On the Wheel.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5208, 15 February 1892, Page 4

On the Wheel.

(By Bkake-xct.) Hark ! Listen to the humming of the wheel. Tlic Caledonian Society's Jfeiv lear sports have passed away, and seemingly the enthusiasm (which sienerally shows itself about the middle of December every year), re providing a suitable bicycle racin" track, lias also vanished. liy this state of things? If the Caledonian Society wish to include bicycle racing in tlieir next year's programme, another track will have to be provided. _ Several wheelmen, who rode at New Year, said they would certainly never race again, so long as the present circus ring track was used for that purpose ; and the Cycling Club's sports, held 011 the 2Sth ult., lias confirmed several more wheelmen to the fact that, while riding on the Show Grouud track, they were foolishly exposing themselves to dangers which, 111 a bicycle race, should not be undeigone. At the Caledonian sports tliere_were six bicycle races, with a total of 27 entries, all local riders. At the Cycling Clubs sports there were five bicycle races, with a total of 76 entries, which included nine foreign cyclists. Why should there bs such a vast difference between the two sports meetings, when it is acknowledged that the Caledonian sports are the sports of the year ? The cause lies in the track although, remember, I have no love towards the North Road track in its present condition, as its surface is far from perfection ; yet there is alu aj s, liile ridin" on it, safety, for, in the event of a spill,^riders'can run their machines on to the grass. If it is the intention of the Caledonian Society to lay down a track for the next sports, now is the time to get the matter under weigh as the track, when laid down, will take several months to bind. I hope that the enthusiasm which showed itself about two months ago has not yet died out, but is

smouldering, and X also hope this note will have the effect of causing it to glow out afresh, and that our Caledonian Society directors will put their heads together and be successful in promulgating some scheme whereby we will be provided with a proper racing track for next season. lam sure these opinions I have expressed arc the sentiments of every true racing cyclist. A cyclist tells me that a racing friend of his in a northern town won a special prize lately valued, I think he said, at 30s and presented by a person m the toothpick and medicine line. The following few articles were included in the trophy : Bottle scent, tin tooth paste, cake shaving soap, box seidlitz powders, several packets senna leaves, box porous plasters, box pills, and several other sundries. The alliance rules provide that a cyclist shall, when called upon, produce his prize. It would be rather hard work to produce the above-named articles. The only article which could with safety be relied upon to come to the scratch would be the plasters, which by their alliance qualities would certainly prove their allegiance to the prize-winner. Kerr, who competed in the amateur athletic championship bicycle races held at Christchurch last, week proved a regular scorcher. By his riding in the long tance races he has shown the New Zealand boys that at present they are only second rate riders, and that they want a little more stamina and muscle to equal the qualities of Australian riders, xhe Lyttelton Times says of Kerr, "The little Sydney man is evidently one of the best stayers ever seen in New Zealand, and the way in which he ran away from his opponents was a treat to witness." Kingston, the Dunedin crack, made a name for himself at the Christchurch sports by making the New Zealand record for the five-mile ordinary bicycle race. He completed the distance in 15min 24 2-stli sec. The cyclists likely to represent Oamaru at the Timaru and Dunedin meetings next week will probably be Grave, D. Miller, Appleby, and Familton. Grave and Miller, I fancy, will be the only ones to do anything big, the others, in my estimation, being rather slow, although if Appleby procures a light mount he may do something. Oamaru's representative cycling men were conspicuous by their absence at the late Christchurch meeting. Somehow or other we have never been able to procure a fitting representative since our five-mile crack, Mr Percy Mitchell, retired. My opinion is that Mr Mitchell has still got the "go," and only wants someone to bring him out. Several wheelmen journeyed to the scene of desolation (Maheno) last week, and report the roads very bad, metal just having been laid down. When little Tommy had been at the bicycle races one day, he went home and told nurse that he had seen a rheumatic bicycle. , The Timaru Bicycle Clubs sports promise, by the number of entries received, to turn out a splendid success. It is surprising what a large number of cyclists mis-pronounce the word "pneumatic." I have heard it pronounced as follows :—Poomatik and poonymatik. The click of the telegraph will be eagerly awaited by Oamaru cyclists next Thursday and Saturday evenings. Now. boys, show the Timaru and Dunedin people that we have some good riders who possess the necessary stay, and I may say you leave Oamaru with hearty wishes for good luck and success from the writer. A spokeless wheel is the latest cycling novelty. Two thin plates of convex steel, in cymbal form, meet together, and their edge supports the wheel rim. The steel plates are no thicker than a sheet of notepaper. Amongst advantages to which the new wheel lays claim is that it avoids the friction which the spokes entail in cutting the air ; it is rigid and it is light.