THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 28

THE WHEEL.

W.C.C. RUNS AND RACES

January 5. —Run to Makara January 19.—Handicap Road Race, Lower Hutt to Telephone Exchange January 26.- —Fifty-mile Club Championship Road Race February 2.—Run to Taita March 2. —Run to Seatoun March 16. —Run to Porirua March 30. —Handicap Road Race, Taita to Telephone Exchange

SPOKES.

By “Cyclometer.”

"Cyclometer” presents his compliments to the readers of " Spokes,” and wishes them a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

The Wellington Cycling Club held their Twenty-mile Club Championship Road Race on Saturday afternoon. The course was from the Telephone Exchange to Blackbridge (Lower Hutt) and back to the starting point. All the competitors except Macandrew faced the starter. After being sent away, Lucy and Muir in turn led at a very smart pace, with the others close behind. Beyond Kaiwarra Smith dropped out of the race, and at the turning point Brodie also dropped out. After turning for home Biand led until near Kaiwarra. Herbert here took up the lead, and made a good effort to reach the winning post first, but was overhauled by Lucy, who came in 2sec ahead of him. The following were the times of the five men who completed the distance Lucy, lhr 6min lOsec ; Herbert, lhr 6min 12sec; Muir, lhr 6min 16sec ; BrAnd, lhr 6min 46sec; Chegwidden, lhr llmin 25sec. The time was muqh quicker on Saturday than last year, when, if I remember rightly, the race was run in lhr 20min. Mr S. Kohn acted as starter and timekeeper, and Messrs H. McCardell and H. Coombs as judges. Mr F. Christie was judge at the Blackbridge. Lucy wins a goid medal and holds the Quinton cup for the year, and Herbert receives a silver medal for being second.

Messrs L. M. Taunton, Willescroft and A. A. Fantham completed a bicycle ride from Hawera to Wellington on Saturday' night, arriving here about a quarter to 10 o’clock. They left Hawera at 5 a.m. on Friday, and arrived in Palmerston at a quarter to 10 o’clock that night, having travelled 112 miles during the day. The journey was resumed next morning for Wellington by way of Otaki and Paikakariki, about 107 miles being the second day’s run. Rudge machines were used. The roads were in a bad state, and for part of the way travelling was exceedingly hard work. On the first day, the riders had the wind dead against them. They speak highly of the stretch of beach between Otaki and Pailcakarild, the best piece of road met with. Messrs Taunton and Fantham return by way of the Wairarapa, and Mr Willescroft goos on to Christchurch for a holiday.

Mr D. McPherson,. of the Invercargill Cycling Club, who passed through Wellington a short time ago, has reached Invercargill, after travelling to Auckland and back on his bicycle, a journey which occupied six weeks. He states that his longest day’s ride was 158 miles, of which 18 miles were travelled in the wrong direction.

Cyclists in and around Wellington will be glad to learn that the roads from this city to Palmerston by way of the West Coast are ridable, though rather rough the other side of Otaki. The round trip from Wellington by this route and through the Wairarapa and Hutt districts should become very popular, as the journey could be ridden in three days with ease. The distance would be from 260 to 270 miles.

On Friday night last a fatal accident happened at Christchurch to a cyclist named Thomas Evans. He was endeavouring to pass on the left side of a tram at New Brighton, and when near - the horses his machine slipped or skidded, and he was thrown under the horses’ feet, the driver being unable to pull up in time to prevent the car going over him. He was very much disfigured and mutilated, and death was instantaneous. At the inquest the fatality, was shown to have been purely accidental.

