CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 37

CYCLING.

NOTES BY DEMON.

• T understand that Alf. Maxwell, the well-known Dunedin rider, has taken his departure for where he enters the employment of the Raleigh Cycle Company. He will do a little racing in his new home, but the greater part of his time will be taken up with travelling in the interests of the Kaleigh Company's machines. I wish him fiulhcr success on the track, and a prosperous career as a business man.

Mrs Stokes, Mrs Scott, Misses Maxwell, Guinness, Rossbotham, Lawrence, T( v iistnd, and M'Kinlay, who, with Messrs G. Moore, John Dey, D. Bell, 1 Jamil. O. Seelje, F. Anderson, W. D. Bell, Forrester, and A. Murdoch, took part in the carroaello on Friday evening, are to be congratulated on Ihe success of their cycle movements. The different movements were. I understand, rehearsed under the guidance and advice of Mr B. M Duthie, whose assistance the ladies ;pe»k most bigbJx tf t afid barring some Blight

There lment, 'emcut <U the small r ed by

accidents, went off very smoothly, will be a nice profit over the entertain which money goes towards the improv and furnishing of a ladies' club room, i conclusion of the evening's work a danco was held, and thoroughly enjoy all prosent.

Speaking of the carrosollo, the Daily Times, in its report of the affair, says: — "There are many things which, however, good in themselves, require some accompaniment before they can be thoroughly relished, and among these things may be included the elements of last night's entertainment. The cycling display was good and the gymnastic display was excellent, but in the absence of anything else to diversify the programme, the entertainment cannot by the wildest stretch of fancy be said to have been at all exhilarating, and gome features of it became tedious. Somo music beyond that contributed by the string orchestra Ilia I played throughout the evening would havo been acceptable, ancl in default of that tho spectators would probably have rejoiced io see a few ably-managed falls by the performers, or rested content with some judicious clowning ; but as it was, it was not easy for one to remain an interested spectator to the end. Tho cycle evolutions by membeis of tho Mimiro Cycling Club were very neatly performed, and the wheeling, though not executed without mistake, was also warmly applauded. The slow race induced six competitors, and resulted in a tie between Miss Maxwell and Miss Guinness : while a fimilur competition for men was won by Mr G. Moore, who succeeded in keeping ins machine practically stationary. Mr J Dey won the pin-riding competition, giving an' admirably clever exhibition ; and a display of trick riding by Messrs Dey and Moore was also very good. The gymnastic exorcises by the Dunodin Gymnastic Club ware excellently per'formod, some three or four roombeis especially showing great skill. The be&t ieaturcs of this portion of the program mo were warmly applauded."

In jir-lico to the Miiniro Cycling Club, who gase the entertainment mentioned in the preceding paragraph, it must be .stated that some provision had been made lo enliven tho proceedings by the introduction of some comicalities by a clown. Owing lo Hie serious illness of a near relative of the proposed representative of the clown he was unable to apjgeftr, The Diu:etlia GjJi»ftW!li» Olu)>, wttQ

