CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2102, 7 June 1894, Page 33

CYCLING.

NOTES BY DEMON. It is understood that a Ladies' Cycling Club will be formed in Melbourne shortly. Over 100 cyclists attended a church parade held at Adelaide reoently. The cyclists were addressed by the Rev. Canon Green, of St. Peter's Church, Glenelg. The 24 hours' bicycle race held in Melbourne on May 23 and 24 resulted in a win for G. W. Chrisp, who covered 401 miles 4 laps during the time. Eighteen competitors took part in the contest, and there was some energetic racing throughout the 24 hours. The world's amateur record is 426^ miles, made by F. W. Shorland in the race for the Cuca Cocoa Cap last year at Herne Hill, London. Mr C. Stewart, captain of the Brisbane Cycling Club, recently completed one of , the finest rides ever made in the colonies. He started from Melbourne with Viotor" Clouting, and the pair rode to Sydney in six days, a distance of 580 miles. From Sydney the Qaeenslander set out alone, and rode right through to -Brisbane— 62o miles — in 7£days. The journey was a remarkable one, and shows quite plainly what a wonderful little vehicle the modern safety bicycle is. • Owing to large and increasing trade demands Mr S. R. Stedman, the well-known bicjele importer, has foand it necessary to make extensive alterations to his business establishment in George street. Two compartments formerly used by Mr Stedman as shops have been converted into a showroom, commodious and well lighted. The room is stocked with bicycles of various types, which are fitted with all the latest cyoling improvements. The wellknown Humber occupies a prominent position, while there are likewise Austral (a bicycle of thu Humber type made specially for the colonies), Raleigh, P/emiers, and other machines. The showroom also contains every imaginable description of cycling appurtenances. Mr Stedman has furthermore just landed a quantity of patent tyres, backed with cotton instead of canvas ; and tyres thus made, it is claimed, are less likely to be punctured than the ordinary tyres. Improvements of a considerable nature have also been made in the workshop. The gas engine which has hitherto driven the polishing lathes and the ordinary lathes has been replaced with a Victory gas engine of the Otto type, while the furnace has been fixed with a blast driven by water-power on a new principle. Mr Stedman has recently turned out a new sulky, which he proposes exhibiting at the coming show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. It has been built after the Humber pattern, and as an example of the suitability of the machine for the purposes for which it was built, it might be mentioned that already a trotting horse harnessed to it has put up a record time for two miles. It is probable that the next Austra Race mcetiDg will be held on December 1 and 8. The prizes will total about £380, the now-famous Austral Wheel Race carrying £250 of this. The entry and acceptance fee for this race will be the same as last year — viz., £1 each. Regarding the Austral Wheel Rase, "Philibuster" writes in the Australasian: — "The fame of the Austral Wheel Race prize has evidently reached the far west States of America, for a letter has just been received by the Melbourne Club from H. Kanaska, Milwaukee, Win., intimating that he would find pleasure in seeing Australia if the club would remit him the money for expenses by return of post. These expenses, he states, would be a trivial item compared with the sums the club would reap from people flocking to see him ride. He then modestly outlines his powers, and offers to challenge any rider in the world to meet him at any distance. His spelling is ludicrous,'and the whole letter has a serio-comic gtrainjworthy of a negro minstrel. No doubt

the club will extend to him a hearty invitation, but forget to enclose remittance." Cyclists, and indeed the general public, will be glad to learn (writes the Coolgardie Miner, dated April 21) that there is a movement on foot to establish a cycling telegraph. Some of the crack road riders of Victoria are now resident here, and their services will be at the disposal of patrons of the telegraph. The cost of a message from here to the Cross will be ss, and a return can be made within 24 hours. In addition to working the road to Southern Cross, the cyclists' express will be established to Hannan'e, White Feather, and Kuraalpi, so that there is a prospect of a quicker communication with these centres than was formerly dreamt of. Messrs Summerhayes and Barmlett are the names of the gentlemen who will inaugurate the service. They are well-known crack road riders from Victoria. Record-breaking for the season of 1894 in England began on April 5, when C. W. Schafer and A. Gaskell, of the Manchester Wheelers, j broke the Northern 50-mile Tandem Safety record by smin 22sec, riding the distance over a 25-mile course, out and home, in 2hrs 3Lmin 33sec. Buffalo, Americi, is a charming city for cycling, aa there are 150 miles of aspbalt roads; in fact, it has more miles of asphalt pavement than any other city in the world. No preparations (pays the Pharmaceutical Era, in answer to a correspondent) can be applied to rubber tyres with the effect of preserving them, and no specific directions can be given for their care. The same care necessary for any kind of rubber goods would also apply in the pace of rubber tyres. They should not be subjected to extremes of temperature, and no oil, varnish, or other dressing should be used. At factories where steel balls are made for bicycle bearings, a very simple but ingenious method