SPOKES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 26

SPOKES.

By “Cyclometer." Tho winter season has sot in, and it is time the committee of tho "Wellington Cycling Club bestirred themselves in the matter of providing some sort of social amusement for its members. The old excuses—firstly, the want of a clubroom, and secondly, the want of a piano for the room —can no longer be made, and it is their duty to do as tho other club committees of the Colony are doing in the way of entertaining members. Frequently I am asked by unattached wheelmen what aro the advantages of belonging to a chib. I used to have a ready answer to these queries, but now I should lie at a loss to reply, for wliat is the advantage of being a member of the local cycling club under the present regime 1 really cannot say. The runs and the club-room are very poorly attended, and altogether there is a lamentable lack of interest shown by most members. But for tho energy of two or three of ils members its existence would be almost unknown. However, there are a few ot its members who are “alive, ’ and 1 trust they will at once set a',out restoring animation among their comrades.

I was asked the other day by a local wheelman if 1 could inform him whether ho was a member of tho W.C.C. or no. It seems a strange question, but my friend was in real doubt about tho matter. As it happened, I knew that he had been elected a member somo months previously, but his perplexity arose from the fact that he had up to that time received no notice in connection therewith. Is this an oversight on your part, “ Ron ”?

“I!’., IVI use Y"U fellows trying to do anything this year!” This remark is <//»i'<qio.< to an endeavour on the part of .some of our wheelmen to secure a good nice track, and was made by a member of the W.C.C. v. ih-s ■ ".nly action hitherto has been to alb-ml the annual meeting of tho Clo.b ami adversely criticise some of the items of expenditure on the balance-sheet. C’r.e tiling is vrlain, if we wait for the help of such rye! i-ts as this one, there will never be a good I rack in this city. But, inspi.fr of this croaker and others of his ilk. wo will have a track, and that speedily —that i-, if agitation and pecuniary aid from our other wheelmen count for aught. The absurd rule of the Now Zealand Cyclists’ Alliance which prohibits one of its members pacing- a “cash ” cyclist while going'- for a record will soon have to lie repealed, if il wants to keep its members. Last Friday, when Air IT A. Wakcman (a local wheelman, but who is a member of the Palmerston North ca.Ji amateur Cycling Club) left on his record ride from this city I to Napier, Mr IT N. Grove, a member of i tho W.C.C., rather than see Wakcman set j off alone, paced him to the Upper Hutt, and for this outrageous conduct (even if it I did show his good quality' as a sportsman) j ho will most probably be disqualified from I racing as an amateur next season. Thu i recent squabble about the Queen’s Drive j rowing men lias led some members of the ! N.Z.C.A. to pharisaically lift up their eyes J in thankfulness that they are more libera 1I minded in their rules than tho. New South j Wales rowing authorities, but it cannot be 1 denied that some of the Alliance rules are ! exceedingly nh.,urd. And the discontent at these i ulcs is increasing, for several , h.-sal rid.-]•; stated that, had their private business pm-milled, they intended pacing Wakcman in defiance of tho Alliance rule ' on the .subject. i Alax O’Kel!, the well-known writer, says, | “Nothing but heaven is prettier than an

American girl on a bicycle.” 'The compliment is a high one. Wonder what the smart Frenchman’s opinion would bo of a bloomer girl who rides a wheel with a chunk of chewing gum in her mouth? Uglier than li ?

A. 11. Hunt, the local cyclist, who last year competed at the Wairarapa A.A. and U.O. sports and carried everything before him, was not allowed to repeat the performance last Thursday. The bandicapper took good care of that. Riding from scratch, he bad to give 240yds in the halfmile, 310yds in tho mile, 450yds in tho two-mile, and 539yds in the three-mile. And yet Wellington back-mark men complain if they are asked to give a novice GOyds in a half-mile, looyds in a mile, and so on pro ruin! Hunt just managed to win the three-mile event, but in the others lie was completely out-handicapped. “ Bloomer,” writing on the subject- in the Wairarapa Daily Time. s, humorously remarks: —Oil wliat system (lie cycle handicapping was worked is a mystery. Somebody who yesterday stood looking regretfully at a scratch man (A. I lunt) toiling manfully after a very capable rider (who was only allowed 200yds in a half-mile run), said, “ Well, I’m jiggered, this is a haul anyhow, and the hunter lias not- got much show !”