took part in the entertainment, were also unfortunate in having their clown laid up with influenza at the lime. The ladies promise that .their next enteiUinment will provide a .sufficient fund of amusement to help to ieliove what they themselves acknowledge must be a sameness in an evening of cycle evolu- • lions. I The Austral Cycle Agency has practi- ' cslly added £100 to the Austral Wheel Race , first prize, for the company has notified that ' it will give the winner of the bijr race £100 if he wins it on a " Swift " bicycle, bought f:oui the company. This i>ian of inducing ii'lers to choose certain mounts is ceilainly piofordLle to payii.g a iid'-v a salary to ride for a fir.il. Bkyclo f.rms ali o->er the world I arc finding out, or rather im,v*3 already discovered, that keeping 'Vwibies '' of racing men is far moie rurftly U.xai tUi. ucKeiiu-cmenl gained wai ranis, «n.d a i,'<.o.-t wruiy of tin leading makers now p;w''-» to ppend their moiK-y in n n ore dim! ana legitimate manner by acu-iu'iug in the proper columns of newspapers. It ci,»tr thousands of pounds, says t.he AusimLvbian, to send I'latl-BetU to Australia, and keep him and his army of pacemakers while he put nn a few now figures I in Sydney lust season, and will anyone be | lieve that the increated sale of a certain make I of machines compensated the makers ioc tiie outlay? Bicycles arc too much alike nowa clays, and liicro aie so many good makers thai honours amongst thorn are e\only dhiiled hy an intelligent, discriminating public, fo tfie maker who pays for pace tries to get it Iwck in an inere.iFed price on his machines. This could bo done three years ago, but now the parls-mykers have monopolised a larpe shai'e of trade, and tho similarity ot outline in nil makes renders their wares acceptable, more esproYJly because the price suits (ho pockets ol the masses. Paced racer, arc certainly the most exciting the public can witness, but it is only when the stakes are large that pacers can bo employed, and of late there have been several instances when the contestants had to find the money to pay their own teams. J. K. Starley, the inventor of the .Safety bicycle, is to be a candidate for the English House of Commons at the next general elections. j; — - The quantify of india-rubber used m the "United Kingdom last year, as compared with that of 20 or 30 years ago, affords a striking lesson on the commercial importance of the cycle, for whereas in 1830 the amount of rubber imported was 23 ton*, last year the amount reached the large total of 20.000 tons. In view of the increasing demand for the gum, it is satisfactory to note that slops have been taken to prevent wanton waste in its collection, and that the preparation for exportation is now conducted on a proper basis. In one district in South America the "separator " is _ used. This resembles the article employed in a dairy to separate the cream from the milk. The rubber juice is mixed with half its volume of water, and then put into a centrifugal machine, which on being spun round causes tho caoutchouc to clot and rise to the surface., whence it is easily removable. The clots are allowed to dry on bricks for a few hours, and are then ready for export—to feich, if pure Para, about 4s per lb. Though Xhe Belgium wheelman is burdened with a tax of 10fr per annum for the privilege of u&in? his cycle, he is certainly fully repaid, says the Brussels correspondent of Tho Hub, by the Government for his outlay. As a general rule, tho roads are not very good— though the Antwerp lo Brussels is byno means bad— and not very much of the cycle tax goes to improve them ; but the money is laid out in making tracks which are reserved for the cyclist and for him olone. BruFijels is especially favoured in this respect, and on many of tho Boulevards there is a level track on which the. "pedaller" may gaily disport himself without fear of the minions of the law or the absent-minded pedef Irian. The Mler goes on tliese tracks a I his own risk and peril, ancl must clear off when he hears fie warning bell. Then there j is the newly-laid Avenue do Teruieven, a magnificent Boulevard of over 10 miles in length, and provided with a cinder track on either side re-'erved for cyclists. So deter j mined are the authorities that only the cyclist — who pays for it — shall use the track, that they have imented an instrument for keep- , ing off horsemen. In shape it is like a ie j versed L, with the crossbar jutting over the track, and as they are placed every 50yds, the unhappy cavalier who attempts to ride along is gently .swept off his nag and deposited on the cinders. 11 certainly is effective in keeping off horsemen, but at the same time these crossbars are intensely annoying to the wheelman who goes under them, for you simply have to "duck. 1 " It is ridiculous*, ol comso, ; becau«o the things are about 7ffc high, but ' that only makes it the more aggravating ; you ' must, bob your head when you new under j one, no matter how you fet your teeth and ' row you won't budge. "You've got to, a<ul it makes you mad." Befoio riding a new bicycle just received from maker or agent, thoroughly ex amine it to ascertain that all bolts and nuts are tight, and see that the bearings are properly adjusted. The latter point is a mo&l j important one, because the life of the cycle depends largely upon bearings being neither 100 tight nor too loose. Roughly, this may be done, if necessary, by screwing up light and then throwing back the eighth of a turn ; the bracket bearing, however, should not be set by an unskilled man, but entrusted lo a cycle mechanic. In adjusting the break, see that the spoon when at rest is about a quarter of an inch from the fully-inflated tyre. The latest fashionable fabric for cycll ing suils is made of peal, and medical men j are enthusiastic over it. It constitutes, those who know soy, n genuine hygienic material, containing 50 per cent, of peat fibre. Its .finish is perfect, so that it is not only conducive to health, but iii l'k-asing lo the eye os well. • A Presbyterian clergyman _in Dubh:. recently astonished his conpregaiion by •'«- ' livering a sermon on the dealings and two. ; financing of Iho Components Tubes C<\. in ' which a large number of Dublin resich n'.> u.U , dropped their ca.'h. Tho rev. I'enUe, v» i; • propriately chose tho text. "Be sure ":w sin will find you out," and levellod !>,;. ;':* ' | tribes unmistakably at the eonvppr;, rr.-! moteirf. , : What appeari- to be a g^c-i! <■ -s.e;r Jor injuring bicycles again: t theft is in \''{,i:i» \r> some of th? American S!>i.'« A Liiyde is insured for 8s per annum : il it is K ( .o,en, the company providf-s a duplicate machmo at once, which the policy-holder may use until bit; stolen machine i» discos ered. A bicycle pokl on the inrftolmenl principle is injured m the naii:e of the .<-eller, ancl the policy is Uansferred to the pin\-U.i t er when payments have been declared off. . Parisians feel kindly toward the bicycle, not only for ih own sake, but for other benefits and luxuries it has been the means of bringing in its trail. Among these are rubber tyres for vehicles, rubber horseshoes, motor vehicles, and sucli-like improvements. In a similar way the cyclometer has now become a very important part of Parisian, cab equip- I ' jn&afci. liAvixig Lit sly been adopted b^ the Rreat

