THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 28

THE WHEEL.

“Cyclometer” will at all times bo pleased to rocoivo contributions, correspondence, news items, reports of meetings, suggestions, and other matter interesting to cyclists. Correspondents and contributors must send their full names and addresses, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of the genuineness of their communications ; write on one side of the paper only, and address : “ Cyclometer,” New Zealand Mail. TO CORRESPONDENTS. M.H.S. (Chicago, U.S.A.).—Many thanks for newspaper clippings. They are very interesting indeed. I regret that the space allotted mo will only allow me to utilise a few of thorn. G.R. (Wellington).-—Accopt my thanks for your courtesy. If you will call on me, I shall be pleased to see you.

BPOKEB.

Br “ Cyclometer." Through Messrs 11. and J. Bail lie, of Cuba street, I have received the two first copies of Cycling World Illustrated, a *ow weekly devoted, as its titlo implies, to wheel matters, and issued from the office of Black and White. The now journal does not, apparently, intend to roly on the amount of nows it furnishes to bring succes#, for tho spaco devoted to this is very small, but will make a, feature of its illustione, which in the two numbers to hand are superb. There arc portraits of England’s most prominent aristocratic cyclists, champions, men in the trade, Sec., also beautifully-illustrated accounts of cycling tours at Homo and on the Continent. As a high-class illustrated journal, it is quite equal to Black and While, and it is sold at the same price as that journal. It should becomo very popular among tho fair sex and those who aro interested in matters of tho wheel other than the smashing of records, Sec. A largo body of local cyclists took advantage of the holiday on Monday to take a run into tho Wairarapa. The majority rode to tho Upper llutt and there boarded the train for tho journoy over the big hill, taking to the road again at Featherston. After having a good time, for the weather was glorious, the party roturned to town by the train on Monday night. Tho railway authorities had providod a van solely for the wheols, but this was not largo enough for them all, and the remainder filled the guard’s van. The Wairarapa wheelmen should make a note of this, and endeavour to arrange a race meet thero at Eastertide, as a good attendance of the Empire City wheelmen would be assured. Lady cyclists will find an interesting and instructive article descriptive of a new skirt for bicycle-riding on pago 16 of this issuo. A cable message from Paris states that A. V. Linton, tho English professional cyclist, has ridden 30 miles in an hour, thus breaking the world’s record, which was hold by tho French rider, Bouhours, who covered 20 miles 524 yards in the hour. Tho first rider to break J. W. Stocks’ sensational record (20 miles 15 yards), made on the Catford track in October last, was Constant lluret, who,at the Velodrome d’Hiver track in Paris, on March 20th, brought tho figures up to 20 miles 366 yards (47,015 kilometers), at tho same timo beating all records from 31 to 50 kilometers, the latter distance being covered in 1.03.41 2-5. On tho following Saturday Bouhours had a go on tho same track for tho hour and 50-kilometer records, and he succeeded in adding 158 yards to tho former as well as improving the latter. Following are tho figures :

And now Linton has tho unique honour of being the first rider to cover 30 miles in tho hour. Tho two speedy Frenchmen were straining every nerve and muscle to secure tho record for their country, and tho citizens of Franco were very jubilant at tho improvement made in Stocks’ figures by these two. The rivalry between tho English and French riders was very keen, and the fact that tho record has fell to a Britisher should he very satisfactory t© all Englishmen. However, Franco par-

