CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2161, 25 July 1895, Page 41

CYCLING.

Cyclists are beaming, and to-day the roads are in fine condition for riding. 'On Saturday some riders were out as far as Mofgiel and Ouiram. but the roa(?B were not then in good trim. The sharp frosts and keen drying winds of the past few days have, however, helped to dry up the roads, and if the rain keens off I expect »t the week end to meet a number of fellow cyclists out for a spin. Ulub matters are very quiet this week ; there is a calm before the annual meetings, and members are* now confiding^ to each other what their this season's mounts are to be, and what their intfutions are as regards racing on the path or the road or touring. For my part I do not wi»h for a better reason than. last year, and • I am inclined to think that if this year's enjoyment of cycling is as abundant as was last year's myjellow wheelmen will be quite, content. * .. Mr S. R. Stedman returned from Melbourne last week. He reports oycling matters as- quiet over on the other tide. Mr H._ P. Sanders, of Balclutha, well known as a long-dbtance road performer, has entered the employ of Mr W. Melville, of George street, and acts as Mr Melville's representative in 1 the country districts, touring round on his bioycle. * Mr Sanders has by his straightforward and plucky riding made a" number of friends in the cycling community, and I wish him success in his new sphere of action. ■ Two^ Dunedin cyclists, Messrs Hugh snd Tom Inglis, have entered into the oycliog ' business up north. They have opened up businesses in Wellington 4 and Auckland, and have secured the sole agency' of the Hutnber machine for the North Island. -The Wellington premises are situate in Willis street and are well adapted to a cycling* business, hiving a good.sized workroom at the rear of the shop, and a large room upstairs suitable for a showroom. The Auckland business, in Queen street, is the stock-in-trade, goodwill, and pl>mb of Mr W. M. Service. Tho Messrs Inglis have my good wishes for their success. v Mr A. D. Davys, a Dcmedin rider of the ••ordinary," days, and well known to the , cyclists of his day, has a connection with the cycling trade, and cow acts as Messrs Inglis's representative at Gisborne. An f effort is being made in Nelson to form a volunteer cycling corps. - A Brisbane message states that Furnell, j the Sydney cyclist, broke the hour record by doing 88yds under 22 miles. Ih a 50-mile p»th race held at Belfast on May 22 the Irish record to the credit of A. G. Joyce at 2hr 25cnin was beaten by W. H. Alexander, of tho Belfast V M.C.A.C.C., whose net time was 2hr 17min 58sec. The five men who finished were inside Joyce's time. E. de Perrodil, a French journalist, has successfully accomplished a ride from Paris to Milan, a distance of about 950 miles. He rode a new cheinless machine, and occupied nine days on the journey. It has been computed that the power required to propel a 13«t rider up a hill whose gradient is 1 in 22 at an ordinary pace is about one-tbird horse power, and a* a racing pace about one-half horse power. A 16st rider would ■ require a propelling. power of 3 8 and 11 - 20 horse power respectively. These figures repreBent an average -basis. , - A pneumatic shoefor pacing cycluts is amongst the latest' novelties. . A new cycle lamp is on the market. The lens ia hollowed out and filled with water, the illuminating power being, it is said, thus increased 33 per cent. A drop of glycerine in the water prevents it from freezing.

NOTES BY DEMON.

