THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1185, 16 November 1894, Page 27

THE WHEEL.

W.C.C. RUNS AND RACES

November 17.—Maiden Handicap Road Race December 1. —Run to Lowry Bay December 15. —Twenty-mile Club Championship Road Race

SPOKES.

By "Cyclometer.”

I heartily congratulate the Napier Wanderers’ Bicycle Club on the success which attended their sports meeting last Friday. In Napier it is not only the cyclists who follow cycling matters closely,- but the general public take a keen interest in this pastime, and they showed their appreciation of the efforts of the officers of the Club to provide a good day’s sport by crowding the pretty little ground in which the track is situated. The entries for the 10 events totalled 136, in addition to two teams for the Teams Race. James Bissell, who was at scratch, rode well throughout the day, securing three wins, and coming third in the Ten-mile Handicap. This event, which was the best race of the day, produced a hot contest between Jourdain and Jacobi for first place, the former winning by a machine’s length. The Wanderers’ and Heretaunga Bicycle Clubs’ teams tied in the Teams Race, each team scoring 18 points.

The Wellington Cycling Club will hold its first road race of the season to-morrow afternoon, if the weather is favourable. This event is open to members who have never won a prize on road or track. The course will be from the Marine Retreat Hotel, Petone, to the Telephone Exchange, a distance of seven miles. The following entries have been received : —H. Smith, E. Arnold, P. E. Petherick, J. Avery, C. Nielson, H. Duff, F. Fabian, W. Castle, W. J. Drake, R. A. Heise, H. Oswin, and A. W. Macandrew.

Another new tyre for cycles—made from paper this time. It is said that tyres made from paper will supersede all other tyres, including the pneumatic. These tyres can be made cheaper than those made from indiarubber, two paper tyres costing only one-half or two-thirds that of a pair of rubber ones. It is claimed that they will last longer, as they are less yielding, and will not so easily be cut or punctured. Another

advantage claimed is that they will be less liable to leak from frequent inflation.

Frank Leckie, who last week returned from a ride to Napier, by mistake went down to Taueru (on the Tenui road) when leaving Masterton for Eketahuna. He can console himself with the thought that he is not the only cyclist who has made this mistake, as two years ago I and a fellow wheelman rode 14 miles along this road, and I have heard of several other riders who have made the same error. The instructions invariably given the cyclist as to this route are—“ Follow the telegraph wires; you can’t go wrong.” On leaving Masterton the road to Eketahuna abruptly branches off to the left, a couple of wires also turning off from the main line and running along this road. The larger number of wires continue alongside the Tenui road, and the cyclist not unnaturally follows these. On the return journey Mr Leckie lost himself on the Takapau Plains As the road across these plains is an unformed grass track, it is an easy matter to g<¥fc lost here, and this is the third like instance I have heard of. Leckie found himself at Ashley-Clinton, and had to return to Waipukurau. He rode from Palmerston to Linton, and took the train from thence to Paikakariki, the road being too rough beyond Linton.

Four members of the Wellington Cycling Club —Messrs Brodie, Beckingsale, Coombs, and Fabian —finished a tour of 240 miles last Sunday evening. They left the city by the express on Friday morning, and upon arrival at Palmerston North they took to the machines. They left the latter place at noon, and, as the bridge to Awahuri was not open for traffic, a detour was made through Feilding. Wanganui was reached at 6.30 p.m.—57 miles. The party left Wanganui at 7 the following morning, arrived at Woodville at 1.15, where a spell of one hour and a quarter was made, and reached Masterton at 7 p.m. —122 miles. From Masterton the cyclists took matters easily. They left at 10.30 bn Sunday morning, and arrived in Wellington at 7 p.m. —71 miles. They inform me the roads are in fairly good order.

Dr Wallis, the new Bishop of Wellington, is an enthusiastic bicyclist.

The Feilding Cycling Club have decided to affiliate ,’rith the Cyclists’ Union. The first road race in connection with the Club will be held on the 28th inst.

