CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1638, 14 April 1883, Page 20

CYCLING.

NOTES BY PEDAL-PIN.

The Taieri Cricket Club are indeed unfortunate in their choice of sport* days. After a very promising day on Friday, Saturday dawned fine, and gradually the sky clouded over, till at 11 o'clock rain came on, and spoilt all hope of a good afternoon's sports. Arrayed in ulster and Cookhams (and some other articles of clothing), and armed with an enormous umbrella, I braved the weather, and was rewarded, in so far at least that I saw the sports, which the Committee decided to go on with. Arriving at the ground, operations were commenced by P. P. leaving portion of his garment on the barb-wire fened. Do not infer from thia that your representative was trying to get in " over the garden wall," but the grand stand was guarded t>y barb wire, which was rather detrimental to coats during the afternoon. The rain had certainly been coming down with a will, and in consequence the track was two or three feet— no, inches — deep in water, and being only formed of earth, was rather muddy and slippery. I saw the D. B. C. Sec. taking a preliminary canter round, but he evidently considered that though footballers might enjoy themselves in spite of the weather, bicyclists ought to draw the Una somewhere. Some did draw it before the afternoon was over. After about half an hour'B delay, during which time one young man was busily engaged taking entries (or trying to) for the " Novices' swimming" and "Maiden fourß," the first solo on the bell was performed, and the throwing the cricket-ball, the first event, gone on with. Now if I go on describing, or trying to describe, the events which, as well as bicyclina, came off, my friend "Maori" will be quotijK "ne sutor, &c. I don't know any raom Latin, so put in the &c. ; but you know thS proverb, " Cobbler, stick to your last." The first bicycling event was the Maiden mile, for which three started. Whyte had entered ia mistake, having already won a prize, and seemed uncertain whether to run or not. Cuddie and O'Keefe started together, but O'Keefe almost immediately fell, and although he mounted again, he could not pull up on Cuddie. Whyte started when O'Keefe fell, and ran also, but Cuddie led all the way, winning in 4 rain. 36 sec. The finish was rather amusing, as when crossing the tape the winner slipped his pedal, quietly circumnavigated his front wheel, and dived into a pool, O'Keefe came to grief a second time, and Whyte also gauged the depth of the water on the track.

After a few more " peds " had performed, the two miles bicycle was called, and out of 11 entries, only three—" the dauntless three "— came forth. No time was wasted in preliminaries, and at the pistol-fire off they went. Oliver and Cutten were scratch, and the former jumped away with the lead, Cutten hanging close to his back wheel. The Taieri crack haa not kept up his former pretty style of riding : he wobbles a great deal, giving onlookers the impression that he finds racing hard work. Cutten seemed to have had enough of' the Christchurch style, and sat up throughout the race. The scratch men gradually pulled on Burn till they collared him in the sixth lap, and in the last lap Cutten passed Oliver, and came in first by a few yards, Oliver spurting well at the finish, but being unable to catch him.

The remaining races were not run, as the men present seemed quite content to look at the track and take the word of the "dauntless three " as to its condition.

There were a good many cyclists on the ground, and a good many machines. One man had ridden out from town, and arrived in a rather damp condition. There was great disappointment at the state of the track, as so much had been heard of the fast times made that Dunedin men wanted to test it for themselves.

The great bicycle and tricycle shows at Home have come and gone. The Stanley Show, in the Albert Hall, and the Speedwell Show, at Birmingham, solely for the machines, and the Sportsman's Exhibition, in the Agricultural Hall, which devotes a great deal of space to cycles. Of course, in wheel circles, the new machines are the talk of the day.

In the bicycles there are scarcely any startling novelties, attention seemingly being given to finish and details ; but there are many improvements and novelties in tricycles. The latest novelties are mainly in gearings, of which there are now several kinds, all having the object in view of driving for speed on the level, and for power on hills. If space allows I shall quote some descriptions of these gearings from rt The Cyclist " and " Tricyclist," which papers, and especially the latter, enter fully into the question. The subject is a specially interesting one to us in Dunedin, as, if we wish to ride a tricycle with ease and comfort, we shall have to go in for gearings.