CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 37

CYCLING.

NOTES BY DEMON.

— Last Saturday afternoon I eavr a cider, very carefully riding his bicycle at a slow pace along Cargill road, whioh road holds, I can say ■ without fear of challenge, a record for mud aud ' it general air of belonging to no one in particular, and being left to its own care and to the elements to play upon, to the advantage or disadvantage of cyclists and others of the general public Well, to return to the cyclist. I simply gazed^at .the rider, and after serious debate, lasting till the machine was out of sight, conoluded that the rider was plucky and levelheaded. A sharp side slip or a jolt would easily bring about a spill, and I am at a los* to picture how the rider would lcok after a good broadiid« spill into the quagniii'd abounding in Cargill road. From the foregoing it will be imagined that cycling is just now practically dead, and that clubrooms are the haunt of our ojclist*. There is at present on view at Messrs Wise and Co.'s window an excellent sample of ' » cycle of looal manufacture. . The machine in 'question, the production of Messrs Cooke, Howlison, and Co., bicycle manfaefcurera of this city is built to the order of a resident of Dunedin for his son, a boy of 8£ years. The machine i» thoroughly up to date, made of English racing- parts, and well finished. The frame is 17in high, both wheels 26m, weight 231b, tread Hin, gear 56m. This sample of a •• Record " bicycle is a credit to the firm, asd looks capable of proving to the makers a sumoe of satisfaction and to the rider all that might be desired in a cycle. Ths Dunedin Cycling Club have added two now rooms to their already commodious rooms, and members are not laoking in appreciation of the accommodation provided. A meeting of the New Zealand Cyclists' Teuring Club was held in Wellington on June 23. ' The draft rules prepared by the provisional cramilitee w«o read sind adopted with riigw

alterations. It was decided that the whole o New Zealand bo' divided into divisions on the lines of the ' provincial districts, and that chief copsuls and representative' councillors be elected by the members ot each division to represent them on the Executive Council ; each division being entitled to one representative councillor for every 50 members. It was also decided to priut and forward to the secretaries of a I oil nial cycle clubs a pro-jp'cbus defining the constitution and objects of the club, together with a form of application for membership, the subscription for whioh has been fixed at 5s per annum, with a fee of 2s 6d as entrance. The present provisional committee were elected to ho.d office for one year, with power to add representative councillors to their number when the number of members of each division entitle them to representation Any division will be entitled to one representative councillor for each 50 members enrolled.

" There is a reason for everything," writes a correspondent of Bicycling News, "and I should be glad if you could tell me why races on the cycle track are generally run ' left hand in ' ?" The reason iB based ou tho physiological theory that even as man is right-handed so is he " left-legged." This is evidenced by the fact that when a man is working with the right hand (as en a lathe) there is a tendency to use the left leg as a balance. This leg beipg stronger is the more readily brought into action, and it is the foot whioh is placed in the stirrup of a saddle, or the fctep of a bicj cle. The greater pressure therefore being brought to bear upon the left pedal, Wae machine has a constant inclination in that direction. Heace ifc is that the majority of racers find ifc more natural to ride " left hand ib," and the reason r*ces are always, where possible, conducted onthat principle. , In England the latest notable on vert to cycling is the Home Secretary, Sir Matthew White. The Cyclists' Touring Club in England now numbers 21,422 members. Although the oycle has an elevating influen.ee, it is an indisputable fact that it ifl not co

much so now as it used to be in the days of the 11 ordinary."

The New York Herald gives the following : — Bicyole riders in the United State?, 4,000,000; riders in New York City, 200,000; riders epend eaoh year in caring for their wheels and on excursions, 200,000,000dol ; reputable wheel manufacturers iv tho country, 250; capital invested in these plants, 60,000,000dol ; persons employed by these factories, 70,000; persons employed, in making bioyele sundries, 50,000; wheels turned out Ihia season, 1,000,000; gained by riders in health aS'd in Baying of doctors' tees, untold millions.

The American prima donna, Lillian Russell, now rides a golden wheel. Th» bioyele cost the manufacturers over £350 to make, and every met *1 partis plated with three thick layers of real gold. Iv general appearance it is not unlike other wheels of the '96 models. There are, however, two exceptions— one is in the saddle, whioh is some wb at smaller than the average lady's saddle, and has concealed in the rear a ret of springs. Again, the handle-bars are nearer the rider than ordinarily. This is accomplished by having the bar whioh runs from the drop a trifle shorter and inclined towards the ridor at a greater angle. Another feature of the maohine is the total absence of guards of any kind. Every part of the wheel has Miss Russell's name engraved on ib. This own extends to the delicate spokes, eaoh of whioh ia emblazoned with the owner's name on the triple plating of gold. The rims are devoid of plating. They aire made of ourly maple and polished to brilliancy. The cyolo« meter was included ia the plating, as was also the lamp, which, by the way, is lighted with electricity from a email but strong storage battery. Miss Russell wears a divided skirt when riding, and has a strong objection to the bloomer costume.

Remarkable activity in .the bicycle trade duriDg the past cis mouths is causing an industrial revolution at Birmingham and other centres. Thousands of skilled mechanics-have deserted the gunnoakers and other industries, which have consequently been paralysed. On the other hand, the bicycle-makers are working double time and earning high wages. Incidentally, American bicycles are maktDg headway ; at first they were strongly condemned. The Chronicle, referring to the American wheeli, saya : " Bicycle makers must reduce the weight and simplify the adjustments or suffer greatly from the Americans, which are sib to 71b lighter."

