WINTER CYCLING AT LOVELL FLAT, TOKOMAIRIRO

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2159, 11 July 1895, Page 34

WINTER CYCLING AT LOVELL FLAT, TOKOMAIRIRO

Dear Demon,— l claim that Lovell Flat can boiat a bevy of cyclists who are worthy of the name. Th6y recognise that their machines are more for use than ornament. They have been riding as usual all winter, in all weathers — frost, enow, and rain, and in mud and puddle and slop The majority of them are old horsemen, and declare that all round they perfer the bike to the quadruped. They have completely upset the assertion of unbelievers that the bicycle is merely a summer's day plaything, as I will show : On Friday night last there was a buggy accident, through a horse bolting, and one of our wheelmen having his bike handy, mounted and rode to the rescue. The night was dark and wet, but he did good work, s^curirg the runaway and summoning help to the. victims of the capsize — who happily were not ssricusly hurt.

Tl.e following night another one performed a npvel feat in cycling. He rode to Milton (eight miles). It mmcd steadily, and the roads were flooded across in places to a d^pth generally of about 6in. He wore »n ordinary topcoat, tied around hit legs, and heavy watertight boots — prepared for the worst Rsturning after nightfall be found the waters had risen very considerably, and he had to face an unbroken stretch of wa r er of fully 300 yard*. How deep was it ? — that wai the query. Neck or nothing, into it he dashed. A heavy thick rain was driving

in his face Ab every turn of the yed&ls his feet plopped down till the water came over the tops of his watertights ; sometimes the water was actually over the axles, with a strong current across ths road, but his good old jigger proved reliable. lie gaj sit was harder driving than a stifi up-hill plug, and he had to strain every nerve to keep the machine goii g. Ouce he misjudged his position on the road somewhat," and got among whins at the side. Another few feet further to the side he knew would have plunged him out of sight into the flooded ditch. This knowledge, together with the vrhius, nearly brought him to grief, but making a supreme effort he once more felt the metal under his wheel", and shortly afterwards emerged from the water in triumph, reaching his destination safe and sound, and 1 may add, to his credit, in fast time considering his wonderful bicycling dress and that he bad to finish up with a mile of roughish road, tbrough mud up to the rims. The foregoing is nott-xaggcrafced, it is a plain unvarnished description of an ac f u-ii < ceurrenee. I pen it to show I hat bicjcUng is making way as a real live up-to-date useful ineaus of locomotion, and is not merely a holiday sport for idler* or new woman rigged out in "baggy whafa-his-names."— Yours truly,

Cltnchkr.