SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 10, 18 June 1898, Page 12

SPORTS AND PASTIMES

[Bt “ Pan.”] Weather glorious ! Also the roads. Sunday was a day out ! As balmy as summer ! Bicyclists and others thoroughly enjoyed the welcome change. No less than thirty cyclists passed a certain spot on the Bay Road en route to the beach and Otatara. The Pollards again in town, and most of the male members have brought their steeds with them. Mr Percy is quite an ardent cyclist, also Mr Nable, and both have made good use of our fine weather to look around the country. The local allusion to a popular cyclist breaking a record in “ Boccaccio ” took the bouse by storm on Friday night, and to use one of their own stretchers, made the original ■“ feel mo(o)re ” at home. Two weeks ago I wrote on the subject of racing men’s numbers for meetings, and I see by the Wheelman that Mr Carr, at a meeting of the League, moved on behalf of the New Plymouth Club registration numbers of all riders should be issued with the licenses.” The motion was carried, and a motion to prescribe the dress to be worn by riders was referred to the Revision Committee. This latter no doubt in ansvyer to the inquiry made by our local club. While on the subject of licenses, can anyone explain why it is that there are only 20 licensed racing men in Invercargill P Why we had that number alone in the old Cash Club, before the I.C.C. formed the league, and surely more than that number have competed at the various meetings held by the two clubs. I could name at least a dozen riders who rode on the 31st March last, and ought not each one, of these to have a racing license, else where is the use of having such a thing as a league to control racing ? Gore also has only nine riders, and we have had more than that number here many times, while Winton and Wyndham boast one solitary license each, and Riverton, which intends holding a race meeting under League rules, has not a single license issued. The following is worthy of Mr Alf Stephens, of the Pollards. It is culled from an Australian exchange : ‘Mr Percy Iredale looks well after his trip to New Zealand. It seems to have filled him with new-zeal-and-spirit. Always the way— ‘ Dont you think the other side of the road would make better riding P’ ‘lt looks like it.’ ‘ Then why not get over there ?’ ‘ What’s the use ? Its always better riding on the other side of the road.’ A bearing loveth a cheerful oiler, else there’s many a groan twixt the cup and the cone. The latest ‘ have ’ —‘ How are you getting on with you bicycle i 1 Same old way; by the step.’ The scorcher is always breaking something. Maybe, it’s his record, or his bicycle, or occasionally his neck.

The maximum pear yet heard of is on an American bicyle, of coarse, and works out at 342. The rider of this machine only pedals occasionally, as he goes 30 yards per push when he can push hard enough. When you wish to clean the bicycle after one of our delightful mud rides do not use kerosene. It has a destructive action on steel, and if the parts which it touches are not speedily touched up with oil, they will rust. Benzine is the article to use : it is more solvent than kerosene, and after the parts have been thoroughly cleansed it will quickly evaporate without injuring the metal.

‘ Yes, Miss Brown, just gone in for it, bought a Sparrowhawk. Want to bring my weight down a bit. ‘And has it been successful, Mr Smith ?’ ‘ H’m ! I have fallen off a good deal !’