! Paris Cab Company. Heretofore a cab ride, ' no matter iiow short, cost a franc and a-half. The indicators, which are now placed in every 1 cab, are set running as tho passenger entp'rs i the cab, and donote the price on a dial for a drive of two minutes, four, six, or fifteen. ! You pay according to the hand on the dial, ; respectively 60c, 70c, 90c, or lfr 50c. These i short cab drives are becoming intensely popuI ,lar in Paris. ! The registering of bicycles in France has enabled the authorities to find out the exact numbor of " iron horses" each of which i pnys its milo into tho cheats of the Chancellor

of the Exchequer. Considering the enormous 1 armies of cyclists to be met with on every road in France, it i> rather surprising thai not moro than 300,6'i9 machines have been ' registered. Of those, no less than 62,892 :vo " inhabitants " of the department of ihe-Soi-it. ! E. T. Hooley was born in 1859, so' ihid , he is still on the right side of 10. He wins lht» ' son of Terah Hooley, J.P., of Longed totDerbyshire, and left school at the age of 15. i He is said to have worked 16 hours a day in his youth, in connection with his father's lace , works, and indeed love of work has always 1 been a oluractpristic of this remarkable muo. On hi, twenty-second birthday he became possessor! of JJ35,000, as a bequest from Ids 1 mr t.'jer, iuid established himself as a stxck- ■ broker iii Nottingham, and one of the mips to

which fie uUributed his later success \iis thai he always got to bed at 10 at night. And callous shareholders in manufacturers, tube, and other companies have sarcastically asked if ho e\cr dreamt about them! The estates

he ov n<> include ltisely Hall, Derbyshire ; I'apworlh Hall, Cambridgeshire; Woodthorpe Grange, Nottinghamshire; Anmer Hall, Norfolk ; Bor.dyfch Hall, Ashdown ; and Kadwin-

tor demesnes in Estox. He claimed to be the . largest sheepfarmor in England. An average , of 200 begging letters reached him daily, and j to his credit be it said that he wa-s always I generous. He owned a yacht, the Yereua, ! and had shares in a few horses in training, but his favourite recreation was a walk over hU own farms. His only public positions were ,' the pobts of High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire I and Huntingdonshire, and lieutenant of the Uity of London. Mr Beyfus, his solicitor, stated in the course of an interview that the financier " had been robbed of on enormous sum of money," but whether by legal or illegal methods is not stated. It is difficult for one fast rider to prevent another following him closol} 1 ", and , thereby obtaining the benefit of his pace, but | circumstances are altered when the pacer is riding on a motor-car. For instance, one rider in the Paris-Bordeaux road race, having lost , his pacer, utilised the speed of a motor-car. The driver ordered him away, but tho cyclist

pretended not to hear. Then the motor man ! shut off steam, and the bicycle dashed into it j and was smashed up. ! " Yes," said the observing man after he had been riding for about .six weeks, j "cycling is a great institution, but before it will become an unqualified success, a meeting ; must be called for the purpose of allowing the wheelman and the pedestrian to arrhe at some understanding. I am in favour 'of a convention or something of that j sort. As it is now, a rider sees ahead of him a man or woman who is sup- ' posed to be endowed with reasonable intclliJ gence. This person is in the act of crossing the street. The individual looks up, sees the 1 rider coining and stands still right in the middle of the street. Of course, this is for

mentally calculating his chances of getting ' across safely. One can see the workings of the pedestrian's mind in the muscular contortions of his face. In the meantime the rider is getting- closer and closer, and is in a study ' equally as profound as to what the per:>on is going to do. The pedestrian lakes a step forward, takes another glar.co up the street, stops, starts back, makes an effort to reach the pavement, stops again, starts forward, stems. Of course, by this time the cyclist is almost at a standstill, and is also zigzagging 1 from one side to the other, waiting and mut- ; tering. "What he .says depends upon whether he is a man or a woman. The pedestrian seems to give up all possibility of escape, > faces the rider, both arms extended, jumps ' from one foot to the other, and the two collide. The cyclist is thrown to the ground and blamed for the whole performance. How j easily this might all be avoided ! Let tho I pedestrian, instead of performing all these ■ trying evolutions, merely walk along as , though there was nothing behind him, keep his course, and the cyclist will know what to do. He will turn his machine to one side and hlide past with perfect ease and safety. When crossing a street let a man walk along as though tl.ere was not a bicycle in the country, and the wheelman will shape his course accori dingly. He has control of his machine, and j is as anxious not to collide as the other fellow. i That's- all wheelmen want. They merely ask j that people walk along about their business, and the riders will not molest them. In the case of a horse which is not readily managed, the rider or driver may be neither alert nor skilful, and there will be a collision ; but with a bicycle the rider has control, and if tho pedestrians will only go along, and not get nervous, there will be no collibions. This is what wheelmen want the people to know, j though the only vay, it seems, for them to learn this is to hold a convention."

