CYCLING. EXTRAORDINARY CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 29

CYCLING.

EXTRAORDINARY CYCLING.

TWENTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR POSSIBLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. Cycling has entered upon a new phase. As until quite recently everyone thought the limit of speed had been reached ; but as was foreshadowed a long time ago, in a letter written to Answers by Mr R. J. Meoredy (whose astounding performances have created so much excitement recently), we are on the eve of cycling at a pace whioh at tbis time last year would have been deemed impossible. The cause of the remarkable increase of speed is the new pnoumatic tyre that has made so much sensation in the cycling world, This tyre is 2in in diameter (over Gin round that iB to Ray), and is filled with air.

When the tyre was first introduced it was received with a etorm of abuse. This was chiefly caused by the fact that nearly all the oycle makers had in their possession huge stocks of ordinary tyre?. Certain manufacturers employed some of the cycling papers to attack the tyre, and to state that lit was liable to burst, and that it slipped.

Whether the first pneumatic tyres did or did not burst is not worth considering. They aro now made so that it is almost impossible for them to burst, and from personal experience the writer can Btate that a ride on a pneumatic tyre over a rough road very much resembles the sensation of riding on asphalt or wood paying with an ordinary tyre. Pneumatio tyres aro so speedy that in many instances promoters of cycling races refuse to allow machines fitted with thsm to oompate. They Bay, and perhaps rightly, that they are so fast that a third-rate rider on a pnoumatic tyre would beat a first-rale rider ou an ordinary tyro.

The writer's first experience with the pneumatic tyre was early "this year. The exfciaordinary appearance of tho new invention attracted much attention as ka passed through tha streets, but the lyro did not slip na was alleged. In going up hills the rider feela »b though hois gifted with wings. With half tho oxertion bo is able to accomplish a (,hird moi'B work than usual.

Tha fastest time yet performed on tha tyre was Mr R, J, Meciedy's wonderful record of 2min 26sec for a milo. Mr Mecredy rode a safety fitted with the •• pneumatio," and we

are of opinion that before the end of this year the mile record will be reduced to 2min 208eo. One of the great reasons of the popularity of •the pneumatic will be the faot that it will enable cycle makers to build much lighter machines than hitherto. All the rattle and shaking are removed, and there is not bo muoh strain on the working parts as there is with the rider seated on a hard tyre of indiarubber. When the pneumatic tyre, which by the way ia an Irish invention, and is made in Dublin, was first introduced no one would buy it. At the present moment the lucky people who own the invention are simply taking in money as fast as they can turn out the tyres. One of the beßt known oyolists of the day remarked the other day, "At one time we thought that 22 miles an hour would be the maximum ever attained by a cyolist. My own belief at the present moment is that within the next two or three years the pneumatio tyre will enable a man to knock off 25 miles an hour with ease."

At the present moment the pneumatic tyre not only holds most of the reoords, but several championships as well.