■ The formal opening of the Trafalgar B.C. house and grounds, at Trafalgar square, Chelsea, took place on May 23, remarks "Wheeling," when a fashiouable assemblage responded to the invitation of the committee. A programme of event**, comprising trick-iiding, au exhibition of the Eiffel and Midget machines, &c , was successfully carried out. The house is admirably furnished and fitted, and the grounds very pretty. The latest in inflafcors is a long arrangement with a ball joint enciroling its centre, so that it ma.Jr be permanently at' ached to the top bar of the frame of the machine, and enabling either tyre to be inflated without removing the pump. It is a German idea. It is said 'that a street car company in Denver, United States, has been compelled to reduce wages owing to the*compe'ition of the bioycle making such inroads on its revenue. The company state that during fine weather their receipts fall vti 50 per cent. The French military authorities at Putoaux are experimenting with a leather pneumatic tyre, or rather jOne with an outward covering of leather, the present sort not being suitable for campaign work. * Fifteen years ago the annual output of bicycles in Eo^Und was about 3000. Last year the figures touched 60.000. ' Paris Velo is responsible for the statement that Sarah Bernhardt's latest fad is cycling. The report goes on to say that her valet de chumbre acts as professor of the art, and the lessons are taken between 1 and 2- in the morning, after returning from the theatre, on the aipha) fc paving near her house. Secrtt marks are now being put on cycles by European makers, this course being tendered necessary on account of the numerous thefts of cycles. The Ladies Cyclists' Association in England is making rapid progress A foreign tour from Dieppe to Rouen and Havre is spoken of. Racing tandems and triplets are very numerous this season on the principal London tracks, and not a few quadruplets are to be seen. A cycling crab in Holland has adopted the queer name of " Widen Willen Wij," which, translated into English, signifies " We will cycle." The police force iv Hull (England) have taken to the bike in a body. At. the Midland Cyclists' meat held at Banbury on Whit Monday, the' Coventry Lady" Cyclists were awarded the special prize for the neatest costume, the in»yor of Banbury complimenting the club on their very appropriate and comfortable-looking dress. Tho club costume consists of grey skirt made a suitable length for riding, white jersey, hat, and gloves, with brown shoes and stockings. R L JeftVrson has completed his ride of 4200 miles from London to Moscow and back. He musb be a tough rider and a stayer. To average 100 miles a day is a feat that will long live in the memories of cyolists as a big performance. Geo'geP. Mills and Thomas A. Edge a>* going to ride a tandem from Laud's End to John o' Groats, and by way of a preliminary canter recently rode for 24 hours on the road. Fontaine's record of 376 miles for a single bicycle was broken by half a mile, and the tandem record of 317 miks was added to by close on 60 miles. The day was not good for record breaking. The machine ridden was a Raleigh tandem with clincher tyres. " I never oil aay bicycle," was the remark made to me, says a writer in Bicycling News, the other day by a thoroughly practical cyclist, I knew my man, and therefore asked for an explanation, and he told me that he has found the usual cycling oils such arrant rubbish

and has bad such difficulty in procuring really genuine animal or fish o<l, that he has bit on another device. He fills all his bearing cups with a mixture of goose grease and tallow, using just sufficient of the latter to prevent the grease from running out of the bearings in hot weather. This, he contendp, will furnish sufficient lubrication for six months, even if the machine be ridden every day, while it prevents any possibility of -any dust or wet working its way in«ide the baarings. There seems to me to be much reason in the contention, as I believe it is generally understood that there is no finer or more lasting lubricant than goose grease.' The wheels or pedals of a machine thus lubricated will not spin quite as freely as when a very thin oil is used, or no oil at all, a 9 a matter of fact, but it is well known that the spinning of a wheel dees not always afford a reliable index of its running when ib is ia actual use. I recently opened the bearings of & machine that has been regularly used, and found that the cups were nearly filled with what I can only describe as gum, which wanted absolutely scraping out. I discussed the matter with a well-known agent the other day, and he assured I me that fora really good oil cyclists would have ' to pay four times at lcnst the price of the stuff which is now in use, but " they would fiud it much cheaper in fche long run too 1 ," he added. ■ H. J. Lawson is shortly to be presented with a testimonial in honour of his invention of tbe safety bicycle. Mr Walter Phillips has the matter in hand; and nearly all the leading cycle manufacturers have already subscribed their names. When it is remembered that by Lawson's invention orders for over 500,000 machines are every year shared up amongst our British manufacturers, and in Franco, Germiuy, Rnd the United States there must be also au equal number at least made, it can be fairly taken that over a million bicycles are ordered apd sold every year — this means quite 10 millions of money divided up between cycle manufacturers, steel merchants, iroufounder'e, wire-drawers, rubber works, leather trades, newspaper?, &c. Millions of persons derive their daily livelihood through Lawson's invention. The testimonal is to take the form of an illuminated address, and will be presented at a coinplimenaary dinner to the inventor at Coventry. — Bicycling News. AN ODE AND A WARNING. Farewell, old crock, thou hast served me well Full many a hundred mile, O'er hill and dale, through wood and vale, And to the tryating stile. The trysting stile ! Ah, happy spot I To me it visions bring 3 Of a fair form, with grace divine, And only wanting'wings. Methinks I hear her gentle voice . Extolling in your praise ; How well she loved your wiry form In those dear halcyon days. __ Then it's hey for a cycler's life, Ab he roams on rubber and iteel, And hears the rush of the mighty wind As it whistles through the wheel ! There's naught on earth I'd change, for thee, Thou bleat of all mankind— E'en woman, lovely woman, thou Leavest far behind ! But, alas, old bike, the scene is changed, For the marriage vow I've said. And the "missis" haß her veto placed On thy devoted hsad. Says she : " You'll stay at home, my dear, Or I'll go home to mother ; Your bicycle one girl has caught — I'll see you catch no other ! " Oh. cyclers, one and all, I pray Take warning by my fate, Audhavean "understanding" ere, Like me, it is too late 1 — W. L. Woweridge.