CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 37

CYCLING.

NOTES BI DEMOS,

1 Dunedin"Amateur Athletic Club's annual sports meetiDg at Caledonian ground on Saturday. Four bioyole races.The Dunedin Cycling Club's run to Henley last' Saturday was well attended, about 25 members riding oub iv the svfbernoon and returning, after tea at Host M'Kegg's, in the evening. On Sunday, 13th inst., the Dunedm Cycling Club hold" a church parade to Wood*ide, starting from the clubroom at 9 o'clock i&ftn>« Arcftuaements are beioe made to hold

a. "billy run" in connection with the club. Particulars will be given when. the date is fixed upon*

——A few members of the D.C.C. held a most successful run to Kaitangata on November 28. A start was made at 3 o'clock, and the weather turned oub to be all that could be desired, the wind being favourable both ways. Milton was reached ab 5 50, just in time for tea, and ab 7.30 the cyclists were again on the road. The route along the lakeside was chosen, and, although a trifle rough, is a very pretty ride. Kaitangata was reached without any mishap at 9 o'clock, putting up ab bhe Bridge Hotel, where all were made most comfortable Dr Fitzgerald, who is an enthusiastic cyclist, was exceedingly kind to the visitor's, and accompanied them the following afternoon to Balchitha, as some members were curious to see the noted prohibition town, where they intended to stop the night. Bub after partaking of a cup of tea, ib wa6 unanimously decided to at once make a start for Milton, which was done, and Balclutha wibh prohibition was voted a distinct failure. From Balclntha to Milton is, without exception, tho finest piece of bicycling road on the South road. Dr Fitzsei'itld accompauied the visitors as far as Stirling, where good-bye waß said, the doctor asking the visitors to be aure and look him up whenever they went to KaitaDgata, and at the same time requesting to be put on the Dunedin Cycling Club's roll. The paco from Stirling to Milton was very warm. Tho cyclists put up. ab Grant's for the night, and m-xb morning, with a. favour ab.'e wind aS their backs, t'usy bowled into Htnley and stopped for dinner. A sfcaib was agnm made a* 3- o'clock for Dunediu, which was reached ab fa o'clock, every member being thoroughly satisfied with the Routing. Several lady cyclists were met, two having covered the remarkaole distance from Dunedin to Lore.H's Flab on the Saturday. The One-mile Handicap for the novices of the D.C.C was run on Wednesday eveaing en the Caledonian grounds, and after a very intereatuur race was won by V; Boot (soi')i

with W. B. Gibson second and F. Anderson third. Time, 3min 35 l-ssec.

A three-mile race for novices was held by the Otago Cycling Club on the Caledonian ground on Wednesday evening, 2nd inst., for club prizes, atid after a well-contested race resulted i<> H. M 'Donald winning, with. F. Smith second and E Crawford third, the time occupied being Bin in 48sec. At the Caledonian ground on Thursday, 3rd inst., a three-mile handicap r*ce for notices — the second of a serits of three races— for Mr W. Melville's trophies wps decided. The night was perfect for racing, but oub of a total of 13 entrants only seven faced the starter — viz, H. W. M Donald (scratch), F. Smith (80yds), V. Boot (100 yds), W. E. Gibson (130 yds), F. Anderson (150 yds), E. Crawford (200 yds), a. d W. Yorstcm (230 yds). According to tho mode of scoring the rider gaining the least number of points in the three races wins the trophy, and in the previous race M'Douald scored 1 point, F. Smith 2 points, V. Boot 3 points, E. Crawford 4 points, and W. B. Gibson 5 poiutß. Tbe race resulted' in rather an easy win for Boot, who was never caught by. the scratch man, M Donald second, and E Crawford a good third. Time, Bmin 17 4-ssec. The position of the competitors a« regards points now is : M'Donald 3, V Boot 4, Crawford 7, F. Smith 9, and W. E. Gibeon 11. The final race (a three-mile) will be decided on Wednesday even-, ing, 16th inst., when, in addition to Mr Mel-' ville'B trophies, the club will donate prizes to the value of £3 3s to the first and second man.

