CYCLING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVX, Issue 3129, 15 May 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

BY SILYEESPUE. Tho Marlborough Cycling Club have issued a programme for their sports meeting on May 24. A contemporary writer says that any man who wails for a tax on bicycles would want to put a tax on flying machines. Mr W. L. T. Travers, barrister, is Wellington’s oldest cyclist. He mastered the intricacies of the machine last week.

It is stated that J. W. Stocks may visit • Australia, accompanied by his team of Dunlop pacers. He will likely leave Homo some time in August. The recent performances from scratch of the Queenslander, E. H. Walne, stamp him as the fastest rider in Australia at ihe » present moment. When the daily increasing army of cyclists in . Wellington start their bells going after the confirmation of the city council’s by-law the intermittent noise will remind people of the totalisator tingle on a race day. ■ The Dunlop Tyre Co., Ltd., last year secured 56 decisions against infringers of their patents, while 11 injunctions were granted, and 17 other verdicts are pending. No less than 70 other actions have yet to come to trial. The winner of a fat man’s race in Berlin in which all the competitors had to weigh over 15,jst was disqualified on being weighed after the race as he had lost three pounds during the contest. Ho therefore was under the standard. Should the glass lens of your cycle lamp get scratched you can easily remove the blemish by just cleaning the surface with a pad of cotton wool, an then covering another pad, free from grease, with fine rouge. Bub briskly, this will effect marvels. The Star Cycle company's establishment at Christchurch was entered the other night and a gentleman's bicycle removed from the stand. There were traces of the safe having been tried and the bicycle requisites overhauled. The number of cyclists in Wellington has been largely augmented of late, the ranks of the lady riders, especially, showing a marked increase. On bright, pleasant afternoons there is a regular stream of prettily costumed oyclistes from the Thorndon esplanade right round Oriental Bay. “ Bound the Bocks ,r seems a favourite ride with the majority. Morin, the French rider, has matched himself against the famous Cabaillot triplet team, winners of so many important multiplet races, and who arc at the present moment the fastest triplet crew in Europe. As the Cabaillot team are capable of covering the last quarter in something like 23 seconds, the French flier has sot himself rather a big task. A successful attempt was made by W. Curtis, of the Danevirke Cycling Club last week to lower the Woodville to Danovirke road record. Ho did the journey in 51 minutes, or a second quicker than F. Craven’s time. Curtis had to walk up Tahoraito hill, the road being bad. Also he had to wade through three streams; met a large flock of sheep and two mobs of cattle. The French paced champion, Losna, has added further to his fame by breaking all the Australian long distance records on Sydney Cricket ground the other day. They range from 28 to 100 miles. He was paced by two quads and three triplets, poorly manned, and might have done far bettor under different conditions. The 100 miles was carved out in 3h 54min 43see. Throughout the journey the Frenchman occasionally eased down, and drank a little beef tea and Pol Boger champagne, handed to him in goblets by M. Pognom, Lesna rubbed himself down after the ride, which he seemed to regard more as an afternoon’s exercise than anything else. The ride was accomplished on a Dunlop-tyred Gladiator machine. All Australasian standing start records from 2 to 100 miles are now held by Lesna. The principal event at the Demonstration meeting in Melbourne was the Anniversary wheel race, of £835, of this £2OO went to the New Zealander, A. J, Body, who won, .£IOO to second and .£35 to third. Nino contested the final. Martin, Porta and, Tebutt were-each put out in the first heat., -The two first both protested, against the winner, Ealie, for in, terference, butitwasdismissedl Speaking of Body, a contemporary says he won the final by a fine combination of skill, judgment and - endurance. Pacing the last lap and a half the Maorilander, evidently confident in his own staying power secured a clear course, while Eolph . and A. A. Middleton, after clearly having taken the rneasurb of most of the riders ■ with longer! sthrjts,’,by the: time half the . j distance had been completed, preferred to -wait, only to. be both . disappointed in the ; endeavour to. get a - clear, run home, the result.being that neither oven secured a .place., Body .sustained his splendid sprint vlong enough.to reach the winning post; in; thno to stall off, Stevenson, with Barker, third, the three being well clear of tho other six. The-.winner ‘ rode a Dux machine, fitted with Dunlop tires. Writing of the final for the International* ■scratch -race at 'the. same’ ’.meeting "Tangent”, says the, final was worth going a journey to witness.' , For throe- ■ hps and a half the pace was , slow, Payne being tho. .first -to attempt to break the record. Martin, however, was'; on,, the ~ alert, and immediately dashed! after him, • , assumed the lead, and held it to the home •, . turn,... where Walne, tackled him;-, and Megson came with his famous sprint. A . finer finish has never been witnessed, a. terrifio effort, by Walne landing him a

winner by at most sis inches from Megson, whose last desperate lack secured him second place in front of Martin. All three were heartily cheered, as they' well deserved to be. The mile was run in 9min 55 3-sth see, the winner's last lap pOVejed in 22 2-sth sec,