CYCLISTS' ALLIANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2014, 29 September 1892, Page 31

CYCLISTS' ALLIANCE.

The adjourned annual meeting of the New Zealand Cyclists' Alliance was held in the Pioneer Bicycle Club's room, Christchurch, last week. The following delegates were present :-MrW. B. Byre, Dunedin Cycling Club (m the chair) ; Messrs D. Sutherland and W. J. S. Hay ward, Pioneer Bicycle Club ; T. C. M. Ralhnshaw, Dunedin Cycling Club; R. P. Clarkson and W Thompson, Bicycle Touring Club'; F. Pannell, Ashburton Bicycle Club; F. N. Adams, Aurora Bicyclo Club: C. J. Milner, Waimate Cycling Club ; J. Boyd, North Canterbury Bicycle Club ; J. C. Cusack, Napier Wanderers' Cycling Club ; W F. Waller, Auckland Cycling Club ; and H. J. Moss, Timaru Tourists' Cycling Club. The Secretary, Mr R. P. Clarkson, stated that he had not received a reply from the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association with regard to where the next championship meeting would be held. The association would hold a meeting on Monday evening, when the matter would be decided upon. _ _,' „ . . A letter was read from Mr J. Martin, resigning his position as a delegate representing the Timaru Tourists' Cycling Club. The letter was received, and Mr H. J. Moss was elected to fill the position. . Applications for reinstatement were received from Messrs D. Hurst (Oamaru) and H. Smeaton (Dunedin), and the Reinstatement Committee suggested that the applicants should apply again in 12 months.

This was agreed to. A letter was read from MrW.H. Matthews, hon. secretary of the Dunedin Cycling Club, stating that the Dunedin Labour Day Sports Committee had included two bicycle events in its programme. The letter asked the alliance to grant the committee permission to hold the races. The request was granted. Mr Cusack proposed and Mr Ralhnshaw seconded— " That the alliance appoint one handicapper." , . „_, . Sir Milner moved as an amendment— That three handicappers, as before, be appointed. Mr Thompson seconded the amendment. The motion was carried by seven to five. Mr Boyd moved and Mr Cusack seconded— " That Mr F. Cooper be asked to act as handicapper." . The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Cooper, who was in the room, said he had given the matter careful consideration, and he had decided not to undertake the office. Mr Cusack then moved— "That a hearty vote of thanks be passed to Mr Cooper for his valuable services as handicapper." ' Mr Thompson seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Mr Milner introduced the question of instituting a champion race for roadster machines at the next Championship meeting. The Chairman stated that the alliance offered special prizes for men who broke road records. He did not think it advisable to include aay more bicycle championships in the championship programme. % Several delegates endorsed the chairman's remarks. Mr Milner moved— "That the secretary be instructed to write to the Canterbury members asking them to use their best endeavours in getting a reduction made in the present excessive charges for carrying.bicycles on the railway." The motion was seconded by Mr Adams, and after a lengthy discussion was carried. Mr Clarkson moved and Mr Cusack seconded— "That when permission for races is granted it Bball be subject to the name of the handicapper being submitted for the approval of the alliance." A qesuitorydiscussion.followed, and the motion was carried by seven to six. On the motion of Mr Milner, seconded by Mr Adams, the secretary was instructed to write to the affiliated clubs asking them to forward the names of persons willing to act as consuls in their districts. At this stage it was decided to adjourn the meeting till Wednesday next, when the reply from the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association will be considered, and the championships decided upon.