A judgment of mipoitance to cyclists has been given by Judge Kettle at Watmanui. The facts were: The defendant on a public road, at night, rode a bicycle pai>t plaintiff, whe was riding on horseback, wirhoub, ib was alleged, taking necessary precautions to inform the horseman as to his approach. The result was that plaiutiff was thrown off his horse, and injured so much as to lay him up for four mouths, for which damages were claimed. Mr Kfttle was of opinion that the defendant in riding his bioycle pasS the plaintiff at tbf time, in the manner and under the circum*tauces stated, without warning him of his approach, acted negligently, and that his negligence caused injury bo the plaintiff. The plaintiff was therefore, in his opinion, entitled to succeed, and judgment was given for £30 and costs. '

Parsons and Martin, the eyelids, have been matched to ride over distances of one, five, and ten miles on the 19th inst. Ken Lewis intends to challenge the winner of the mile event.

The members of the Ota go Cycling Club rode to Outram en Saturday afternoon, and ieport that despite the loose state of the roads a very pleasant *f ternoon was spent, — — The Caledonian Society is to be approached by the office-bearers of the Dunedin and the Otago Cycling Clubs with regard to a strict rule against the admission of dogs to the grounds during a race meeting: a wise move, indeed, and one that I feel sure will meet with strong support ab >he hands of the executive of the Caledonian Society.

The Otago Cycling Club hold a trial race to pick a team of four men'to represent the O.C.C. egainsb the Invercargill Club on Boxing Day at the Caledonian groands on Tuesday evening, 17 :h inst. Tne-Otago Cycling Club hold a moonlight run at an early date.

The 50-mile road race run at Invercart;i!l on Friday last was won by R. M'Kenzie in 3brs 4min — remarkably good time considering the howling gile that bad to be contended with and the delay caused by a breakdown of his bicycle.

The following extracb from the Melbourne Sportsman will be read with inter^b by those who, like myself, admired' Fisher's racißg in Dunedin lv the days of the old ordinary He was Sn his time one of New Zealand's epeediesb riders, and terms cow nob to have lost his powers of sendiDg bhe wheel along :— " T. C. Fisher ran enough 'glorious fourtbs' to furnish an American city, and then struck form at the Winter mee-ting of the Sydney League. The next thing he struck was a pipe on fche track, and as he tore up a section oi the asphalt with his head at Sydney he thought his racing days were over." So said a spectator on Saturday. Fish«-r is one of the uoluckies!) and ab bhe same time pluckiest men riding.

On the afternoon of October 15 (says the Daily Telegraph), at Catford, F. W. Chirm, the Birmingham cyclist, rede a quarter of a mile (unpaceti), with a flying start, in the fresh record time of 25 4-ssec, beating J. S. Johnson's previous best unja-e.l quarter of 28sec. T Gibbons-Brookes then attempted to beat J. Platt-Betts's one mile record of lmin 48sfc, but owing to a bad join by the pacicg quads in the firsb lap he took lmin 49£s£C. His quarter was covered in Sl^sec, half-milo in 58£ sec, and three-quarters in lmin 23§sec. Following this Gibbons-Brookes endeavoured (.0 boat J. S. Johnson's half-mile record of 49 4-ssec with a flying utart. bub he took 50>ec for the journey. Mr A. V. EbblewhiSe (N.C.U.) took th? rime.

