WHEEL RACING

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23288, 25 August 1945, Page 6

WHEEL RACING

I he Amateur Regime Evolution of Cycle By OLD SPORT The last article in this series depicted the rise and fall of the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club. It may be appropriate to recall the waxing and waning of another amateur spoil —cycle racing. The primitive wooden iron-shod boneshakers, styled velocipedes. of the seventies evolved into steel-framed rubber-tyred bicycles, and track racing materially helped to stimulate inventors to produce the machines of to-day. High-Wheelers The first bicycles used for racing had a big driving wheel. i. rank., on either side of the hull, and a much smaller balancing wheel They are now usually referred to as ordinaries." but this name did not. come into use until it was necessary to find a term to distinguish them from the safetv which appeared in Timaru early ’ in the nineties. Tiie safety, which had two wheels of approximately equal *jz?. and was propelled by a chain working on sprockets. was so called because of its easier control. But we anticipate. So popular d'd the new pastime become that by 1886 Timaru had three clubs—South Canterbury. Timaru. and Timaru Tourists. First Track Contests The first amateur bicycle races in I Timaru of which any record can be j found were included in the S.C.A.A.C programme in 1884. They were dis- ! appointing affairs. Two scratch races on championship dav attracted only two competitors -the brothers Cutten, of Dunedin. E. A. Cutten wen the I mile in 4min 7see; and W. H. Cutten I on sulfrance was first in a three-mile crawl in 12.32. On the second day. E. A. Cutten <scr> won a five-mile handicap from W. H. Cutten <l2Ol. The other starters were M. Sand°rson <1320» and H. V. Drew <1760> Championship status was not accorded cycling in 1885 A one-mile handicap attracted only two competitors, who had previously starred in the steeplechase. Herbert A. LeCren beat C. E Hassell, who remounted after a spill. Cycling at “Cale." The South Canterbury Caledonian Society, which later exploited cycling to its great profit, at first frowned on it. A majority of the directors objected that bicycle racing was not a Caledonian sport—although bayonet exercises for volunteers were featured on the programmes. Under pressure the Society consented to accept an offer from the cycling clubs to provide trophies for a race on each dav of the New Year Sports. The Society had just taken over the ground at Patiti Point, and the track, nominally grass, was rough and dusty. The first race <2 miles) on the ground was won bv M. J. Shepherd (6Ooyds). F. T. Gray <450) being second and C. E. Hasseil <scr) third. On the second dav. over one mile, the place-getters were F. T. Gray (100). C. E. Hassell <scr<. and M. J. Shepherd <l2s*. Other competitors were E. Foster. J. W. Hall J Cuilmann, J. R. Bruce, and W. Rawstorn. Hassel! is credited with driving his machine at a terrific pace” over the execrably rough track. In 1888. the Caledonian Society gave the trophies for three races. Arthur Hairti <120) won the mile from J. Cuilmann <2o*. and C. E. Hassell (scr*. A threemile was won by Colin McDonald <25) from Haig <lss'. On the second day Haig <725< was awarded first prize from McDonald (sen. but it was alleged by the scratch man that he had "lapped” Haig, who was in receipt of nearly two rounds start. Lap-scorers had not been thought of. The three cycling clubs in combination held meetings on the Athletic Grounds, and later the Tourists carried on alone. All races were run under the rules of the amateur controlling body, the Cyclists’ Alliance. Cash amateurism and trade influences had not obtruded. Evolution of Bicycle It was during the amateur regime that the racing cycling progressed from the heavy ordinary to the featherweight machine we know to-dav. Two Timaru businessmen who visited England brought out "safety” bicvcles. On one of these E. Hassall, who 'had had no experience on the high bicycle, met with almost instant success, and the first note in the knell of the ordinary was sounded. Next came the “cushion.' a narrow valveless air-inflated tyre. J. Brassell. on cushions, outpaced the "solid" riders. The next step was the introduction of the pneumatic. W. J. S. Hayward (Christchurch), New Zealand champion, had imported a machine equipped with the first pneumatics. These tyres were big air-filled tubes wrapped to the rims putty-wise. Haywards machine was hired by F.

Truman, and the parting of the ways came in 1901. On the first dav of the Caledonian sports was witnessed the spectacle of F. Truman (pneumatic safety' and J. Brassell (cushion safety) cut-stripping opponents on solid-tyred ordinaries. E. Hassall, appearing or. the second day. on a cushion safetv. easily conceded 300 yards in three miles and 400 yards in five miles to a rider of the calibre of C. E. T. Hall, who rode a high machine. That made it plain that the ordinary was out of date, and all riders joined in the quest for more modern machines.

