Cycling.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 75, 7 December 1901, Page 19

Cycling.

The League of New Zealand Wheelmen is passing through troublous times, lust now . The w amng mteietst m cycle racing lately has led many of the sports promoters m the country to question the utaht\ of subscribing a guinea of their funds to the League for the sake of placing events on their programmes to be run under that body's rules Another tiling that hurt sports pro moters was the dictum of the League to appoint judges handi cappers, and stewards to conduct bicycling events. The consul of the district the secretary of the centre, etc , all had to leceive passes to the ground, wit a the result that foi the sake of receiving something like ten entries the Committee conducting the sports had its numbers swollen to the number of at least a dozen, and generally £2 2s went practically no icturn advantage The Druids wishing for bettei entnes and less management, decided to make the bicycling events at their meeting on New Year's Day open to all riders whether licensed or not and several other bodies signify their intention of following a similar course On top of this, the Wanganui Centie has resigned from the League, and the Wellington executive has forwarded all its books papers, etc to the Council of the League, as it is now only constituted of one club. Mr. T. Clarkson, of Chnstchurch, has been appointed to tour the North Island in the interests of the League, with the object of smoothing over the differences and possibly to revive interest in cycling matters generally. On Tuesday night he is to meet the New Zealand Association of Caledonian Societies as a delegation from the League, and before passing comment on the state of things as they are. and the causes that, in mv opinion, led up to such a climax, I will wait to hear what he has to say. _ In the meantime, things are so unsatisfactory in this district that they cannot

well bef worse, so any livening influence will be welcome. • * * Tlie 'New Zealand Wheelman" says that the League cannot now claim more than six centres that are showing any visible signs of vitality. The hill-climbing contest from Kaiv, a.rra to Crofton next Saturday is excating a lot of interest in local cycling carcleb, and is bound to be splendidly contested. The Australian championships, at which the League of New Zealand Wheelmen are asking Harry Amos and Will Reynolds to compete, take place on January 11th, 1902. And\ Ralston donned his racing togs, tor the first time since his return from Melbourne, at the Wyndham sports on the 10th ult., where he succeeded in winning the mile event. The turn-out of bicyclists to the run on Wednesday week was an eye-opener to the general public. Upwards of a thousand "wheelers" of all ages, sorts, and conditions took part. One of the most remarkable things in connection with the cycle trade is the thorough consistency of the high quality of Dunlop tyres. Whatever else may aJtier or depreciate, that remains thie hence the secret of the Dunlop success Leaders of tyre fashion and trade for a dozen years, they appear to be quit© capable of keeping to the foremost place for at least a dozen years io come for when yooi name Dunlop you express tersely all that is best in tyre manufacture. It has been suggested that the Dunlop T\re Company restrict competitors in their big Warrnambool Road Race next year to the use of one machine, contestants being forced to ride throughout the race on the identical machine they start on. The company state that they will be pleased to hear from likely competitors re this proposed restriction, and would further like to have the leading c\cle writers' expressions of opinion re this question. [I may not be a leading cycle writer, but in my humble opinion it would make a better test of the qualities of the rider and of the suitability of his machine if the conditions as suggested wpre attached to the next race.]