THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1193, 11 January 1895, Page 28

THE WHEEL.

W.C.C. RUNS AND RACES. January 19. —Handicap Eoad 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." Th 9 beautiful weather on Sunday last induced a large number of cyclists to take a ride up the Hutt Valley. One party journeyed as far as Mungaroa, where lunch was partaken of on the banks of the stream. ; After a stay of a couple of hours, which * were spent in roaming along the course of this pretty little stream, a start was made for home at 2.30, town being reached at 5 o'clock. Mungaroa is becoming a very popular resort with local cyclists, chiefly owing to the fact that the roads are level and run alongside the Hutt River for a considerable distance. Other parties con- ., tented themselves with riding as far as the Lower Hutt and Belmont. Porirua was also visited by a number of wheelmen. An American paper says "The Camels are Coming" is the song for wheelmen who are cultivating a hump.

The Wellington Cycling Club will be unable to have the use of the Basin Reserve for their sports on the 16th prox. An endeavour will be made to secure it for the 2nd March, with the view of catching some of the wheelmen returning from the Championship Meeting at Napier, which takes place on February 22 and 23.

The Dunedin Caledonian Society's sports were concluded on Saturday last. The Five-mile Handicap produced a grand struggle between H. J. Pither and R. Emerson, who were both on the scratch mark, the former just winning by a foot. F. G. Simpson, 100yds, came third. H. E. Clark won the Five-mile Roadster Race, Emerson the Three-mile Open Handicap, and Simpson the Mile Handicap;

Hitherto the journey from Christchurch to Nelson by way of the Otira Gorge and the West Coast has been reserved as a holiday trip for cyclists and travellers by coach, but during the Christmas holidays two Wellington gentlemen, Messrs Sproule and Bethune, performed the greater part of this journey on foot. They state that the scenery was magnificent, and that the trip was thoroughly enjoyable.

Some capital snap-shots were taken of the finishes of the bicycle and other events at the Caledonian sports on the Basin Reserve on New Year's Day.

A local cyclist had a peculiar experience while riding along the Hutt road last Sunday. In riding over a small wooden bridge the jolting caused his steering-gear catch to become locked, which had the

effect of heading his machine straight for a quick hedge. In his desperation he gave his handles a sharp wrench, causing the lock to unfasten, and depriving his companions of a good laugh at his expense.

I have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the New Zealand Wheelman —the last issue for the year 1894. It is full of matters interesting to cyclists, and is as much up-to-date in the literal sense of the term as it is possible for a fortnightly publication to be. It is well supported in the matter of advertisement by the various cycle manufacturers and agents in the Colony, and no doubt the value of its columns as an advertising medium is—well, nearly as great as that afforded by those of the New Zealand Mail. If cycling advances in New Zealand at the same rate next season (and it will) as it has done during this, I fancy Mr Wildey will find it necessary to publish the Wheelman twice as often as at present, in order to retain the title of "The Cycling Authority of the Southern Hemisphere." I hope next season it will be published weekly.

The Czarewitch of. Russia declares that cycling has given him relief.;frCim a painful malady. ~

The Wellington Cycling Club will hold a handicap road race from the Lower Hutt Railway Station to the Telephone Exchange (about nine miles) on the 19th hist. The first prize is a trophy presented by Mr S. Kohn, and Mr J. B. Grove presents a trophy for the second prize. In the last handicap road race the competitors had to ride with their coats on, but I trust the committee will allow the men to ride without coats in this race. Entries close at the Clubroom.

A correspondent wishes to know whether kerosene will burn in bicycle lamps. 'lt will certainly burn all right—-if the lamp is perfectly steady. But it is too thin for riding purposes, as the jolting extinguishes the light. Colza is the best oil to use, and a small piece of camphor dropped into the oil-well improves the light.

The American 24 hours road record stands at 331£ miles, and is held by J. J. Fisher;

The weather was evidently too warm for the members of the Wellington Cycling Club to undertake their ride over the steep hill to Makara on Saturday, and it was decided to go to the Lower Hutt. There was not a large muster, but the run was a very enjoyable one.

Oassell's Journal asserts that designs representing a modern safety bicycle are to be found on the pyramids of Egypt.