During the 24-hours' race between Hurefc aud Riviere, the loug- distance French riders, refreshments were supplied to Huret as follows : — Three litres of rice, milk, soup, two litres of tapioca, seven bott'e* of Vichy water, half &■ litre of thick- chocolate (fluid), three dozen eggs, two bottles of Pomard (clttrefc) hot, two bottles of port wine, 1-^lb of chocolate (in tablets), six pears, and various other fruits. -

New York papers of September 25, in giving particulars of the postponed bicycle races of tbe Imal Glub at Wave&ley Park, New Jersey, Btate thab a five-mile record trial was made by James Michael, the holder of the world's hour competition record. The present record, 9min 17 3-ssec, was made by Tom Linton ab Carford, England, July 7, 1896. Time : Half-mile, lmin l£gec; firsb mile, 2miu lfsec; mile and a-half, 3min 3sec ; second mile, 4inin 3&seo ; two miles and a-half. smia lsec ; third

mile, smin 59§scc ;-,hree milts and a-half, 6min 59 4-53 e c; fourth mile, Bmin ftsec ; four miles and a-half, 9miu 3-ssec; five miles, lOmin l&see. This is the fastest time made ou any trotting track. The American record made by Arthur Gardiner ia 9min 58sec. Michael rode fatter than any man ever did on a trotting track for the distance, tub the world's record of 9min 17 3-ssec, made by the English rider, Tom Linton, is still safe. Michael oovored the distance in 10mm lsec and a fraction. Some watches made it a trifle faster, and the crowd waited with almost breathless interest the timekeeper's announcement through the megaphone. Michael said were it not for the mosquitoes be would have done much better. Speaking of Miohael, D*ve Shafer, a noted American trainer, says :— " He is all they say of him, and moro. Why, two 6uch men as Michael would not make a man the size of Tom Cooper. H.- is a wonder. In that ride of his at Buffalo, when he did a mile in lmin 52sec, he simply did not ride at all. On a strangewheel, with an 88 gear, he sab up itraight and called • A little faster, please," all through the ride.- Why, he never exerted a muscle all the time, and seemed as though just out for play. Johnson rode his half mile and worked hard (ill the time, but little Michael did not seem to make any effort in catching pace. When he dismounted I asked him if it was easy, and he replied, « Just a bit awkward on a new wheel, and the gear was a trifle small.' And that lad was riding an 88 gear, and weighs 981b, yeb looked as though he could stand a lmin 50aec clip for an hour. Mind you, he had not been on a w^beel for two weeks at le»Bt " The hour record w now one of the most sought after and valued on the record buok, and the following table (compiled by E. A. Powell, of the N.C.U., London) is accordingly of no little interest, showing as it does how clearly abead English riders, are ;—; —

Rather an unusual eight (writes " Philibuster " in the Australasian (was witnessed on a recent Sunday, when two gentlemen and two ladies, mounted on a quad, spun along the Marine parade ab 15 miles an hour. The gentlemen were at each end, while tho ladies occupied the second and third seats. It require no small amount of nerve to skim along the read oa a quad, but the girls seemed quite at home on their extraordinary mounb. For the identification of stolen bicycles every rider should have a concealed private mark upon his wheel. A well-kDown EDgiisa cycling detective makes the following suggestion :— Scrape a portion of the enamel, about lin squarfe, frcm the frame of the machine, apply a coating of grease, and, with a poinbed piece of steel dipped in carbolic acid, draw the initials or private mark through the greaie. The acid follows the marking of the steel point, while <ha grease keepa it from spreading. After allowing the acid to eat int.i the tubiug the gresse can be rubbed off, and the mark or initial shows as plainly as if cut into the steel framework. One coat of enamel will completely hide all trace of the mark. Should any question as to the ownership of the wbeel arise the owner can, by simply scratching the enamel covering his private mark, at once prove bis claim. j , Ilumhers will bring out a chainless wheel next eearoa. Lcng before the cycle boom was ab its height, remarked a ens com house officer to a Tifßit* correspondent, we fully expected that these machines would be used for smuggling. At the name time we had no idea of tha number of people who would attempt this form of 6harp practice. You see, fche rates for carrying cycles are now bo low that a great number of cyclists take their machines over to the Conr tinent with them, and on the return journey fill the pneumatic tyres with tobacco, small bottles of perfume, lace, cigars, and 'even flasks of spirits specially made. Wuen 'steamers arrive from the Contit ent, and there are a number of bicycles on board, we adopt a very simple plan of inspection, bub one which requires some practice and experience before it can be relied upon. We do not unscrew the air-tubs, nor, of course, do we cub the tyre. We simply cause the wheels to revolve sharply, aud then listen attentively. The last annual report of the Jointless Rim Company shows that, with a capital of £30.000, a profit of close on £13,000 has been made. The dividend will be 20 per cant., which will absorb £6000 ; £4000 will be added to the reserve fund, while nearly £1500 is to be carried forward. — — Ib is stated that the present output of cycles in England is 750,000 per annum, of a value of between £11,000.000 and £12,000,000. This would mean an average of over £15 each. In Birmingham and Coveptry alone 32,000 people are employed by the cycle manufacturers. As the exports last year from the United Kingdom were £1,400,000, representing nearly 100,000 cycles, it is apparent that there were still 650,000 available for " internal consumption." This year the export business from the United Kingdom has increased by £160,000 in the first eight months, and if ib continues at the same rate the cycle exports will reach £1,650,000 from that country during 1896. — — Thero was a cycling costume competi* tion, for ladies only, held at Cardiff, England, about two mouths ago, the abdication being arrived at by a ballot in whioh the whole