of counting is employed. A board containing 500 holes corresponding with the balls is covered with balls and the surplus removed, and tho trained eye of tho counter soon detects if any hole is unoccupied. Charles E. Duryea illustrates in The Wheel a design for a bicycle with a triangular frame. The steering post and back tubes are carried up until they unite, forming a triangle or half diamond, with the crank axle placed as in the highflier, and the saddle and handles attached to the apex of the triangle. Mr Duryea claims that it will save several pieces, and a pound or two in weight, and he reckons the mile in lmin 30sec should be accomplished on the machine with decent pacing. In 1892, 35,000 machines were sold in France, 20,000 being of French manufacture, and 15,000 coming from other countries. Last year 48,000 were sold, 26,000 only being French, and 22.000 "foreigners." There are estimated to be 300,000 owners of cycles in the country. >'' Tho annual report of H. H. Griffin, one of the National Cyclists' Union's esteemed handicappers, shows that he handicapped last season 3418 entries in 144 races at 65 sports. For his eight years' official duty as handicapper, he has handicapped 28,256 entries in 1212 races at 575 sports, which it is thought constitutes a world's record so far as cycling is concerned. The Paris correspondent of the Sporting Life supplies the following : — " Arthur Augustus Zimmerman, the amateur champion of the world, is positively to become a professional. During the week, Troy, who by the way is ' Zim's ' manager, came to Paris supplied with a power of attorney to act on his behalf. A contract has been signed with M. William Baduel, the director of the Seine and Buffalo tracks, whereby Zim is exclusively engaged to ride on these two track 3, as well as on several other provincial paths, to be selected by the director in question. On April 30 he arrives at Havre, and will immediately come on to Paris, where he goes into training. M. Baduel will then isßue a challenge for Zimmy to race anybody in the world, for £1000 a side, the money being already deposited with the Union Velocipedique de France (French National Cyclists' Union). I understand that after he has raced on the Seine and Buffalo tracks, he will do likewise at Bordeaux, Lille, Lyons, Brussels, Antwerp, and Blankerberghe. He may possibly be taken on to Italy, where he will meet the best of the Italian riders. — r- Peter Weber, a member of the Milwaukee Fire Department, has invented an ice bicycle that promises to enable fast riding on ice. The machine is built on the lines of the ordinary with the exception of the tyres Instead of rubber, aluminum tyres are used on the ice bicycle. The tyre of the front wheel is shaped almost the sama as the ordinary tyre, with the exception that it tapers to a point where the tyre comes in contact with the ice, so that when the wheel is ridden the point cuts into the ice about an eighth of an inch. The rear wheel tyre is round, as an ordinary rubber tyre. On the sides are small spurs, which plough into the ice and prevent the wh< el from slipping when force is applied to the pedals ; or swerving to the side, and throwing the rider off when a corner is turned. This arrangement makes it possible to ride at a fair speed. The aluminum tyres make the machine light and strong. A test of the wheel was made by Mr Weber recently. The test was very satisfactory to the inventor and those who saw the experiment. A race was held with skaters, which resulted in favour of the bicycle rider. There was no difficulty experienced in riding round a small circle or making short turns. The only point that was open for improve - I ment was getting a fast start. This Mr Weber hopes to overcome by improving the points on the wheels. Mr Weber has spent considerable time and money on the invention, and U conn lent that he can improve the wheel so that it will bo pcr r ect for ice riding. The inventor thinks that ! after he makes further improvements a speed can be acquired on the machine that will equal that on the ordinary track. Several ice bicycles have been invented, but none Inve given as good service as that of the fireman. — The Bearings. A remarkable trial of Bpaed on the winter cycle, an invention of C. T. Firth, of Chicago, took place on Chequamegon Bay, Wiscjn&in, recently. The machine is of great lightness and high gear. It was ridden a mile in lmin 44 3-ssec. The rider went five miles over a partially crusted surface in very quick time. It is the fastest time ever ridden on a machine propelled by human force. The fastest mile was made by Gaerge W. Gifford. The machine consists of a driving wheel and two runners attached to an ordinary bicycle frame, and it is so contrived that it can be attached to any machine in a few minutes. A fork is run from the front fork of the bicycle frame to the forward runner, thence to the rear runner, and to the bicycle frame again. The weight of the rider is thus upon the runners or skates, which are made of the lightest material possible. A chain gearing is attached to a drive-wheel set j in a movable frame pivoted at the back of the machine, allowing this drive-wheel to be j constantly upon the surface of the ice or snow, and thus overcoming all irregularities met. The only pressure upon this drive-wheel is its own weight, and that is distributed to it through tbo action from the ridir upon the pedals. The angle of strain from the chain may be so adjusted and changed by raising or lowering the pivot on the drive-wheel frame that the reaction upon the driving mechanism is brought to the lowest possible point.

