CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 27

CYCLING.

NOTES BI DEMON. The bad weather of the past week has spoilt all riding and created a famine of news. Hardly anyboJy rode during the week, but a few riders went out to the Taieri on Sunday afternoon to see the floods. The main roads were in fair order,,but at Green Island there is a good deal of metal in patches which required some dodging, and renders cautious riding necessary after dark. The clubs are waking up and making preparations for the coming season. In Canterbury cycling has taken a strong hold, new clubs coming to the front every season. Oamaru has a strong club, and so has Invercargill. It would be of interest to cyclists generally if information about the doings of the different clubs couid be obtained. At present, outside a club's own town ifc is difficult to find out anything about ir, and many rider 3 are unaware of the existence of some clubs,. Even locally most clubs are rather given to hide their light under a bushel, and consequently lose a good deal in membership alone. As a rule other athletic clubs take care to let people know what they are doing, and cycling clubs should follow the example. Reports of club runs, road rides by members, meetings, &c, will do much to keep up a club and induce riders who are apt at first to see little good in any organisation to become members. As a rule editors give the same opportunities to all branches of athletics to report their doings, and if a secretary is not too long winded he will generally succeed in getting attention. In sequence to the foregoing "Demon" now asks secretaries of clubs to forward all club news while fresh, so as to enable him to make the* cycling notes more than a record of the D uned in district only. The Witness reaches every part cf Otago, and all Otago clubs should be represented in its columns'. English files to hand bring the news of Fred Wood's success on the track again. He is now riding a Premier racer, having probably found his old place with Huniber filled up. His old opponent, Howell, and another Wood — Billy —were amongst his opponents in the last race. The cyclists' volunteer movement is progressing apace in England; helped of course by the good roads. There are now cyclist detachments detailed from many of the volunteer battalions, and a regiment of cyclist ecouts is being formed. The Regular army have also their cyclist detachments, audit is proposed to have a complete regiment of guides formed from the army. The volunteer detachments consist of 20 men, a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, and a bugler. They are armed with the infantry rifle, and drilled when dismounted as infantry. The mount is the rear driving Safety ; the rifle is carried on the backbone, ammunition in a bandoler over the shoulder, reserve ammunition, valise with necessaries, &c, on the' machine. A. very successful test of the marching and fighting qualities of the cyclist corps was made during the last Easter reviews, and the commander, Colonel Saville, himself an enthusiastic cyclist, was well pleased with results. The movement seems to be a success in every way ; and not only in England, but also in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria. Corps of cyclist scouts are now employed to assist the cavalry. Even in New Zealand — bad though the roads are foe the work — a good rider on a rear driver could manrge to cover a lot of ground in scouting, and on good roada could certainly do double the work of a cavalry man. The cycling volunteers have not been forgotten by the Wimbledon authorities. Two prizes of £20 and others of lesser value will be offered for wheelmen. The conditions will be to ride along in front of the butt?, dismount, fire 10 shots at 450 yds, and then remount and return to the starting point. For this a limit time of eight miuutes is allowed. If a good path be available this will not prove a difficult job ; but should the men have to ride over the rough heath they will not be able to perform the task in the allotted time. Again, won't the scorch to the shooting point make one's aim a bit unsteady ? It seems to me that the shooting, under such conditions, must necessarily be poor. A controversy has been going on in the Bicycling News as to who is the heaviest cyclist. Now thure is one man about town (says a Home writer) who has not been mentioned, who, I feel confident, , does not weigh less than 18st, and who could give a couple of stone to anyone, and then beat him roundly. I allude to Mr W. G. Winthorp, the old Cambridge University weightputter and hammer-thrower. I have had more than one good ride with him on the road, and there are not many big 'uns who could live with him for any reasonable distance. Another cycling novelty at Horne — the Vegetarian Cycling Olub. Sixteen members took part in the first run. I suppose w*j shall be having a teetotallers' club next. Vegetarianism may be very nice ; bub it strikes me that its cycling followers had better carry their own provender with them. Country victuallers will not be dyer pleased to see them, and may be apt to think that they give more trouble than they are worth. Allard Oxhorrow.at Coventry, managed to beat the mile Safety record of 2min 39~ec made by Engleheart in Juno last. He was accompanied by Rowt', with Oxborrow on the 70 and Morgan on the 100 yds marks. After riding well throughout, he got home in 2min 37 l-ssec — a capital performance, although the weather and track were everything that could be desired. Previous to this Oxborrow, who has at last turned professional, and Morgan rode an exhibition race, the American riding an ordinary and Oxborrow a Safety. The latter made a show of Morgan, going clean away in the last quarter, and winning as he pleased in 2min 53 2-ssec.

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