THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1354, 10 February 1898, Page 26

THE WHEEL.

SPOKES. [By SILVERSPUR.*] Commenting on-the last six days race in New York a contemporary says:— “ The great six days’ race has ended in victory for Miller with a score of 2093 miles; other plaoings were Bice, 2026; Schinneer, 2000; Hale, 1920. The usual ghastly sight of torpid men colliding and befog picked .up and set going again; of men with hallucinations, and all the other horrors of such inhutnan racing were evident. If that is sport it is well we are some 2000 odd miles away from it. The man who steers the New York multiplet, which ten men ride at once, says that going at a slow pace he finds it very hard work to move the handlebar, but that it becomes easier as pace increases. He also suffers from the wind pressure, as being in front he gets the brunt of it; but the force behind him is so great that it causes no fatigue, though compelling him to breathe very regularly, with the head well down, else he cannot catch his breath at all. A polite man has been defined as he who can look at a pretty girl on a bicycle and keep his eyes off her feet. An Electric device for the accurate recording of the finishes at bicycle races has made its appearance in New York. The apparatus consists of a line of thin plates over the finish, under which are laid wires ; a wire is c mnected with each plate and runs to a table opposite the finish, and is connected with the recording instrument. As, the racers ride over the plates there is no perceptible jolt felt, for they are laid almost flash with the track. As they come into the straight for home in the last lap the current is turned on and the instrument set in motion. The breaks in the lines on the paper of the recording machine indicate to the hundredth part of an inch how the men finished. Bicycling under the sea must be acknowledged to be a distinctly novel mode of enjoyment. It might not commend* itself to everyone, but a diver in the employ of the United States Government is a convert to this sort of amusement, which has a supreme advantage in that there is no fear of coming to grief through the traffic, injuring the careless pedestrian, or raising the ire of the passing cabman. Mr David Nilloch—for that is the gentleman’s name—may certainly claim the longed for title of the “ champion submarine wheelman" for which his soul hungered, as he was unable to accomplish all that he desired on dry land. His machine is furnished with the largest and strongest tires obtainable, and dressed in his diver’s outfit,- he puts off in a boat and rows some distance to sea, when he drops overboard with his machine under his arm, and goes spinning q» bis wheel, 1

accompanied, as he declares, by “ a crowd of fish like bicycle policemen." Thus an English pen ladyt—“l consider that cycling should be tadghfc in preference to the piano, on which too much stress is placed nowadays. If cycling were insisted upon the whole nation would reap a lasting benefit. The next generation would be as unlike the present as chalk is different from cheese* afid would be much improved iu health and vigour. The result would be that those who are destined to be future fathers and mothers would infuse a new vitality into the British veins. • • t> “ My tyre," said the disgusted Syblist* “ seems to have a false idea of its mission." “ How’s that ? * “It seems to think that it is a tacks collector." Stone, an Oamaru cyclist, put up a record from Oamaru to Tiraaru the other night, doing the journey in 3 hours and 3 minutes. A Sydney paper says that R. H. Walne, the Queensland champion, will shortly make an attempt on all the present Australasian records. He has had a new machine fitted up, and in his record attempts will ride a 120 in gear. This will be the highest gear ever ridden upon an Australian track. Walne has shown himself to be a first-class pace follower by his defeat of such champions as Green, Barden, Body, and others. With systematic training there is no reason why Walne’s name should not appear on the record list. According to a Melbourne paper, the appeal of F. Hunt and E. Reynolds, the New Zealanders, against the decision of the Colac stewards, disqualifying them for one month, was heard by the appeal board the other day. The result was both appeals were upheld, and the board was of opinion, so far as the evidence showed, that there wis no ground for the decision of the stewards. Harry Reynolds, the Irish champion cyclist, and E. Reynolds, winner of last year’s New Zealand Amateur Championship, both of whom have been racing during the present season in Australia, arrived at Lyttelton by the Te Anau, and have gone on to Dunedin to prepare for the Dunedin Cycling Club’s meeting, at which they intend competing. A proposal at the last meeting of the Inangahua County Council to levy a tax on bicycles was promptly rejected. From the Telephone Exchange to the Upper Hutt and back is 42 miles, and Mr H. Juriss, who on Friday essayed to establish a record, covered the distance in 2hr 23min. Mounted on a “ Red Bird ” machine of the latest pattern, he left the Exchange at 10 a.m. yesterday, arriving at Upper Hutt an hour and 10 minutes later, finally reaching the starting point at 12.23 p.m. For this creditable perforn ance Mr Juriss obtains the medal offered by the Wellington Cycling Club for an unpaced record over the distance, that is, provided another member of the club does not establish better time.

A cyclist riding down Ellice street on Friday collided with a cab, and got rather worsted in the encounter. His machine was not travelling at great speed at the time, but, nevertheless, he was unable to keep clear of the cab, which was ascending the hill. The cyclist, who was badly shake d, was lifted up by a pa»ser by and taken home.

A deputation from the Wellington Cycling Club, of which Mr Howard Reid was the spokesman, waited on the Public Works Committee on Monday and asked the committee to reconsider its decision not to allow the club to use the Basin Reserve on the 19th March Mr Reid stated that the Basin Keserve was quite as suitable and safe as the Athletic P.rk for cycling sports ; that cycling sports on the latter ground could not be made to pay; th:t the Atbletio Park Company had been communicated with by lhe club (whose members were shareholders to the extent of .£4OO I on the subjedt and had failed to reply. Consideration of the matter was deferred (to enable the Town Clerk to communicate with the cricket authorities) until the next Council meeting.

At Sydney on the 2nd inst. Platt-Befts out ont the ten miles m IStnin 54 3-5-ec, and he also broke all the Australasian intermediate records from two miles.

At a meeting of the Timaru Tourists’ Cycling Club, at which there was a large attendance, it was decided that an extraordinary general meeting be held to consider the question of seceding from the Alliance and joining the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, a very strong feeling being shown in favour of the latter. In view of this, the secretary was instructed to write to the Alliance urging reconsideration of amalgamation between the two governing bodies.