A WINTER BIDE. By Raglan. Dbar Demon, — I know there is always a scarcity of local news during the winter, and with the hope that it may prove readable, I herewith send you an account of a ride of two day 8 and a-half made by a member of the D.C.C. last week into the interior of Otago. Leaving the club room in High street at 2.45 p.m. on Saturday, tho rider had no sooner entered Princes street than a stiff sou-wester was met with Having made up his mind to reach Lawrence that evening, he saw that to do so would mean putting his head down and pedalling away both up hill and down dale. Sometimes the wind was so strong that, when climbing a steep part, it would bring the rider to a complete standstill, and in one instance, whilst climbing Saddle Hill, he saw a cyclist a few yards ahead completely blown over. A hard and weary ride of 21 miles brought Henley into view at 4.30, and on reaching it a stop of half an hour was made. Mounting again at 5 p.m., and still fighting the wind, he plugged away for Milton, but by the time Milburn was reached the now weary rider felt inclined to turn round and scud home before the gale. Whilst debating in his mind whether to do this or to push ou, a buggy drawn by a fast horse came along, and immediately it had passed be whipped in behind, and being thus protected from the .wind pedalled into Milton, arriving there at 6 o'clock. After tea the cyclist felt so comfortable sitting before a good fire at the White Horse that he could not drag himself away from it in order to face another 30 miles of hill-climbing and wind-pluggiDg. At about 7.30 he went out to see how the weather losked, and fouud that, although the night was clear, and the moon almost at its full, the wind was still blowing hard, and the weather was now bitterly cold. He therefore decided to go back to the fire and to make an early start next morning, hoping in the meantime that the wind would drop. At 8 the next morning, after a good breakfast, a start was made in the company of Mr F. Bastings, jun., who went as far as the fifth bridge in the Manuka gorge, but as the wind was still contrary the companionship did not last any farther. The ride up the Manuka gorge is always enjoyable, but far more so in the winter time, when nothing is to be heard but the roar of the now swollen stream winding its circuitous course down the gorge several feet below the wheels of the rider. On emerging from the gorge our rider was agreeably surprised to find that the wind had at length completely dropped, so that travelling was now fast and pleasant. Lawrence was reached at 10.45 r but as this was too early for dinner it was decided to push on to the Beaumont. It was now that the troubles commenced. The surface of the road beyond Lawrence cannot in any way compare with that leading into Lawrence, nor with the surface on the main south road. What with waggon and coach traffic, and also on account of the scarcity of good stone and the severity of the weather, the roads in winter in this district are simply abominable. To give an idea of their state they might be compared to a ploughed field, the only difference being that the furrows are about twice the size of those made by plough. In riding these roads during winter one has to be content with a side track a few inches wide and not in the best condition, but as this frequently gives out, nothing remains but to either ride on the grass or pedal tho machine through the ,mud, which sometimes reaches the* pedals. Arriving at the Beaumont at 12.30, justice was done to a good dinner, and, mounting again at 2 p.m., it was found that the road, instead of improving, got .worse until Rae's Junction was reached, when the Goldfields road wasleft and the Tapanui one taken. The surface on this road was a great improvement on the former, and although formed chiefly of soil and clay, yet it was not much cut up on account of there being less traffic on it. After riding up this road for about three miles the rider met a hill— and such a hill ! Saddle Hill or Kilmog cannot compare with it. However, the surface was good, and it was thus possible to walk it with comparative ease. When the top was reached a couple of miles of riding and walking brought the destination, Dunrobin, in sight at half-past 3, the distance of 53 miles from Milton having thus been travelled in six hours' actual riding. Considering the head wind