right, and to my mind the real live people in Dunedin may be classed as follows :—(a) Cyclists as a body, and especially those who keep people from dreaming in the middle of the road ; (hj) the Amenities Society, who prevent the place becoming a wilderness ; (c) educationalists, who do good—and squabble. Of course cyclists take the cake. The first of a scries of dances in connection with the Otago Club took place on the 2Gth in St. Paul’s Schoolroom. There seems to be a considerable number of dancing men in the club, fully forty footing it merrily amongst the fair ones. The musical part was supplied by Mr C. Horne, whose name is sufficient guarantee that it was excellent. The loss of muscular tissue was remedied by a table of good tilings, which were evidently much appreciated. Messrs Osborne, Muuden, and Muir deserve credit for the management and affording such a very pleasant evening’s enjoyment at so modest a sum.

A ext Friday it is proposed to hold a musical evening in the club room in the Octagon, and a thorough treat is assured—so Mr J. Osborne, of the Winter Amusements Committee informs me ; and a large gathering of members of the O.C.C. is expected. A good programme of musical selections, songs, recitations, and stories is being made up. (Secretary Mbller informs me that Mr E. Howlison, treasurer and handicapper of the Otago club, sent m his resignation, stating that he found circumstances had arisen which made such demands on his time that he thought it would be advisable to get a successor, as he could not conscientiously give the position the time it required. 'The Committee received the resignation with very great regret, knowing that no man had done more for the club, and that ho had been the mainstay of it throughout the great difficulties it encountered in its earliest stages of existence. The Committee unanimously hope that at the first general meeting Mr Howlison will be made a life member of the Otago Club. (Shorland broke Saunders's record by a minute and a fraction in the face of very adverse conditions, terrestrial and atmospherical, the roads being heavy with mud, and no favoring breeze behind him. He had three timekeepers appointed in Dunedin, who took the precaution to compare their watches with the telegraph time, and the time was correct to the second. The record now stands at lOh 50miu, but Mr Shorland is confident that, with a favorable day, he could pub it below lOh. Again, it must be remembered he was almost without pacemakers all the way until E. Morgan met him at Greytown. On Saturday last several members of the D.C.C. and O.C.C. took the not much frequented Peninsula high road to Portobello, and they all speak in glowing terms of the many beauties to view as they pedalled along, and the magnificent views both on the harbor side and towards the ocean. They say they had a ravenous inner craving when they arrived at Docherfcy’s, but that the hospitality of the Misses Docherty was equal to the occasion. The route is frankly recommended to all who like hill-climbing and'good scenery. I think Portobello and Broad Bay would be spots much more resorted to were it not for that intolerable toll-bar at Waverley. Surely the Peninsula horses are now civilised enough to know a bike when they see it. Let all wheelmen rejoice ! for if there is not to them the right to ride a level road to the Heads on the Peninsula side, there will soon be a fine road to the Port. Nearly a thousand pounds are being spent on improvements by the Government, and the road will soon be fit for cycling. When it is ready the Port will become a favorite trip, and Portobello’s loss will be the Port’s gain. PU warrant that in the summer time there will never pass a day but there" will be several bicycles on the road, going and coming. FOREIGN’ ITEMS. A Home paper reports that Lord Qucensberry says that cycling is the finest sport he ever went in for. Bicycle squads are being attached to each regiment in England. There is being made a new cork sock, specially adapted for cyclists’ use. By the way it is manufactured it is impossible for it to wrinkle up or get out of shape, and it keeps the extremities wonderfully cool. These well-made socks are known as the “ Villa.” The Presto gear-case has been improved lately by the slide being recessed, so that it is practically impossible for water or dust to get in. A point about the Presto not generally observed is that the makers enamel it inside and out, which deadens the noise, if the chain touches, wonderfully. Pneumatic saddles have their advantages and disadvantages, in the different varieties ; and some cyclists do not care to use them at all, while others swear by them. One good point, shared by nearly all makes, is the steady seat afforded. Rough roads, and consequent sudden jerks, are certainly felt less than with an ordinary saddle ; and the pedalling is thereby made decidedly more even and safe at great speed. A consider, able proportion of the unsteadiness of steer, mg, which so many riders are annoyed by when they travel over twelve or fourteen miles an hour, is caused by shifting about on the saddle, and the jerky pedalling which this habit causes. A pneumatic saddle certainly makes it easy to avoid the novice’s trick of shifting about with every little jerk oi the machine.