THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 28

THE WHEEL.

"Silverspur" will at all times be pleased to receive 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 :

SPOKES.

A feature of the military manoeuvres now taking place in France are the silent evolutions of the cyclist companies. Silent drill takes place by day and in the dead of the night. The men, three deep, ride on folding cycles, which they can carry on their backs. It is intended to support cavalry with flying squadrons of infantry cyclists. An officer of the general stall' has been sent to watch the cyclist manoeuvres at Crepy, and report on them. He looks upon the cycle as likely to deeply modify infantry tactics, and is satisfied with the speed with which the cyclists can form into scpuare; cohtmn, serried or loose order, and run in and out among squadrons of cavalry in motion. The cycle companies are divided into platoons, commanded by lieutenants, and sub-sections nnder sergeants. Tandem and sociable tricycles stand in lieu of the train. Motor cars with rubber tyres will be employed at a distance with ammunition. In the British Isles the rule of the road is " to keep to the left and to pass on the right," bat in the United States and France the rule is " keep to the right and pas 3 on the left." In these latter countries the rule is laid down by law, hut witli us it is the general custom that has dictated the rule. vVht !! ill,: i'rcra'u.r wax a:: I!- 1 . It,Mai tan other day, Messrs Thompson and Eleven-

soa> representing the Westland Racing Club, interviewed him urging- that the racecourse be vested in the club. Mr Seddon recommended the deputation to come to an amicable arrangement if possible with Mr Davidson re, his claim. Immediately a settlement was arrived at trustees for the course could be gazetted.

A cycling club has been formed at Port Chalmers, to be known as the Koputai Club.

The Ofcago Cycling Club holds a sports meeting on January 9th, when prizes amounting to J 260 will be raced for. It has been decided to hold a team race with the Invercargill C.C. on Boxing Day at Invercargill.

The promoting of Sunday church parades by the Dunedin Cycling Club is a step in the right direction, and the committee deserve every credit for giving their attention to Sunday riding (says " Demon." in the Witness). The majority of those riders who cycle out into the country on a Sunday seldom visit any place of worship owing to the prevailing opinion that a cycling costume looks out of place in a church. The committee, knowing this, and thinking that by starting church runs riders will not feel awkward in their uniform when there is a large number similarly dressed, have fixed upon next Sunday as the date of the first run, and there is every prospect of its being a great success. Sunday parades are very popular in the Old Country, and are already finding favour in the colonies, the leading Scotch church in Melbourne having just completed arrangements for the stabling' of the bicycles of those who cycle to church.

The Cash Cycling Club is offering a splendid programme for their next meeting, and entries are being received from every part of the Colony. It will be a record cycling meeting, so far as Wellington is concerned, and competition will be keen. His Excellency Lord Glasgow has written stating that he will patronise the gathering. The committee have conferred on Mr G. H. Goodall the right of getting up the official programme. Under his management the book should be a firstclass production. The club is only a year old, and its =£loo programme does it great credit.

When races are held on the Exhibition track a great crowd post themselves on a high hoarding on the reclaimed land opposite. On Saturday night it was tarred on the top, and the result may be easily imagined.

Eiders from Auckland, Christchurch, Invercargill and Dunedin take part in the Cash Cycling Club's Meeting next month.

At the Sydney League's meeting, the principal event for the second day, so far as cash value was concerned, was the Sydney Wheel Race with its .£IOO for the first prize, and it attracted riders from all directions with class enough for the most fastidious. The Sydney Mail's writer says: —"I was not at all surprised that this event fell to the Queensland representative (Walne), for, while watching him doing his work on the track I was much struck with his improvement, and svhen he laid himself out to sprint how did ho stick to the triplet, which was manned by such experts as W. J. C. Elliott, S. Legh, and G. Meadham. In conversation with the first mentioned, who did the triplet steering, he admitted that at one time he felt confident that they had shaken off all those that were following in their wake, but on looking round much to his surprise, he found Walne still hanging on to the triplet's wheel. The maiden brought out a lot of youngsters, at any rate in the cycling world, and some capital riding was shown, and after some well-contested heats, A. F. Prowse, who was one of those who kept pegging away on the training track, got home in the final from the 50yds mark by a lead of six yards, J. J. Cleary (80yds) -just beating A. E. Knight (95yds) by a length for second place. It was generally expected that the rider with the nom de guerre of F. Gregory would cycle a great race in the League Cup of half a mile, so that his victory in the final did not come as a surprise. Adrian made a great effort for second place, and the same may bo said of McCombo."

The Five Miles Championship of Australasia of ,£25 and a gold medal attracted a classical field. All Australia was pretty well represented, as also America. Victoria had by far the best representation, while Walne (Queensland) was as fit- a-i training could make him, and was prepared to ride for a kingdom. During the week the reports as to the accident to Ken Lewis and tae bad health of Parsons and Davison somewhat misled the public. Lewis was thrown during the early part of the week, and did not show- on the course till the event was called on. The result shows how much the reports must have been exaggerated, for Lewis won after a magnificent spurt by 6yds from Parsons. Walne might have finished earlier than third had he not made his run a trifle too soon Parsons, who showed better form than at any other time during the meeting, got home a iength in front of the Queen slander. McDonnell, who was confidently expected in many quarters to catch the judge's eye first, could not get nearer than fourth. The lap prize fell to the Hillgrove crack, Davison. The last mentioned said to me a couple of days before the second day that, he was going to take a rest, bat his riding in the championship event reminded .-ill onlookers of his efforts in the 10 miles at the spring meeting.

English and American cycling- journals have of late been hailing with delight the advent, oi' a race judging machine calculated to do away with all further troubles us to

supposed dead heats and disputed finishes. The ingenious inventor is a Sydneyite, Mr A. Laidlaw Baird, and he was in the Mail office on his return from America. Mr Baird invented a judging machine for pedestrian races which is now widely used. His new device consists of a small box extending right across the track, into which iit is sunk, under the tape-. This box is only | two inches Wide) and in it are placed on end : five woodeh bars or leavos arranged much as the leaves of a book placed on its back would be. One of these leaves rises to one inch above the surface, the others gradually diminishing to 1 8-th of an inch. The leaves lie at an angle of 50 degrees from the horizontal, and from the approaching : cyclist, and when it is desired to judge the finish the edges of them are smeared with wet paint. The first wheel that goes over sends down the highest of the leaves and gets itself the impression on the tire of five paint bars. If there is less than a wheel difference between that and the next bicycle the second man will shut down the fourth bar with his front wheel and get four impressions upon his wheel. The two hind wheels in such a case would get three and two impressions respectively and the third one. There can be no doubt here, as the paint bars on the tires will be indisputable witnesses to their position in crossing and the machine will judge to an inch. It offers no obstruction during a long race, as the leavea can be depressed instantly, and can be adjusted in a moment when the last lap comes, and by adding other leaves can be made to decide more than the first three if desired.

The members of the Wellington Amateur Cycling Club had a run to McNab's Gardens, Lower Hutt, on Monday. A large number of the cyclists left Martin's Fountain at 7.30 p.m., and on reaching the gardens a social gatheriug was held, songs being contributed by the various members and Misses Ross. After having spent an enjoyable evening the members returned home, reaching Wellington about 1 a.m.

Cyclist F. Hunt, while in Auckland, was to have made an attempt to lower the record for the ride from Papakura to Bishopscourt, Parnell, but the machine he was liding broke down.