CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 45

CYCLING NOTES.

The -weather • still keeps good for — *<- ing, and cyclists are to the fullest extent taking advantage- of haying enjoyable rides. The south road mainly is patronised durihg the day, and of an' evening the roads about town, are literally swarming with riders out to enjoy a spin in the cool temperature. At the Otago Cycling Club's rooms, Octagon, on the 26th ult., the members of the club met to bid farewell to their fellow "club mate, Ernie Crawford, who is leaving Dunedin to take up .an important position in Timaru. Ms S. S. Myers (president) occupied the chair. He referred in the highest terms to the services which Mr Crawford had rendered to the club, both socially and as a racing member, and congratulated him on his promotion, and wished him every success in his new position. Mr H. B. 'Courtis also spoke a few words of commendation Mr Crawford replied in a short but feeling speech, and concluded by thanking the members for the handsome present which they had given him. Songs were rendered between the speeches by Messrs S. S. Myers, H. B. Courtis, L. Russell, C. Morton, T. Begg, F. Jago, and E. Crawford, while Mr K. Johnston gave a recitation. Messrs A. Sangster and F. Evans acted as accompanists. The company concluded a very pleasant evening by singing '* Auld lang syne." .The . presentation took the form of-a handsome dressing case.

Tlie patriotic meeting held by the League of Viqtorian Wheelmen was attended by between ten and twelve thousand people, and it is antioipate'd that near £500 will be handed over to the Patriotic Fund as a result of the meeting. The N.C.U. hotel and farmhouse scheme" is slowly but surely taking shape, and before the end of the year will be a valuable privilege of membership, says the English Cyclist. - -• - It is- -stated that the Transvaal Government has purchased from the Humber agent in Johannesburg 60 Humber cycles for the use of their despatch riders in the war.

The Automobile Club de France is in a very flourishing state since its removal to the new building. There is a fust-rate orchestra attached to the club, which, under the able direction, of Mons. Bosc, is now well known throughout the gay city. A friend of ours (Wheeling) who is staying in Paris with a member of th^ A.C.F. writes that he has had several games of billiards in the club room with his host's daughters, and that ladies are present at all the festivities ; many dine there in the evening in the escort of a member. Surely a pleasant sort of place !

Since and including the year 1893 there have been two annual cycie shows held in London — the Stanley and the National. At the present time the English trade is very much divided as to whether it is politic to hold another National, which is run by a section of the trade against the Stanley. But it would appear that the latter exhibition has by far the best of the deal, and the Stanley Club will continue to hold shows, as it has done for over 20 years, oblivious as to what its rival may do, and as it is certain to receive sufficient support from the trade to render it a profitable undertaking, no one can blame it. It would appear, however, that the National show is upon a very different footing, and is composed of concerns which want all kinds of shows abolished, and it is held merely because those in it cannot afford to absent themselves while their competitors exhibit elsewhere. At a meeting of the Cycle Manufacturers' Association (which conducts the National) it was decided to discontinue the function, provided the leading exhibitors at the Stanley will pledge themselves not to

take part in the latter. It is quite possible that they will, but, so far, no promises have been made, The following table of statistics will give some idea of the magnitude of the?e shows, and to a certain extent present a fairly accurate view of the position each holds in the eyes of the cycle trade. The record of the number of machines displayed from 1893 to last year is as follows: —

It will be seen that the best year forboth was 1896, and since that time the National shows a decrease of 1030 machines, and the Stanley of 567. A few side.statistics are also interesting. In 1898, at the Stanley,, there we're only 85 machines fitted with the free wheel device ;_ in 1899, the number was 482. At the Nutiofial show 'the advance was' much more marked, the'figures being in -1898, 25; while 1899 supplied 4-98. Very few multicycles were on view; in all, there was one quintuplet, no quads, and only five triplets; while in tandems the National had 53, and the Stanley 55.—Australasian.

The English cycle papers consider that the war will make a great difference to the trade at Home. Writing in reference to it, one of them has the following : — The country has already been denuded of thousands of cyclists, and every corps of volunteers that leaves our shores entails a further depletion of prospective purchasers.

The effects of the war arc being felt by the cycle parts manufacturer. A ''rim maker states he is losing a large amount of business because of his inability to procure a sufficiency of steel. He has a standing order for ten tons of steel per week with a prominent Sheffield house, but the deliveries have only averaged two tons.

The monthly meeting of the committee of the Otago Cycling Club, held last evening, was attended by Messrs Myers (president), Alloo, Brown, Cole, Jago, Gunthorpe, Townsend, and Finnegan. A large amount of routine business was transacted, several new members were elected, and it. was unanimously resolved to hold a novice race on Wednesday evening, the 28th March next, on the Caledonian ground, at 6.30 p.m. sharp; prizes, £2 and £1.

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