Air A. IT Wakcman, who left here on Friday at JO pan. with tho intention of putting lip a record for the ride from this city to Napier, arrived at tho Napier Post Office at 7.2 pan. (ho following day, tbus covering the 232 miles in 21hr 2niin. This beats F. F. Fabian’s time for the ride from Napier to Wellington by lhr 3-Smin. This is an exceedingly creditable ride, for in my opinion, and also of others who have been over the route, it is a much harder ride to Napier than from there to Wellington. "Wakcman himself is convinced of this, and ho stated that if ho got inside Fabian's figures going up, lie was certain lie could do better under liko circumstances coming back With this object he left the Napier Fust Office at 10 o’clock on Tuesday night in splendid weather. On leaving this city Wakcman was paced to the Upper Hutt by Air IT N. Grove, and the 20 miles were covered in lhr 27min, with a strong northerly gale blowing in their faces. From thence to Pakipaki (21 miles from Napier) Wakeman was without pacers. At the Takapau Plains rain commenced to fall heavily, but the plucky rider battled along without stepping on the road for refreshments, and keeping well within time. At Pakipaki lie was met by Messrs Symonds and McDowell, of the Hastings Cash Club, and two other riders, who paced him home. Havelock was the only place lie stopped at for refreshments, and hero a good draught of tea sent him on with renewed vigour. He finished quite fresh, and was heartily cheered by tho crowd at tho Post Office. Wakeman is only 23 years of ago, and lias been riding eight months; lie scales lOst 7st, is a teetotaller and a non-smoker, and but recently married. In all probability lie would not have made a second attempt on the record had it not been for a gibing remark which he overheard passed by a well-known Napier rider just as he started on his first attempt on his brother citizen’s record. Tho following table of tlio times ho made is clipped from tho Hawke’s Day Herald :

Left Wellington ... 10 p.m. Friday Reached Upper Hutt 11.27 p.in. Featlier.Oon ... 2 a.in. Saturday Alasterton ... 3.55 a.m. Fketahmia ... 7.27 a.m. Paliiatua ... 8.53 a.m. Wooilvillo ... 9.45 a.m. Danevirke ... 11.20 a.m. Norsewood ... 12.57 p.m. Waipawa ... 3.37 p.m. Havelock ... G. 5 p.m. Napier 7 2 p.m. I From the Remington Arms Company, of | New York, I have received a splendid | specimen of the printer’s art in lho shape I of their ’9G catalogue of Remington wheels. : Remington rifles, typewriters and sowing I machines, which are also the product of : this company’s enormous worlm, are known I tlm world over for their excellence, but as [ yet their bicycles have not made their | appearance, in this Colony. Judging by | Hie list before me, the Remington must bo i eno ol the most up-to-date wheels turned i out. Among tho improvements are the | Remington bayonet pattern crank, which i can thus be made specially light and strong, j and which can befitted without the troublej some tapered pins; interchangeable gear rings and l-aek sprockets; tapered reinforced joints, Ac. The path racor, which is listed at IP) dollars, and scales 3Sib to 2Ulb, looks a real beauty. Ladies’ and ! roadster wheels are listed at 300 dollars, and light and strong juvenile mounts at | GO dollars. The tyres fitted are the Morgan 1 and Wright and American Dunlop. As I New Zealanders can best import from San I Francisco, I may add that this company | has a branch esiablisliment in Market ! street in that oily. . The Martin-Parsons races conclusively proved (writes a Bulletin correspondent) . that Parsons’ superiority of legs does not

make up for his inferiority of head. The plugging Yank sees only dollars ahead from tho report of the pistol. The crowd’s cheers have just the same effect upon the man as they have upon his machine. Tho Victorian, on the contrary, is a “ gallery” rider of tho most pronounced type. Pedalling slowly around the track, prior to starting in a race, be gazes patronisingly into the faces of thoso surrounding the arena in order to observe if each countenance wears a due expression of admiration. At tho Melbourne Bicycle Club meeting, after Parsons had thus sauntcringly completed several circuits, one of those “ sabre cuts of Saxon speech” came in stentorian tone 3 from a spectator: “It’s all right; you get on your mark ; we’ve had a good look at you.”" And so it is at every meeting. The way Parsons allowed Martin to outwit him in tho last lap of the mile would have done, discredit to a novice. That ho will profit, much by experience gained in continental contests is extremely problematical. The case of tho man who, after two years’ continuous racing, shows no glimmer of generalship, may fairly bo considered hopeless. That Parsons would have won with competent pacing, even his opponent admits. Ho twice had nearly a half-lap advantage, and could have gone on had the pace been forthcoming. To quote Porta: “After ten mile, Mavrtin very much exhaust —Parrsong, only a lit. Put Alarrtin head on Parrsong ; Parrsong win.” And the chances arc that had Parsons only guessed how “ ver’ much exhaust” his ultra-game opponent really was, ho could have won the ten miles despite the indifferent pace. However, any ill-luck which the Australian may have had in the longer lace was amply compensated for by his good fortune in gaining a “dead beat” verdict in the live miles.

A. If. Hunt writes me suggesting that, as the Druids have “done us out of spoil for Easter, the Alasterton people should arrange a meeting at Easter, and we could visit them in some numbers'. They give good prizes; I believe I’m to get three guineas, and the two-mile bracelet prize was valued at £~> ss. Tho track is tons ahead of tho Basin, and it could be widened and slight ly banned at small cost. ’ Hunt speaks well of everything and everybody in the Wairarapa. His suggestion is a good ono, and it only remains for the Alastertonians to cater for the attendance of outside wheelmen. But the handicapping will have to he better.

In 1884 there were eight bicycle factories in England, with an annual output of GOOD machines. Last year there were 400 iactorios, and during that period they turned out 650,000 machines. In America it is estimated, on carefully-based statistics, that there will be manufactured not fewer than 1,250,000 bicycles, of which fully onehalf will bo women’s. Last year the output of bicycles in America totalled 000,000.

