CYCLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11650, 11 May 1901, Page 7

CYCLING.

The New Zealand League of Wheelmen has granted the application of the Christchurch amateur. H. Amos, to have his 31 4-ss. for the quarter-mile (standing start) recognised as a New Zealand record. The performance was put up at Timarti on March 18.

In a recent sermon a Masterton clergyman staled thai the bicycle was constructed by lb." devil to keep people from going to church on Sunday morning-. Acting on the suggestion of the chairman (Mr. W. G. Atnck) the Council of the New Zealand League, of Wheelmen has Jecidecl to approach the Government in the matter of subsidising cycling and athletic sports in connection with championship meetings. One would imagine that cyclists for their own sake? would pay more attention to the proper inflation of their tires. A properiyinflated ti'-e shows litt'e depression when the weight of the rider is on the machine, and when ridden in this condition there is less chance of puncture and sideslip, besides lessening the work of driving the machine. The Dunlop Tire Company states that fully half of cyclists' tire troubles emanate from riding the tires in too soft a condition.

Chapman . and Vaughan. the American riders; Jack Green, the Englishman; and R. H. Wolne, of Queensland; left by the Sonoma for America. It is probable that they, as well as about a dozen other American riders, will visit Australia next season. The American sports promotor, Jack Prince, will sail for Australia next October.

Here is a curious question to solve. Do high gears cause tires to wear mora quickly than moderate ones ? My own impression (says C. 11. Larette in the Manchester Athletic News) is that they do, but I should like to have the opinion of some experts on the subject. Lateiy a companion of mine, who is strong and vigorous, and who use. similar tires to my own, open-sided road racers, has had a very rough time of it, and is continually being stopped by punctures. lie, however, use:- a gear bi by 84 to my 7 by 75 and' 61 by 65, ami as during the 2000 miles or so f have already covered lliis soa son I have not had a single puncture, it lias naturally set mo a thinkim;.

The famous Dunlop-Welch rim has now got such a strong hold on the cycling puhTh in all parts of the world that practical!,. cverv high-grade machine is fitted with the popular rim, which is both speedy and reliable.

Ceorge Sutherland, the New Zealand (tack, will take a leaf out of the book of his countrymen, Forbes and Hunt, and race in Queensland during the winter, it is good business from some points of view to pick up a few crumbs in this way, hut a leading light who intends to race through the regular season down South would be much wiser to rest during the recognised off season. As the result of a bet of 10,000 francs be tween the well-known European motorists, Charron and Canello, something sensational in the way of speed work should shortly be recorded on the perfect French roads. It appears that Charron, one of the most noted French chauffeurs, is so confident that no motorcar can be manufactured to compete against tho crack French monitors, that he offered to wager tho above amount that no car not of French make was equal to cover ing two kilometres (one mile 427 yds) in one minute. Canello, a German motorist, has accepted the challenge, am' is to produce within three months a car equal to the test of covering the above distance at the rate of 74£ miles an hour. Canello's new cat will be propelled by a 70 horse power motor. Tho wager is attracting considerable attention in European motoring circles. The scheme that, was to have been laid before the conference of delegates from ab the Australian States and New Zealand at Melbourne this month, provides that the body in future be known as the " League ot Australasian Wheelmen, New South Wale-' Branch," or Victoria Branch, as the case mav bo, and that the government be by a central council. It is suggested that the whole force be combined in the matter ol bunging star riders from America, the Continent, and elsewhere — as the cricket clubs used to engage the English elevens and share the receipts. To do this effec tivelv a circuit of dates would be arrange'! some months beforehand, each State having thus a clear field to show off the visiting and local champions. The Referee, con. meriting on the proposal, savs if it can be carried out effectively, it will be the salvation of cycle-racing in Australia for some time, for the public, will only go to see the best, anu with combination the cost Wil. not be great. But the whole business Will have to be managed in the strictest possible wav, and the controllers of the racing wil. need to be a bit more thorough than tie". have been in the past in putting down ob jectionab.e practices. This is imperative, it racing is to be kept alive.