for the first part of the journey, and the condition of the road for the latter part, the ride— i.e., 53 miles in six hours— makes a very creditable performance. During the night a very severe frost set in, and upon getting up in the morning tho ground was found to be almost white, the roads frozen as hard as stones, and tho pools covered with ice ; but on the whole this was preferable to mud. Starting the return journey from Dunrobin at 9 a.m. it could be seen from the beginning that it would be a ticklifh job to steer the bike along the road in its then state. Sometimes the front wheel would find its way into a deep rut, with the result that theridtr would lose control of the machine, and then it was a case of either the rider sprioging off or the bicycle slipping on top of the rider. As it was sbili freezing hard a dismount was made at the crest of tbe Dunrobin hill in order to button up securely and chafe the hands so as to increase the circulation. In making the descent the rider's hands began to feel very cold before he had gone many yards, and as he descended still further the cold increased until tbe pain in his hands became almost unbearable, and he felt everr moment as if they would be frost bitten. He dared not take evau one of his hands off the handle bars because it took him all his time to steer clear of ruts and also to hold the machine back. However, with great care' and good judgment the hill was safely descended. It was on this hill that a very disagreeable fall occurred to one of Otago's oldest riders. He was making the descent, but upon arriving at a very sharp curve bis old ordinary threw him off and sat him down upon a large dry Scotch thistle. It was half an hour before he was again capable of Bibbing' in his saddle on account of the time spent in extracting the thorns that had been embedded in his flesh. The spin from Dunrobin to Rae's Junction was accomplished in 30 minutes, and then the Goldfields road was again struck, and with it the deep ruts, which, however, were frozen. The surface up the Junction well was comparately good, and consequently rideable to the top, bat the surface on the Beaumont side was very bad, and instead of flying down it was necessary to feel the way along very slowly and carefully. One hour had now been spent on the road when the Beaumont hove in sight, but pedalling was stiill kept up, with tbe intention of getting over the bad roads before the thaw set in. A mile or two out from the Beaumont the road improved, and good pace was maintained until the foot ot' the Big Hill was reached. Before starting the climb up this hill the cyclist went to tiie creek ' alongside, filled his wallet with ice, and whilst climbing sucked the ice and munched apples which had found their way into t his bag. Ho found that when one is clinibin* a hill a mouthful of ice imparts a most refreshing feeling. Lawrence was reached at 11.20 a.m., and with it the end of his troubles — or rather the end of the bad roads. After a stay of only a few minutes in this town a start; was made with the in-

tqption of making Waitahuna for dinner, but the roads were now in such a perfect condition that Waitahuna was reached before noon, and there oiir rider was told that dinner was not served until 1 o'clock, but by waiting a few minutes something would be prepared. However, it was decided to push on for Glenore, 11 miles further on, which was covered in exactly 30 minutes. The spin from Waitahuna to Glenore is one of the most delightful in Otago. With the exception of Round Hill it is all on the down grade, and when the gorge is reached the machine simply flies. First one bridge and then another is crossed, until eight bridges are counted. .One would think that the gorge is full of stream?, but it is really the same stream that is crossed and recrossed so often. Having made a stay of an hour at Glenore, the cyclist again .set out, and arrived at Milton at 2.15 p.m. Leaving there at 2.30, and meeting his old friend, the head wind, Dunedin was reached at 6 p.m., when, after a hot bath and a good dinner, he enjoyed that rest the full enjoyment of which is known only to a weary cyclist. Considering the state of the roads in the interior and the head wind, an average ef over 10 miles per hour is no mean ono, and to cover 85 miles in eight hours without over-oxerting oneself speaks volumes for the modern safety bicycle.