CYCLING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3259, 16 October 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

CYCLING.

BY « SILYBESPUB " Tho South Canterbury Caledonian Society intend giving .£4O for cycle races on each day of the annual gathering, which Is fixed for the 3rd and 4th January, if sufficient support is promised by riders. Also, that if possible, triplet and quad, pacers would be used in scratch races.

One Melb. bike-agency, with a racing specialty, has decided to dispense with pacing-teams during tho season, and, with a view to proriding pace for its riders, it ia building an oil-motor, expected to. be on tho track before the Austral.

In the city of Detroit there lives a onearmed rider named’ Stevenson, whoso deeds on vhe racing path have gained for him a wide-known celebrity. Stevenson is a very fast man over medium distances, and can steer his machine while following pace as easy as any man with two arms. Tho less of his arm does not seem to affect him as ho sprints magnificently, Recently ho steered a triplet which did a quarted mile dash in 25 see. Tho First Multicycle Race over run in America came off at Boston, Mass., on July 31,' Tho greatest excitement prevailed amongst tho spectators, as tho race was magnificent from the start. The machines consisted of a soxtuplet, quint, quad, triplet, and a tandem. The teams were lined np with the sext on the pole, tho others being. arranged according •to size. Tho race was over a mile, for a 300 dollar purse. The multiplets kept close close together with tho sext leading, until tho last lap, when tho tandem made a dash, and a fight for position ensued. Tho sext regained its lead at tho bond for homo, a grand sprint resulting in a. win for the sext tho triplet being second, and the tandem third, half a foot in front of the quint, the quad, being last. The time was Imiu 45sec.

Barden, tho English cyclist, who comes Australiawards, is accompanied to all race-meetings by his dad, who yells instructions to him during the progress of a race.

The police of Dayton, Ohio, are now provided with “patrol cycles” for tho speedy conveyance of prisoners to a watchhouse. Tho machines are tricycles with cranks at tho front and back for two constables to work, while the space betweenoccupied by a seat for the prisoner. This seat is fitted with stirrups and handcuffs, and it was only after exhaustive tests with powerful prisoners of the most violent character that tho machines were adopted by the department. Sergeant Flannery and a constable scorching down Swanston street with one of tho “Push" between ’them would ho something to liven up tho monotony of Melbourne when the elections are over.

The racing board of the League of American Wheelman stands no nonsense from riders. If they enter for a race, they start for it, or put they go -for a month. Non-payment of entrance fees entails disqualification for a month after tho debt is liquidated, and at latest about thirty men were standing down for these offences.' ' From Launceston (Tas.) Daily Telegraph ; —Wanted—A good-looking gentleman as ladies’ help,' accompany six ladies cycle tour, Hobart, able repair bicycles. Send photo. By letter, “ Ivy," D. T. Office. There have been in all sections of the country more complaints lately about the depredations of bicycle thieves than ever before, says an American paper. This is due in a certain degree to tho constantly increasing number of wheels, but members of the trade are constrained to think that the result often proceeds from systematic robbery. There is scarcely a dealer in any large city who has not been victimised once or twice, and some of the retailers have been forced, in self-defence, to refuse applications for wheels to persons unknown to them, even at the risk of injuring their renting trade. Another class of tradesmen demand a deposit for wheels hired by strangers, but this deposit is, in a majority of cases, a small amount, and insufficient to stand in the way of a thief making off with his plunder. Tho loss of a few wheels in a season will wipe out all of the dealer’s, profits, and the question- of his protection is becoming a more serious one. The police generally claim to be powerless in the matter, or at least they refuse to do anything as a rule when a dealer makes a complaint about a robbery. Taylor, the young French middledistance rider, who has beaten Linton twice since the latter defeated Stocks, is a mere youth. Ho is barely seventeen, and does not look a day older, Being very small and slim. Ho rides in a most easy style, and with great determination. Ho shows to best advantage in paced races, and is never beaten as long as ho can remain on his machine. Taylor, despite his quite English name, is French by birth. • ■

America hnd Italy are now following the lead of Australia in offering big cash prizes for cycling events. Italy is tha latest to come to tho front, and is now offering JMOO to the winner of its open Grand Prix, to be decided at Turin.