CYCLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12603, 5 March 1903, Page 6

CYCLING.

Br '/Demon." The championship committee held a meeting on Monday evening, when routine business was gone through. Everything is working satisfactorily, and tho committee anticipate that their labours will eventuate ill a splendid day's sport. -— I Tho Otago Cycling Club held a onemile raco on the Caledonian Ground on Wednesday evening last. The raco was won by Fleming, with J. Craig second. ' In tho first heat of the one-mile bicycle handicap, run at Napier on Saturday last, seven out of the 12 starters came to grief. Holland and Nattrass (of Wellington) both received severe bruises, the former having his face badly cut, and the latter having his elbow put out. Ho had to be taken to the Hospital for treatment. A well-known musical man was charged at the City Police Court on Monday with having ridden his bicycle 011 the footpath near the Botanical Gardens. He pleaded as an excuse that 110 was under the impression that cyclists were privileged to 1 ride 011 the aforesaid strip of footpath. 1 The presiding magistrate stated that the ' privilege had existed, but the City Council withdrew it some time back. He also stated, very'wisely, that the Council should cause a notice to be put up warning cyclists that the privilege had been withdrawn, a number of people being of the same opinion . as the gentleman now before 'him. A better | suggestion, to iny mind, would be the renewal of the privilege, for tho road at tho Gardens is at times in an abominable state, ; and unfit to ride on. If I remember rightly tho privilege was taken away owing to tho abuse of tho_ footpath, but cyclists have now been punished enough, and a renewal of the boon of riding tliia particular footpath would bo hailed with delight and many thanks. William Colbourne ivas sentenced at the Supreme Court sittings, held at Dunedin on the 23rd ult., to 12 months' imprisonment for stealing a bicycle. ——Mr W. Begg, president of the Otago Cycling Club, intends shortly making a trip to the Home Country. He expects to bo away for about two years, and during that timo will make a complete study of tho business in which 110 is at present engaged. His absence will be greatly felt by the Otago Cycling Club, for which he has a splendid record of work. I wish him a pleasant and profitable trip. The members of the Otago Cycling Club are taking a more than passing interest in the work of tho championship meeting. I am given to understand that they are taking up tho matter of tho disposal of tickets for the meeting in a spirit that augurs well for the success of the financial side of the day's work. —The birch rod has been brought into use as a means of putting down the bicyclestealing evil. I see that at Invercargill last week two youths, convicted of stealing a bicycle, were ordered by tho magistrate to receive a whipping with a birch rod. . The railway motor car which Was recently built at Addington for the convonienco of the permanent way inspecting staff passed through Palmcrston on Tuesday, and attracted a good deal of attention (says the Palmerston Times). The car, which seats from 10 to 12 persons, lias a maximum speed of 25 miles an hour, and its use will enable the railway engineers to ipake their periodical inspections of tho permanent' way in much less time than under the old system of trolley travelling. Tho coloured champion, Major Taylor, has nbandonod his idea of riding in Japan befor going on to Europe for the 1 opening of the season next May. He ap- * pears at Adelaide on Z6UI March and 4th . April. A motor cycle race held at St. Kiida I on Saturday, 14th ult., was not productive . of much interest,' owing to two out of tho five machines entered refusing to work properly. Indoed, that ridden by tho winner was the only 0110 which did give a satisfac- ' tory race, as tho other two, towards the latter end of the contest, failed to maintain their | rates of travelling, and fell away. As a , matter of fact, the second man in had to get off his machine and run with it over the last fow yards in order to prevent being beaten by the third man. whose machine was run- ' ning just a little bit better. In his heat of the International t Scratch Mile, run at St. Kilda, Melbourne, ; on 14th ult.. Major Taylor won neatly from