As an indication of the immense proportions the cycle industry has assumed in America, it may be mentioned that for tho first time in the history of bicycling one maker in the Far West will devote himself exclusively to tho manufacture of women’s wheels.

Tho Clark Alanufact uring Co., of Buffalo, New York, have sent me a neat little catalogue of their ’96 wheels, which are strictly high-grade, are fitted with Morgan and Wright quick-repair double-tube and Hartford single-tube tyres, and are listed at 100 dollars (A2O). “Cyclometer,” however, would ho obliged if Brother Jonathan forwarded his lists unsealed, otherwise letter rates are charged, for which lie has to pay double deficient postage.

Four world’s records were broken at Coronado Beach, California, on AJarch 3rd. W. W. Hamilton, paced b,y a quad, and a quint., out the world’s record for one mile, flying start, by l-ssec, his time being 1.39 1-5. He then went out, paced by the same teams, for Berio’s two-third mile mark of 1.7, and rode it in 58 3-ssoc. After 20 minutes’ rest ho went for tho unpaced one-third mile record of 30 l-osee, and cut it down to 33 3-ssec. Taylor and Terrill then went for the half-mile tandem record of 53 4-ssec, and reduced it by 1 l-ssec. The trials were timed, judged and started by officials of tho L.A.W. These wonderful times were made on Syracuse wheels fitted with Alorgan and Wright double-tube quick-repair tyres.

Who shall say that the “bloomer” has not come to stay? One half of tho women’s wheels to l>e made in America this year will I/O of the diamond frame pattern. WAIRARAPA SPORTS. Alasterton, April 23. The seventh sports meeting in connection with the Wairarapa Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club was hold on the Park Oval to-day. About 800 persons were present. The results were: looyds -Maiden Race. —W. Johnston, J ; J. .Johnston, 2. One-mile Maiden Bicycle —C. "Volhoim, 45v(!s, | ; JAvingtoii, 100yds, 2. High Jump—W. Broad, 1. 109yds Handicap—AY. Johnston, 1; AY. Thompson, 2; J. Johnston, J. One-mile Club Bicycle Championship— W. Sutton, ! ; R. A. Cameron, 2. Time, “'"‘2oyds Hurdle Race-B. AT Sheet, 1 ; L. Riel a rd,. 2. Half-mile Bicycle—AY. Sutton, 200yds, t . j\ , Sutton, 210yds, 2; F. Ibbetson, 3. Time, 57Lsec. 250yd3 Club Championship—AY. Thompson, F. AI ■ iovern, 2. One'milo Bicycle—C. Volhoim, 290yds, j ; A. Sutton, 2 ; D. Caselberg, 3. 220yds Handicap—AY. Johnston, 1; J. Johnston, 2; AY. Thompson, 3. Two-mile Bicycle (Ladies’ Bracelet)—li. A. Cameron, 400yds, 1; F. Jones, 450yds, 2; lbbehon, 3. Hunt, at scratch, rode a

splendid race, and ho was heartily applauded. Tho handicap, however, was too much for him, in addition to which ho had the misfortune to be run off the track and lose 80yds. Time, smin 2G.jsec.

440yds Handicap—J. Johnston, 1; AY Johnston, 2.

Half-mile Handicap—A. Anketell, 1; F. Saxon, 2 ; R. Gray, 3. Three-mile Bicycle—A. H. Hunt, scr, 1; AY. Sutton, 490yds, 2. Hunt rode a hard race, and his win was very popular. Time, Smin 59scc.

Ono-mile Run—A. Anketell, 1 ; A\ r . Truscott, 2. Consolation Race—G. 11. Green, 1. SYDNEY RACING. Sydney, April 27. The Cycling Carnival foi the benefit of Megson and Lewis, with the object of obtaining funds to send them to compete in England and America, was held Saturday. There was a largo crowd present, and it is estimated that tho net proceeds will amount to over =£3oo.

Oi’EN Handicap.— McCombe, 30yds, 1 ; Hardy, 35yds, 2 ; Parsons, 10yds, 3. Lewis, Megson and Martin were among tho starters. McCombe won by a length and a quarter. Time, lmin 5 3-osec.

Lewis Benefit Handicap. Amos, 290yds, I ; Leigh, 210yds, Shepperd, 290yds, and Shaw, 330yds, a dead heat for second place. AYOII by two lengths. Time, 4min 52sec.

Mile Scratch Race. • Megson, 1; Porta, 2; Payne, 3. Lewis, Martin and Parsons were among the starters. There was a splendid finish, Megson winning by half a machine. Time, 2nfin 59.1 see. Megson Handicap. — Payne, 20yds, 1 ; Stapleton, 140yds, 2; Per fa-, 20yds, 3. Body and Megson were among llio starters. Payne won by a length. Time, 2miii 15

Lap Dash.— Marlin, 1 ; Parsons, 2 ; Megson, 3. The pace was a cracker. Marlin won by a length. Time, 40 3-ssec. Martin was suffering from an injury to liis leg which he received in Adelaide.