CYCLING. NOTES BY PEDALPIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1679, 26 January 1884, Page 19

CYCLING. NOTES BY PEDALPIN.

Some considerable interest must be awakening in athletics among our athletic men, as the entries for Saturday's sports have reached a a total of 142, not counting the "tugs of war." The D.A. A..C, of course, has aroused the interest, and other amateur sports reap the benefit. The cycle entries are unusually numerous, a large number of new men being in for the events. No Taieri men are running at all, all the competitors but Langdown and Morgan being town men. The Committee are doing their best to have all in order, and anxious deputations may be seen haunting the track and meeting in the D.C. Club-room, High street, to discuss the many and various subjects that will crop up. Quite an assembly of cyclists, in and out of uniform, turned out to meet the pioneer representative on Tuesday evening, and the array of machines on the platform looked quite refreshing. Can't the clubs turn out as well on other occasions.

The display of trick-riding in Bond street was rather good. I suppose the sight of O'Donnell performing has started the others. Certainly, though it may knock about a machine, trick riding gives a man a wonderful amount of confidence in his machine and himself when he happens to get in a " tight place," as our American friend would say. While writing of tricks, perhaps Rex Smith's latest may start some rivalry here. Rex is tho famous trick-rider of tho Capitat Bicycle Club, Washington. His last, at the date of my advice, was to bring the machine to a standstill, come down the side on to the pedal, light a cigarette at the Club lamp, remount, and ride off. Pretty good — eh? Training, of course, haa boen going on hard

all the week; but some nasty spills have occurred, one man going into the Oval fence twice in one evening ; another, a learner of half an hour, spurting another and going, as the song says, "over the handle-bar." Yet another made rather a mess of somebody in the fruit and furniture line. His colours, I presume, aro "crushed strawberry" — fashionable. By-the-way, some little change has taken place in the colours of our " cracks," Langdown now sports light blue and old gold ; F. A. Cutten, claret; O Donnell, black and gold ; W. H. Cutten still sports the old bkra and white ; Brown, dark blue with white facings ; Fulton, red, white, and blue. Leaving racing and sports alone, on the road affairs are not so lively. Last Saturday several men from both Clubs were out, but the showery day seemed to deter many from riding. South, the roads are about as good as they were before the floods, but north, in places they are like river beds, and rough ones at that. Tricyclists will be glad to hear that there is a prospect of getting macnines built considerably lighter next year than they have been in the past. The experiments made by many English racing men with their light machines on the roads go to prove that, if properly built and properly ridden, a tricycle of 50ib to 601b will stand a tremendous amount of knocking about. _ Of course that is far too light for the generality of men ; but, as Mr Stunner in the T ' Cyclist " says, if with good riding these light machines stand the wear and tear of the roads, why should not machines running from 751b to 801b stand ordinary work ? The long looked-for light " Sociable " has at last been built. Mr Smith, of the Surrey Machinists Company, who, with his wife are well known as plucky road riders, has turned out a double weighing only 1001b. The frame of the machine is of very light large-guage steel tube ; the famous hollow rima are used, and very large rubbers (lin and one-eighth) are put on. The same firm have turned out a single on similar lines, which is also a marvel of lightness.

With a light tricycle and a two-speed-gear the weakest may safely " tri" in even Dunedin. Elsewhere will be found the entries for the combined sports. Besides other attractions the Garrison Band will discourse sweet music during the afternoon. The sports start sharp to time — 2 p.m. — and those entered for the first events are advised to be on hand. The first heats of the " tugs " will be pulled off about 2.45. The one-mile championship will be run about 2.30 (not later), and the 10 miles about 4.30.