CYCLING IN NELSON DISTRICT. Mr H. Inglis, deputy-captain of the Dunedin Cyclicg Club, supplies me with, the following notes of his cycling experiences at Nelson :— jly ftwt run, was to Cable. Bay, tox about 7$

miles, after leaving Nelson the surface of the road is as smooth as that of the oval, and the scenery to be met with is really Very enchanting. On the one aide there is the beauties of the harbour, and on the other is a number of farmhouses, standing in the midst of most beautiful grounds richly adorned with flowers of every description ; camellias are seen in abundance, tho trees standing as high as 9ft, and the weeping willows with their new leaves looking wondrously fresh, lend an additional charm to the pleasant riding induced by the splendid state of the road. At the Happy Valley the road, still of excellent surface, runs alongside the Happy Valley River, and the scenery is enhanced by a wealth of splendid forest pines. A little further on, the road having been only lately formed, and made up of clay, was in a very bad state, but I was amply rewarded for my labour by the fine view that met my gaze on renching W akapuaka. I paid a visit to the cable station, and by the courtesy, of an obliging operator had everything in connection with the station explained to me. I did not omit to go down to the boulder bank and have a look at the spot where the cable enters the sea. Shortly after lunch, I saw an old friend pulling up a boat on the beach, and finding that ho was one of the operators, paid a second visit to the station, and was shown over all the very comfortable buildings. There is ample scopo for physical exercise. What with a billard room, a lawn tennis ground, a gymnasium, a good bay at hand for boating and swimming, horses, and guns, the place is a perfect little-paradise. , , Starting on the return journey at 4 o clock, Nelson (16 miles) was reached at 5.45 ; and I now look back upon this ride as being the most enjoyable one I have, had on a bicycle. I intended having a run to Belgrove, but the morning did not look favourable for a spin ; and as it had been raining during the night, and the roads were in a greasy condition, the spin had to be dispensed with. As I had driven over part of the distance, I shall just give a description of the road as best I can. After leaving Nelson the road, running between hills, and bounded on either side by nice houses and gardens, is level, and the surface is very like the Taieri Plain. The first place of any note that is reached is Stoke, five miles out. From Stoke the road is a gradual down hill, sloping gently into Richmond, nine miles out. Passing through Hope, Bridgewater, Springgrove, Wakefield, Wai-iti, and'Foxhill, we come to Belgrove, 24 miles. In the 24 miles there is not a hill worth speaking about, the largest one being only about 150 yds in length. I consider this a beautiful run, but it lacks the varied scenery of the Cable Station road. I am quite at a loss to understand the reason of the club in Nelson falling through, as I am informed there are about 200 riders in the district, and I am quite sure that if we had their roads our club-runs would be better attended. There is at present, I am glad to say, every prospect of the club being started again. Anyone wishing a longer spin than the two given above, can suit himself with a ride to Motueka, 32 miles over level country, or longer still, to Havelock, Blenheim, or Picton. The road to Blenheim is very level, only one road of any size is to be met with during the spin of 80 miles, and as the coach runs through from Nelson in one day, some idea of the splendid nature of theroads may be gathered from this. I paid several visits to the racing track, which I consider to be the fastest I have yet been on. I had the time taken for a two-mile flutter, and am quite certain I could not in my present condition make the same time on a Dunedin track. I will not give the time, as I might want to enter for a race or two this year, and I don't wish the D.C.C. handicapper to be jumping on me. The track— three rounds to the mile— is nicely banked at the corners, and I found no difficulty in racing at top speed all the way round. The asphalt is a little rough at present, but with another coating, of tar I think it would be by far the fastest track in New Zealand. It is greatly owing to the courtesy of Mr J. C. Mercer, the cycle manufacturer in Nelson, that my fortnight's stay was so pleasant I paid a visit to his premises, and had a look over his stock, which consists of a number of Singers and Humbers and the hundred and one things that go to make up a bicycle. As evidence of the cycling trade in Nelson, he is now compelled to add another storey to his premises, keeping the present part for his workshop. Mr Mercer intends getting a Elant for plating, and an enamelling stove ; and as just cleared a' shipment of Singer's— which, by the way, is the popular type of machine in Nelson— some Cushion, some Dunlop's, and some Clincher's. In noticed in my visit a great number of tricyles, mostly ridden by elderly men, and the thought struck me that if we could induce a number of our older men to take to tricycling what a grand help it would give to our club.