audience took part. ' The winning costume, worn by Miss Driscol), was of green habit cloth, coat and frkirr, with white revers braided with red, waistcoat ot scarlet cloth, white felt hat trimmed to match. Tne peculiarity of the dress was its evident utility, beiDg the besb possible compromise between the skiit and the bloomers. WLen walking the rider appeared to have on an ordinary short " skirt, when she mounted her machine the front panel, by a deft adjustment, turned up and buttoned on the hips, thus leaving the full aud free action of the legs, which were encased in green knickerbockers and gaiters of the same material as the skirt — a costume public opinion decided was both suitable, pretty, and modest. The skirt divided at the back, and fell on each side of the machine, hiding the hips and thighs. An exhibition bicycle, the work of a Breton peasant, has lately been shown in France. The whole machine is made of wood, even wooden pegs being used in lieu of nails. The rims of the wheels are nude in one piece, dovetailed ab the joint. Denmark has a law requiring wheelmen to dismount and WAlk down hills. This law was parsed becaus9 so ' many narrow escapes from accident resulted from the antics of brainless, ' brakeless scorchers. — : — From the " t'other side " (says a London writer) I hear that some idiot is going to crosß Niagara on a bioycle over a wire charged with a strong current of electricity. - The current will travel through the machine wires to lamps spreading over his body to illumiue his path, and the ride will be undertaken at night. The only protection to the daring rider will be rubber covering* to the seat, handle bar*; and pedals, and should his body come in contact with the wire it means a terrible death for | him.