Shcclian, who attempted to jump him a third of a lap from the line. In the final matters wore different, and ho had to fight a strong combination in Morgan and Walnc. Knowing his wonderful dash at the finish of a scratch race, Walnc, with Morgan bohind, dropped back slightly, but at half a lap to go pickocl up, and wont by Taylor at a great clip. Before thoy had time to close in, however, the black champion,, by a superb effort, rushed past tho pacer and was levol witli them in a trice, and fighting out a hard race withWalne. At 100 yds to go Walno was done, but Taylor then had to tackle Morgan, which ho did gamely, disputing with him every inch right up to the line, but was beaten by a few inches. Walne was nowhere. Taylor was forced to mako his jump half a lap from home, and then attempt to beat the two strongest and fastest riders on the Australian tracks. Morgan and Walnc, by combiuing, tacitly acknowledge themselvos, single-handed, to bo no match for the visitor. Taylor, however, made no excuses. He said he was beaten, and shook hands with Morgan, who had a fine reception. : The promoters of tho rccont six days' oy'cle race at Madison Square Gardens, New York-, are stated to have pocketed £9000 over the week's race. A scction of the American Press aro stigmatising the exhibition as "a standing shame to tho American public." An American racing man and tournament promoter has tho following to say in Bicycling World (New York) regarding team work, which is prevalent in Australia nowadays:—"Tho racing men in Australia aro as fully proficient in their several lines as are those of our own country. The method of racing'differs materially from that in this country. Team work is permitted in overy contest, and, what is more important ill some ways, tho men divide the cash among the teams on the track and in tho presonce of tho officials." (This is hardly correct, however, as the prizes arc not paid over until the meeting is finished.) "In every handicap race there is always one team against another. A low-marker will have about three men in tho race, scattered at different points between himself and the limit mark. Tlmso in turn pace the man selected to win the money, and the profits ore divided amongst the team. Despite this team work, tho men ride clean and free. There is no elbowing and no looking round, and, comparatively spoaking, the sport in that way is far ahead of that in America." The English wheel paper Cycling publishes some interesting figures regarding mileage and punctures, and tells of a, Scottish rider who claims to have gone through throe entire seasons, during which he covered about 15,000 miles, without a puncture. On the other hand, a London rider confesses to 185 punctures and 41 bursts in three years, tho distance ridden being considerably under 3000 miles. In one year there were 79 punctures—ono in every days. Following are the different- names by which the bicycle is known:—France, bicyclefcte; Holland, snolvel, viotwiel, trapviol; Belgium, velocipiste; Italy, velocipede, biciclctta; Spain, velocinedo, bicicleta, maquinsi; Germany, hochrad, niederrad; China, yang ma, Feibhai, and tzutzan; England, bike, cycle. In May tho Paris-Madrid race will attract attention, not only in Europe, but all over the world. .Nothing is as yet decided, and the official authorisations aro not actually given, but they are said to bo given unofficially, and it is a sign of the times that a Spanish Automobile Club has just been formed in Madrid, with two counts, eight marquises, and three dukes on its committee, and tho King of Spain as honorary President. Tho eiioson route will be no doubt from I'aris to Bordeaux, though tho start will probably be made from d'Orsay instead of Saint Cloud, in-order to miss Villa d'Avray and Versailles. The second day's run will end at Burgos, and the third at Madrid. Tho materials that go to mako up bicycles aro generally looked upon as steel and rubber, but a rider of an inquiring turn . of mind supplies a rather formidable list of substances, numbering o'vor a score. It is as follows;— Steel, rubber, nickel, brass, bell and gun metal, zinc or spelter, solder; cotton, linen, celluloid, leather, cork, wood, felt, and enamel, to say nothing about a fow fancy things occasionally'found. The inclusion of these latter materials would be drawing the matter rather finely. Thc-y includo oil, French chalk, gold, bristles, and silk. The prospects of the year are thus referred to in tho Motor Car Journal:—"lt is generally expected in France that tho Gordon Bennet Gun will be run in connection with the Paris-Madrid racc—few people crcdit the possibility of its being run in Ireland. Stockholm and St. Petersburg will have their motor shows in May. June will bo a red-letter month for automobiles, and will, no doubt, be a month to remember. The A.C.F. is inviting all tho world to a congress and a fete. The congress should probably have been held this year at Lyons, but Lyons has waived its right in favour of the parent club, and Paris will be the meeting place. The committee of the A.C.F., mindful of the reception they have had in Berlin and Vienna, ami of tho reception they will receive in Madrid, will, we may be sure, leave no stone unturned to mako the fete in connection with the congross worthy of Paris. The first six months of 1903 will, it will he seen, be busy enough from the motorist's point of view, and there will be, of course, many other events that are not yet even thought of. The second half of the year will begin with the Ardennes race, for which there are already 20 entries, though the date is not yet fixed. Hill-climb-ing trials galore, will, no doubt, finish up what promises to be a brilliant road-racing year, if nothing unforeseen turns up to spoil if. The thinner the sides of a tyre the more "life" it has. This feature is particularly noticeable in the new vulcanised Dunlop tyre. Tho walls aro kept light, but the tread or wearing surface of the cover is composed of over three-sixteenths of an inch of hard, comprcssed Para rubber. Great wear is thereby assured, the cover thus combining tho two great essentials nc-cessary for a perfect cycle tyro cover—viz., resiliency and durability. —' The Velo states that during the past season tho following incomes have been earned by cyclists: Major Taylor, the American negro, £1500; Bobl, the German, £1350; Ellrgarde, the Dane, £1300; Michael, £1000; and Linton, for part of the season only, £1000. As a striking instance of the way French chauffeurs are being treated in the courts, comes the ease of Baron Henri de Rothschild, tho well-known ' motorist, who gave an interesting lecture a few days before in London. He was "called up" on tho very same day before the judge for a case of furious driving and sentenced to three days' imprisonment. True to say, tho verdict was given in tho defendant's absence, so that he stands a chance of having the penalty xeduced when he comes up, but- it is by no means certain that the Baron will not have ! to go to gaol. ; The growth of popularity of the motor bicycle has, during the nast two years, been enormous in England. This type of machine has appealed to the manufacturer, and lie . has taken steps to provide for a large demand : in the future. The two annual cydo shows , held ill London reflected ill a very great i degree the activity of the trade concerning this machine, and the following was tho re- . presentation of the motor bicyclo as com- . pared with the motorics? or ordinary pattern machine at the two shows combined [ for the past three years:—l9oo, motor i bicycles, 11; safety bicycle (single). 1585; ; ] 001. motor bicveles, 166; safety bicycle 6 I (single), 1550 ; 1902, motor bicycles, 316; ! saftoy hievelcs (single), 1250. A rider of exceptional ability is the i Canadian. Wm. Morton, according to the i Cycli=t, Finrland.. Ho has practically swept the board in Canada, where he holds the . following championships: quarter, half, one, i five, and 25 miles, . Somo improvements have been made . in motor tyres (an item of considerable exi penso with these machines), by which the iread is made flat, and fluted loneitudinallv. , This is said not only to largely obviate side i slipping by reason of the nrenter surface in i contact with the road, and also eives meat . stability of the tread, but punctures will bo ■ fewer, beeauso of the extra thiekne e s of the tyre at tho point of contact. Boad wheels • are nearly all of one universal size in eneh • particular type of car, thus permitting the i interchange' of front and rear tyres. The ; wear on the tvrcs of the driving wheels is ; much greater than on tlioso on tho stcorers. i Tho arrangement will also render the re- . plocomnt of tyres more certain in outlying districts.