I ticipatcs in tho honour to the extent of ! providing the track on which tho record I was accomplished. The way in which M. J. McLean downed "W. Martin, the American, in the Twentyfive Mile Championship of Victoria at the St. Ignatius Fair sports on the Exhibition Oval, Melbourne, proves him to be a rider of the very first water. After having made the pace for 73 out of the 125 laps, lie was still able to outsprint Martin in tho final lap. There were 15 starters, but the pace from the outset was so warm that at the sixteenth mile the only riders were McLean, Martin, Turner and Brondbent, and the last-named retired a lap later. Pithor was compelled to retire early in the race, owing to his tyre bursting. The race then became somewhat slow, Martin and Turner leaving McLean to do tho pacing. The latter’s courage and unselfish riding won him repeated cheers. He frequently looked liehind in the hope of getting Martin to take a turn in the pacing, but tho American persisted in playing tho waiting game, while Turner was ono lap to the bad. In tho last lap Martin took tho lead with a sudden dash, but coining round tho final turn his rival made a magnificent effort, and succeeded in cutting down tho Yankee by four inches on the post. The Parramatta Cycling League’s Tenmiles Championship was won by Martin, Mcadham second and Simpson third. Martin won easily. Tho time was 2Smin 6 2-ssec. A recent number of Wheel Talk, that delightful little publication issued by Morgan and "Wright, cf Chicago, contains an excellent reproduction of a group of Wellington wheelmen, and also a particularly picturesque view of tho Otira Gorge. Tho League of Victorian Wheelmen aro negotiating for tho visit of one of the best riders from England and America during next season. The latest number to hand of the Sydney Wheelman contains excellent photos of Messrs Lewis, Megson, Payne and Parsons, the four Australian cyclists who are now on their way to England, on a racing tour thero and on tho Continent and in America. During tho past season the value of cash prizes given in Victoria alone for cycle races amounted to about <£6ooo. Our London correspondent writes as follows, under date April 18th The eyes of the cycling world aro at present fixed on Olympia, whore tho marvellous little Welsh rider, Michael, has been going for records. On Saturday he took the liberty of reducing the five-mile record to Omin 59 2-sseo, thus beating Tom Linton’s performance at Wood Green on Easter Monday by 3 4-ssec. His times cn route were— One mi1e,2.4 2-5; two miles, 4.1 3 5 ; three miles, 6.0; four miles, 7.59; five miles, 9.59 2-5. In the evening Michael tried to beat Linton’s figures for ten miles, viz., 20.18 1-5. Ho reeled off the first mile in 2.3 4-5, two in 4.0 3-5, and three in 6.1 1-5, but then tho pacing fell off, and at five miles his time was 10.12 1-5. Later on an accident to the tandem pacing Michael forced him into a detour and completely put him out of court. He finished up II 3-ssec outside Linton’s record. Jerome K. Jerome, in liis letters to “Clarinda” in the Idler, has been giving much attention to tho. subject of cycling, and in one of these epistles he remarks -. — “ Every woman in London, apparently, is learning to ride the bicycle. The .streets and parks echo to tho cries of ‘ Pm going, I’m going, hold me back ‘ Vou’re all right, I’ve got you.’—‘Oh, don’t leave me, 1 can’t.’ —‘Yes you cm ; mind the I <■:■!>. Don’t look at your feet, yen can't fall.' ‘Oh dear, what has happened .-’ —‘It’s all right.’-—‘Thero you are, I knew it!’—‘Oh, that's nothing,you will get used to it. Jump up.’ ” A mile on a bicycle in lmin 11 3-ssec! This was ridden in America, of course. The venue was a suburb of Denver, Colorado, the date March 27th, and the “flyer” was M. O. Dennis, a member of the Denver Wheel Club. He was lifted along by a first-rate blizzard blowing down —or up, for there was a slight up-grade—a straight stretch of road at the rate of 50 miles an hour, and his mount, a Crescent, was geared to 107 in. He was timed by fourwatches, two at each end, and a 3 he flew over the starting-point the two watches were snapped at 2.45.35 2-5, the other two registering 2.16.47 as lie crossed tho finishing tape. Dennis is a butcher by trade, which is a singularly appropriate calling for such a slippery customer. Ho was unable to stop his machine within half a mile, and for a time ho was utterly unable to use his voice. A match for £SOO a-side has been arranged between J. 8. Johnson, tho American crack, who is now on tho Continent, and J. Michael, the distances being

one, five and ten miles, and five, 20 and 30 kilometers. On April 7th, at "Wood Green track, J. Platt Betts succeeded in lowering the mile European record from a standing start, his figures being—Quarter-mile, 29 3-5; half, 56 1-5; three-quarters, 1.24 3-5; one milo, 1.52 4-5. Tho previous record, held by Brooks, was 1.53 3-5. A Parisian cycling paper states that J. Michael, the Welsh wonder, is about to marry a Coventry young lady with a dowry of ,£BOOO. Michael, who is only 19 years of age, was recently getting ATOO for a week’s riding at the Olympia track. All the American crack riders appear to lie connected with tho press. Bald is an old pressman, Zimmerman has joined the ranks, and C. S. Wells, tho Californian champion, and W. W. Hamilton, the “Unpaced King,” also sling ink, the latter having recently joined tho staff of the Denver Times. The police of Milwaukee recently became possessed of a new bicycle under somewhat singular circumstances. A ten-year-old girl named Lena Wetzel was run down by a cyclist one morning, and tho rider, who was evidently a very big coward, thinking ho had severely injured tho girl, ran off as fast as he could, leaving his wheel behind. The girl was uninjured. Latest reports state that the man has not vet called on the police to claim his mount. Neither Lord Salisbury nor Sir William Harcourt is of the build favourable to spend and comfort in bicycle riding (writes Mr Henry M. Lucy), hut, with few exceptions, their colleagues on both front benches “ bike.” Hir John (Jorst is an old practitioner. That Mr Arthur Balfour bicycles tho world is occasionally reminded by reading tho casualty paragraphs in the newspapers. Mr Gerald Balfour spent tho Easter recess in old world Rye, in company with his bicycle and two members of the House of Commons similarly equipped. Ono of the, most familiar sights in Hyde Park is the wife of a Minister in costumo of pearl grey on a bicycle painted the same shade. While Air ,T. W. Joynt, tho Principal of the Nelson College, was out on his bicycle, a trap collided with the maehino, ami Mr Joynt was thrown and had his collarbono broken. F. Hunt, the speedy Marton cash amateur, last week broko tho record between Marton and Wanganui, ruling tho distance in Ihr 15min.

Kilos. Ilouhour’s Time. Uuret’s Time. 5 0.12 0.18 4-5 10 12.31 12.80 4-5 ‘20 25.10 25.23 2-5 30 38.03 2-5 38.00 2-5 ■10 50.40 4-5 51.05 8-5 30 1.03.30 1-5 1.03.41 2-5