SMITH AS A CICLTST. ' (By "Luke Shahp," in the Detroit Free Press.) At last my stay in the castle of Hoeozugw&ldergrabenstein came to an end, and one fine morning the Round of the pawing of Smith's horses on the cobble-stones of the courtyard warned me that the cavalcade was ready to start for Coblentz. We went ab a steady trofc along the bank of the Rhine until we came to the bridge of boats which connects Ebrc.nbreitstein with Coblentz, and across that we clattered as it we were a troop of cavalry, which indeed we were. The policeman looked somewhat askance at ns *s we rode into the town, -bub nobody said anything. Arriving at Coblentz, he ordered one of his troopers to hold our horses, and he walked with me to the steamer, which had just rounded to the wharf. The huge boat was crowded with passengers. " Look here, Smith," I called to him as I leaned over the rail, "I wish you would go and look after your troopers ; they are sure to get lout in the town, and you will have some trouble in finding them." "Oh, no.Vhe said, "they're all right. I always take my knights with me ■ when I go shopping. It impresses the shopkeepers to have 10 men-at-arms standing outside their door while I purchase my tobacco and such." I wondered how long the Emperor of Germany was going to stand thin swaggering, and as I gazrtd up the Rhine thought over the many conversations Smith and I had bad on the, subject. • Smith had a theory that the catapult we a inoro destructive than the c&nnon, and hud this advantage, that you never ran out of ammunition, because while one stone of your caitle remained on another you had always a shot to fire at the enemy. I was surprised when I got home to find a telegram from him asking me to bay bimthe best kind of bicycle that was in the market and forward it to Hoet zugwaldergrab-nntein. I gob one for him, and forwarded it to Germany. Smith's letter explained that while he did not go back at a'l ou his opinion of the horse as the noblest animal, still on the other hand he did no*; look on the bicycle as on other machinery, because it requirt-d personal exertion to propel one. Anything that called oub physical force was of use to the world. It seemed that when Smith was going home to his castle affc'-r seeing me to the boat he had met a man on a bicycle coming down the Rhine road, and w»» much taken with the discourtesy of the cyclist, who, when saluted by Smith, did not return the greeting; thereupon tbo baron ordered one of his fastest troopers to overtake and upset the cjclist and teach him good manners. The man spurred his horae to the utmrsb, bub when^the cyclist realised that he was being chtsed he bent over his machine, and the trooper found it impossible to catch up with him ' . This gavo Smith a sudden respect for the power of the bicycle, and so he had telegraphed me at once to send one on. He added that he thought ho co»ld ride ifc without taking the trouble of learning, and his theory was thotif a man drank a bottle of Honrizugwaldergriibensfcein wine, nnd then gob on the machine up the top of an iEclina, ho would learn to ride before he reached the bottom. I mjself had doubts about this, for I kaew something of conquering a bicycle, and the next letter, that came from Smith corroborated my opinion. He had had no difficu'ty as far as the wine was concerned, and even less difficulty in getting the bicycle to go down the incline, bub his steering wa» defective, and in about five seconds Smith said he found himself in the top of a treß some distance below the castle road, with the bicycle smashed to adorns. He therefore begged me to send him another, and he enclosed a cheque thit more than covered the cost of the two machine*. I wrote to Smith that there was a stringency in the bicycle market just now, and it wasn't as easy to get machines as it was to order them. -I begged him to take care of the new bicycle cent, and to practice on the level.In due time I got another letter from Smith, enclosing a still larger cheque, and asking me if I really had any affection for him at all to send on six machines. "In spite of your sneering at my methods of learning," he wrote, " I found that the second time I got on the machine I did very well, bub, alas ! I didn't know how to get cff. I ran down the incline at the most teivific speed you can imagine, and managed to keep the machine in the middle o£ the road, hoping that I would meet no one. As -it happened, the way was clear, and I ran in an incredibly ohort time tha who'e six miles between my castle and the Rbine. How to stop the machine, or how to get off, or how to take the sharp turning to either the right*. or the left I did nob know, and so the bicycle and I went nearly half-way across the Rhine, where it sunk, and in spite of all our fishing for it wa haven't been able to find it. I managed to swim ashore, nnd so escaped merely with a wetting. If > there are any machines made with tyres much more inflated than those yon aenb me, -please let me have one,' because I have a theory that a tyre should be buoyant enough to,au£port the machine when ib takes to the water. I don't want to fill up the Rhine with expemive bicycles, and there is no one here who can teach me how to get off a machine whea it is going, so when you send the six please find oubiE there are any that will float. There must be such machines on the market, for. in a little island like England psople niuat be constantly tunning off into the ocean on either side."

uountry. Rider. Mis. Yds. England ... J, W. Stocks ... 31 548 France ... T.Lin ton 30 197 Deinark ... A. A Chase ... 28' 1500 America ... J. Micbael ... 27 1690 Belgium ... J. Michael ... 27 498 Germany ... J. Michael ... 26 1547 Scotland ... ». O Crawford... 26 1000 Italy ... Fischer 26 752 Austria ... Haderer i.6 544 Africa ... Greathead ... 26 36 Switzerland Portier , 25 PBB Russia ... Puresoff 24 1510 Spain ... Lacasa 24 1396 Holland ... Witter veen ... 24 827