■ The heaviest sentence ever passed on a cycle thief is said to be that pronounced by an American judge a short lime ago when ho sent a man to 10 years' penal servitude. It was~<the second offence of the light-footed gentleman.

The 30-mile race between Harry Elkes and Tom Linton, run at Boston, on May 30, provided one of those stirring paced contests, the expensive nature of which prevents them being held oftener. The keen nature of the race may be gauged from the fact that from the second to the fifth mile, inclusive, world's ■.ecords were established. There were 10,000 people present, and each of the contestants had a great staff of pacemakers. Elkes used !n\tx 1 1 Inlets, one quad, and ono quintet, with 1-4 'c.t, and Linton' s staff of 21 riders were •■.pivlV •• »tlj ono ..cx'.upM, two quints, and loiir iiw.il.- i.ti.U y* machines was geared to i>J, -vluie '.-''(! 107. At the ntarting'i. :t r'lkPb's tlie e*;l< Jed, and he had to wait *..r * row wijeel. 'i he / arc from the slart was '<*-.-;»<•.. Hikes h.ul the 'not of it, and pulled ,-vt.tv U 1 yards ahead of the Welshman, and i' '„•,;: ;>;m a mile to get on even terms. Then i.iny.n uiaiiaged to lead at every mile, bufc tho ..>t«st for 15 miles was so dose as to enuUn- the result with uncertainty. After lb miJoi liowovcr, Linton gained perceptibly, and iiiui •' ho finished the 30-mile raco nearly half a iiii f e ahead, in 56mm 50 l-ssec.

i<cr..u -jf us (says a Homo pape | have boon usif.g roil oclro in our inner tubes with a fair amount, < ) 'iio^s; for when a puncture occurs lhf> co!< ursJ dust blows through and is visible on ti-c: outwtle. ft has iho drawback, liowovcr, 'hat it may interfere slightly with the uPioiHi.-y of the valve, if one of the Lucas pattern bo used ; and it also fails sometimes to show Iho position of a very tiny hole, nlthoi.i»\. it may bo said that if the puncture be too MnaH to allow the red ochre to come through, it will not prevent the rider from reo.oh>ng lvime by means of occasional iuflaUoni In. the cago of a mysterious piuwj-

ture, it is sometimes of service to put a littt« water into tho tube, ancl then, after blowing the tyre up hard ancl reviving the wheel, to remove the inner tube again ancl look for signs of moisture ou its surface. A little colouring matter in the water renders detection more certain. It is often the easiest way to put the water into tho tubo by cutting a little hole in it to admit tfie nozzle of a small funnel, afterwards patching the hole as if it were a puncture. This may sound rather a dreadful proceeding to a novice, but it ig really less objectionable than interfering with a valve which is securely fixedBarring certain expressions peculiar to American soil, tho following extract from a traut-uclaiitic journal might equally well have been written of the British maiden :— " When the bicycle started out to reform the American gid it tackled a job that foi years had defied every other influence. But the bicycle made itself a winner as soon as it seriously began to camp on the wobbly wheel tracks of its victim. Twenty years ago the homes oi this country wore given over to the girls. INice girls they were, just as we have nice girls now. But they were the victims of a terrible habit. The walls groaned under artistic efforts, which represented impossible dogs, with multi-coloured ears, barkino- in o foreign tongue at the head of a barrel mmg in U,o mud-puddle sky beyond a house oue nee larger than the dog. Mantels were ciuU-ired up with things that served no earthly purpose but lo give the house the appearance ot the first stages of mania-a-potu, while chairs, sofas, and other articles of furniture were pre-empted by decorative throws pillows, and things unknown by name to any but the makeis. Old shoes were saved to be painted yellow, and cow bells and wooden platters became works of art in the hands or tho mauw, who disguised them with a paint brush Fancy work was a mania, and the girls of the country were daft on the subject. But the bicycle came, and the angels threw then- paint brushes and their silk floss to the junk heaps of the garret, and bought a cycle costume. There is room about the hou-e again for tho people who inhabit it, and the family is not barred out for fear the bric-a-biac will be disturbed. The cat's tail is no longer striped in olive-green, and the men do not have to wear embroidered slippers and jackets. The bicycle has restored the sex to sanity, and reformed a portion of humanity that stood in danger of adorning the rest of it into distraction. Can anything be more worthy of praise and commendation than what the bicycle has done in this direc tion alone?"