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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 86, 13 April 1898, Page 3

Cyclists who haye 1 - recently gone over the West Coast rroad say that it is not at all in good condition fot cycling just now, It is in fair condition as far as the Bealey, says the' " Christhonroh Press," but through the Bealy and the - Otira Gorge the road is very mach cut np by recent floods and bad weather. In many places it is necessary to carry the •wheel over (slips, and when this is coinbined with fording flooded streams the oyclist feels tbat he is pursuing his faourite sport '.under difficulties. Cycling as far as the Otira at the present time is, * in fact, only a mitigated joy. From Qttra .to Jackson's and thence on to Kumara things greatly improve, although some parts of the road have recently been metalled and for some distance beyond Otira it has also been cut up by the railway formation. The scenery, however, is delightful, and this part '* of the jonrney is well worth making, i ■' From Kumara to Hokitika there is a --" : " aplondid road, quite eqnal to Trime Can- - twbury. It is greatly used for road V.'V races by the Westland votaries of the -•*.-.;. wheel, whj are rapidly growing in numIV, hers and enthusiasm Tho West Coast ■'■-'A road throughout, in a good season, Vy-. makas' a delightful cycling excursion, but .>-,;"■'; tho paeseht is the worst season that has .■.-•*;-. been known for twelve or fifteen years. ,-• ' '.- * r Next season, jf ith anything like decent ■'•■•■ weather, the road should be in perfect *>.-*■-.* order, when we may expect a largo oycle VV: 'traffic. If the Government could see •:-':■ > V -..their way to throw light footbridges over VV-j. some of tho largest' streams that at pre-v'-..;-geuthavo to be forded, there is no doubt ;-C:i"-- that the trip, embraping, as it does so 'AS',. "muoh "beautiful scenery, would attract • ii £- cyclists from Australia aa well as from 5-te ■': aflparta of Now Zealand. This is a mattyyyfa to>which the.CyclwtsVTouring Club f^f gßihi^QOtiits attention.-* *'•■'.' Ri|P§t* i y y.;yv.; ; ' . K*fe,l'^' ; i%;'**.-;!"ir-.*:.,-,i : .- '":-. -...-.'. .-...-