Society at Turin was greatly scandalised recently by the appearance of Princess Lsotitia, the widow of the ex-King Amadeo of Spain, on a racecourse riding a bicycle, with her retinue of courtiers and ladies of honour also on bicycles. The Princess, who is very stout, wore black silk tights, plentifully bedecked with silver trimmings, and ornaments suspended by small silver chains. She adopted the divided skirt, and on her head was a white silk yachting cap. Riding in such a costume, it is not surprising to read of society being shocked.

At the Central Cumberland (N.S.W.) Cricket Club’s first annual sports on the 3rd inst., L. A. Simpson, who came down with Kerr in the Ten-mile Championship Race at Sydney recently, made his first appearance on the track since his accident, when he won the l.j-mile handicap from scratch by 50 yards.

In connection with the above accident, the executive of the Cycling Association have decided that Kerr was not justified in attempting to pass Simpson, and that he was mainly to blame for the accident. He has been disqualified from taking any prize in the race.

Here is another instance of true sporting spirit, which,'l have before remarked, is very prominent among wheelmen. F. Shorland paced Fontaine for a considerable distance in his effort to beat Shorland’s 12-hour record, which he succeeded iu doing by a mile and a half, covering 212 k miles within the time.

Fontaine’s 12-hour record has, however, been beaten in a hollow fashion by a young and almost unknown rider—J. F. Rudham, who has succeeded in covering 251 miles 1710yds in that time on the Putney track, thereby creating a world’s record.

At Herne Hill on October 3rd J. PlattBetts beat A. W. Harris’s two-mile record (4min 20sec) by 2-ssee. In September he also lowered Harris’ one-mile record by 2 4-ssec, riding the distance in 2min 1 3-ssec.

Messrs G. McNish and E. Scott have ridden 50 miles on a tandem in lhr 53min 20 3-ssec, beating J. Green’s Herne Hill record for that distance by 3min 24 4-ssec. At 12 miles (27min 21 l-ssec) they were in front of record time, and kept their lead until the end.

At Waltham (New York) on September 28 Johnson rode a mile in lmin 50 2-ssec, beating the previous American record by 2sec.

On September 20, at the Herne Hill track, J. A. Robertson beat G. R. Martin’s one-hour record by 567yds, covering 26 miles 1670yds in that time. At his third mile (6min 37 2-ssec) Robertson was inside record time, and also at eight miles—l7min 40see.

BICYCLE SPORTS AT NAPIER. Napier, November 9,

At the Wanderers’ Bicycle Club’s Sports on the Recreation Ground to-day, the McLean Cup, 10 miles, was won by W. R. Jourdain, lmin; H. Jacobi, Imin 30sec, second, and J. Bissell, scr, third. The winner’s time (without handicap) was 29min 21sec; Bissell’s was 27min 36sec ; Jacobi’s, 29min lsee. The Two-mile Bicycle Championship Race fell to Jas. Bissell, J. E. Cowell being second. Time, 6min 23 3-5

sec. One-mile and a Half Bicycle Handicap—Jas. Bissell, scr, 1j" J. E. Cowell, scr, 2; W. R. Jourdain, 90yds, 3. Time, 3min 58 l-ssec. One Mile Zealandia Bicycle Handicap—Jas. Bissell, scr, 1; W. R. Jourdain, 75yds, 2; J. E. Cowell, scr, 3. Time, 2min 32sec. Half-mile Bicycle Handicap—Jas. Caugliley, 65yds, 1; H. Jacobi, 50yds, 2; W, R. Jourdain, 40yds, 3. Time, lmin 9 4-ssec. Three-mile Roadster Handicap —H. Jacobi, 130yds, 1; James Caughley, 130yds, 2; A. J. Pocock, 220yds, 3. Onemile Roadster Handicap 50yds, 1; R. C. S. Brandon, 75yds, 2 ; J. rfwindley, 120yds, 3. Time, 2min 36 2-ssec.