A total of 204 entries have been received by the Christchurch Pioneer .‘ Bicycle Club for the cycling events at their sports, which will be held on the" new track at Lancaster Park on Boxing Day. The largest entry for a single race is for the Mile Open, for which 31 competitors have entered. The other entries are :—Mile Maiden Roadster, 12 ; Mile Open Roadster, 22; Two-mile Roadster, 20; Three-mile Roadster, 18; Half-mile Open, 26; Mile Championship, 14; Two-mile First-class Handicap, 2(5; Five-niile Open Handicap, 26; One Mile and a Half Visitors’ Handicap, 10, 'Wellington will be represented in

five of the races by A. H. Hunt, and I wish him every success. There will also be riders from Auckland, Napier, Hastings, Dunedin, Ashburton, &c. McDonald, of Sydney, will probably be present at the meeting.

On Boxing Day cycling sports will be held at Christchurch, Ashburton, Feilding and Gore. ... .

Riders who indulge in the foolish practice of riding down steep hills without brakes should take warning by the accident which befell a couple of Christchurch cyclists last Sunday. Messrs R. Green and E. Clark, while riding down the hill between Lyttelton and Sumner, were thrown from their machines, being unable to control their machines through the absence of brakes. On coming to the ground Clark’s two wrists were severely sprained, and for the remainder of the journey he carried a break—in his nose. Green received severe injuries to his right leg. They were afterwards taken to the hospital.

Mr James Bissell, the well-known Napier cyclist, has broken down in training, and has been in the hospital since the beginning of last week. A correspondent informs me that he was training very heavily for the. championship events to be run at Napier in February, and that he had great hopes of being able to carry off some of them. He is injured internally,, and the doctors state that it is a very bad breakdown.

On Sunday last E. Reynolds, the Auckland cyclist, who is at present in Christchurch with the intention of competing at the Pioneer Club’s sports, had the tyres of his roadster cut with a knife. A hoodlum in Germany who played a similar cowardly trick some time ago was chased by a party of wheelmen with stockwhips, and was » rescued more dead than alive.

Last week at Temuka a cyclist was thrown from his machine through the rubber tyre of his front wheel suddenly breaking. He was rendered unconscious for some time, and received a deep scalp wound, several bruises and a sprained wrist.

In the last number of the Century Messrs T. G. Allen and W. L._Sachtleben conclude the account of their ride across Asia. While in China they interviewed Li Hung Chang, who is at present such a pi’ominent figure in the war between that country and Japan. In answer to his request for a description of their machines, they replied in the words of another Chinaman, who said a bicycle was “ a little mule that you drove by the ears, and kicked him in the sides to make him go.”

Mr Park has presented a trophy to the Manawatu Amateur Cycling Club. Trophies have also been given by Messrs Olsen and Englebertson.

Either sheep or bicyclists will have to be debarred from perambulating the principal streets of Oamaru. Recently a pet sheep wandered on to one of the thoroughfares to graze on the luscious road metal. A bicyclist came along at 20 miles aU hour and ran into the sheep. For a couple of minutes there, was a terrible scene on that roadway, and the language was intense.

Sydney, December 15,

The race for the Five-mile Bicycle Championship of New South Wales resulted in a win for Brown, Simpson being second. Time, 13min 42 4-ssec. Timaru, December 17.

At the Tourists’ Cycling sports to-day Goldstone, 55yds, won . the Half-mile. Pither won the Five-mile Championship, and also the Five-mile Open Race. Cameron, 280yds, won the Three-mile Roadster; McDonald, 80yds, the Ladies’ Bracelet, one mile and a half, and the Three-mile Open with 135yds start; and Shearman, scr, the Two-mile Roadster. There were numerous accidents, and the champion race was robbed of a brilliant finish by Reynolds falling and bringing down Hall.

Christchurch, December 17

The Christchurch Cash Cycling Club’s annual races took place to-day. G. H. Lethaby won the One-mile Handicap. The Two-mile New Zealand Wheel Race was won easily by F. Hunt (Rangitikei), 290yds, who beat 13 others. T. Clarkson (Christchurch) won the Five-mile Championship by 10yds from five others. The Three-mile Handicap was won by E. G. Land, Hunt (Rangitikei) being second. T. Clarkson was first in the Ten-mile Bicycle Handicap.