L»nd and Water learns that & new bicycle invention which is looked upon ai likely to supersede pneumatic tyres .is nhort'y to be pre* sented to the public. Itis vaguely described as a frame bicycle pneumatically sluDg, while the wheels are solid tyres. Thus it ia claimed there is no danger of puncture f the resistance is perfect, thero is an entire absence of vibration, and the machines can be produced at half the ccst of the present machines.

The trade in cycles shows no falling off. That's where the trade scores over the novice every time. —~ A contributor to Bicycling News gives in the issue of May 20 the following information regarding the much-talked-of form of motordriven biojcles :— " Judging by the result of the trials that were made on Coventry track last Friday, I do not think that the new form of motor-driven bicjcles are'likely to supersede the ordinary manual-propelled cycles of the present day. A couple of machines of the Hildobrand and Wolfmuller were type put on trial, which were manned by riders who were supposed to have made themselves thoroughly conversant with the peculiarities and eccentricities of the new form of oycle, but I must say they looked anything/ but happy when they had got, their machines into moticii, and for anyone of » nervous temperament I do not think tbe motor-driven bicycles will commend themselves. In the first -place, the machine weighs' something like 1501b, is cumbersome in appearance, and has a penchant for having entirely its own way, and doing just exactly what it likes rather than submit to the controlling inflaemxs of the rider. The man on the wheel is not of couree called upon to do any pedalling ; all he has to do is to sit still and oontrol the steering (if he can), and keep his head ccoi, which it no easy task, especially when the machine you are trying to persuade to go round a corner is determined to strike off in an entirely opposite direction. When in fall swing it snorts aod grunts and groans like a steam lira engine, and the vibration is enough to shatter the nerves of anyone even with a oast- iron kind- of constitution ; that is one rea«on why I doa't think the motor bioyele has come to stay ; another reason is because of the difficulty of steering. During one of the trials one of tbe 'experts' was showiDg off its speed qualities to the best advantage, and was taking it round for a fast lap, doing at the time about 20 miles an hour, when the machine ' shied ' at one of the curves, and instead of responding to the requirements of its rider it made for the railings and unceremoniously 'chucked' the poor unfortunate expert all of a heap on to the gravel, doing some damage to the maohine and driver, thus putting an end to the day's trials and tribulations. All these things considered, I have come to the conclusion that the days of the motor bicycle are not yet." Do not speak disparagingly of % racer because he is a " stick." A match is only a stick, too, but see bow it fires up when it comes to the scratch.

- — 'A phase of London life is thus described by an English cycling paper v— The number of oyclists who daily use their machines for business purposes, and flock into the metropolis through all its main arteries, increasing to an alarming (from the tram and railway companies' point of view) extent. It is interesting to stand at the foot of any of the bridges (Westminster for. preference) and watch them

sweeping over "not in spies, but in battalions." They are not of the " shop-boy " order, either. In the very early hours you will gee the artisan riding gaily to the soene of his labaura, with workbasket on back and the ipsaparablo redhandkerohiefed bundle dangling from his handlebar, and oft times mounted on a most up-to-date machine. An hour or so later the young gentlemen who condescend to grace an office with their light and presence make their appsarance, and, throwing an upward glance &t Big Ben, are speedily lout to view in the kaleidoscopic traffic. A little later, as the small hand of the great clook is stealing towards tho hour of 10, and the order changeth. Staid, elderly gentlemen of a respectable and finanoial appearance amble stolidly past, doubtlessly cogitating in their minds whether "young Clavkson" haa> had another puncture that morning to delay him 30 minutes. Lucky wro those youths who have cycling "guvnors"! It has been said that a oyclist is saddled with more responsibility than any other user of the toad; and when one considers the thousands who are daily flitting through the streets o? London, with suoh a microscopical proportion of casualties, it is a standing testimony to tho presence of miud, quickness of eye, and dexterity which the use of tho oycle teaches. — — Side by side with tho great development of cycling as a recreation for ladies in England there has been a curious gradual extinction of the "rational" costume. "Rationals," as most oyclists know, is one of those euphemistic nouna so dear to tho feminine mind, whioh means knickerbockers exclusively ; and when it was noticed how rarely the Frenoh cycling lady attired horsslf in any other costume for her ride in the Bois de Boulogne it was generally anticipated that a similar fashion would be set in England. Early appearances certainly gave some colour to this expectation ; but the visitors to nuy of the London parks affeoted by lady riders this spring will see how completely national characteristic* have triumphed,' the shirtless, lady being much more a rara avis than was the case last summer. .In Paris, as even the holiday visitor cannot have failed to notice, long before the advent of the lady bicyclist French ladies of all stations have not the slightest hesitation in lifting their skirts well oat of the mud should there be the slightest excuse for doing co. Many, in fact, m»ke assurance doubly sure, aud no commentthat in, no Frenoh comment — is occasioned ; whilst in tha market places many of tho peasant women wear skirts which reach very littlu below the knee. In England different idear prevail, and * the koickerbockered lady has gone down in tha struggle, not because her dress was immodest or unwomanly ai such, but because it offended our tastes, and was a garb whioh tbe average Englishman would not tolerate in hi* wife, or his ui6te'r, or his sweetheart. . The Russiau geuorr! of artillery, Fe'derof, who is vhiting Paris, has ordered 10 of the military folding cycles invented by the French captaiD, Gerard. Tho Danish Government has also given an order for a sample. — — They^Came. — "The tax is bouud to come," said the cyolo-politicUn. And just then he got three of them, points upwards, into his tyre.