It was during the amateur era that the racing cycle underwent its great transformation Except for skin-sided, single tube tyres and the narrow saddle the 1945 machine differs very little from that which was bestridden, by the last of the amateurs. All through the transition period handicappers endeavoured to make compensating allowances for variation of tyres and machines, but in no case were they neerlv sufficient. A typical handicap included the following:—E Hassall (pneumatic 421 b» scr. A. Burford (unenmaHn 301 b) 90. J Brassell ‘pneumatic 411 b) 120. A Donn (solid 381 b) 280. This was an attempt to balance mechanical conditions with the supposed ability of riders. Desperate I classes were provided for racing and | roadster machines, and where events were “optional” roadsters were allowed 40 yards per mile. Ilall-Pithcr Trials An event which excited unusual interest was a series of tests between H J. Pither originally hailing from Invercargill. and C E. T. Hull. Pither in addition to being a fine rider over ordinary, distances, was a great stayer, and at the time of the tests he was holder of the New Zealand record for 100 miles unpaced. Later, he did well among rhe professionals in Melbourne The Cyclists' Alliance had included Hal! in a team it was disnatching to Australia for championships there. In Christchurch the Timaru man's fitness for selection had been challenged, and ♦he Tourists Cycb'ng Club arranged a test to prove the ability of their nominee. Pither had emerged successfully from trials in Christchurch with “Scorcher” Jones and F G Simpson Three tests were progrnm”' , °d but onlv two were necessary, as Hall won in two straight heats He clinched his j claims bv beating Pither again in a | three-mile handicap. These contests i took place on t he cinder path at the Athletic Grounds. Hall as a result accompanied W J. S Ha'ward. A C Wilmot. and Pither *o Brisbane and Sydney Prominent Amateurs The Caledonian Grounds became the hub of cash cycling, but it was at the Athletic Grounds that amateur champions starred Among the competitors there were A C Wilmot «Rangiora> W. J S. Hayward. T C. M Pallinshaw. J. O Shnrland. H. Thompson. T. H. North. J. W (Scorcher) Jones. J Boyd. W. H. Langdown. C H Jones (Christchurch). H J Pither (Invercargill'. F G. Simpson 'Kirwee'. ill champions or near champions. The local cracks included C. E. Hassell (North Street* C. E T Hall. E. Hassall T. C. Fvfe. A Donn. J Laurenson. H Amos. J Orr. T Orr. C Harrison, s McDonald. W H Hall W Lane B McKnight. H Aker. A Stocker. A (’rai'’ie and others Fyfe, according h many old-timers, would ’ ave b°en New Zealand chamnion hm. he taken racImg more seriously He dropped air i before *he cr.fetv appeared b«»* achieved lasting fame as one ot the par*’, which made the first ascent of Aft I Cook. Simpson, a brother of the dis-

tance runner W. F. Simpson, was perhaps the most successful performer on the rear-driver type of machine. Cash Ousts Amateurism The last of the three amateur cycling clubs in Timaru to survive was Timaru Tourists, with E. Hassall as captain and Andrew Wilson as secretary. "Cash amateurism" had been introduced in Christchurch, the £lOO New Zealand Wheel Race being a magnet. Racing on cinders had not the lure of speeding on banked asphalt. Last Amateur Meeting The last amateur meeting in South Canterbury was run by the Tourists on the Athletic Grounds in January, 1898. A mile novice event was won by W. H. Bovs; three mile open by H. Aker (125) with J. Orr (165) second; half mile by F. Nelson <loo'. and A. Stocker (35, second: two mile roadster. A. Cralgie (20). H. Aker Uo> 2; one mile. A. Craigie <6o> 1. J. Grant (40) 2; Grand Anniversary Handicap. A. Donn ,15) 1, J. Orr 'l2O, 2, W. H. Hall (15) 3; mile officials' race. E. Hassall (scri 1, F. J. Lough <120) 2; five mile, H. Aker (150) 1. J. Orr <23o> 2. The five mile provincial championship of Canterbury was won by W. H. Hall, from H. Amos. In the following season the Caledonians linked up with cash and the League of Wheelmen. After a warm debate, the Tourists Club registered with the League and in 1899 held a “cash amateur” meeting at the Caledonian Ground. A £2O Tourists’ Wheel Race was won by A. Ralston ) 45). The two-mile Canterbury Championship went to A R. Barker, with G. Sutherland and A. Ralston in the places. These were all "trade” riders, and the Tourists, though they tried to assimilate cash amateurism, could not digest semi-professionalism and gave up the fight. Many of the amateur riders transferred to cash, among the South Canterbury men being C. E. T. Hall. W. H. Hall. H. Amos. W. R. Lane, J Orr, T. Orr. H Aker. A. Stocker. B. McKnight, A. Graham and J. Grant. A good number of others, who were embarking on a racing career at the last Tourist meeting, did not embrace the new code and dropped out. Among them were F Nelson. W. H. Boys. J. M. South. H. Wiggs, C. L. Fraser. A. Shirrcliff. Geo. Kerr. F. Bailey. C Jonas. A. Lane, and J Quirk. A South Canterbury rider who ran the whole gamut of cvcle progress was C E. T. Hall, still actively associated with the sport as an official A backmarker b\ 1890. he saw amateurism in its heyday, and was still competing in the cash era. High ’ cycle, safety reardriver. front-driver, solid tyres, cushions. pneumatics . he saw them all. Further reference to his career may be made at some later date He won more races than any other South Canterbury amateur, twice annexing four in one dav. and several times three. Rehandicapping had not been devised in his time. C E. Hassell is the oldest living veteran, but he took no official part the sport after retirement from the track, devoting his attention mainly to fishing, golf and cricket. Other early contestants in Athletic Ground days still surviving in the district are C. Harrison and A. Austin, and J. Lanrenson revisited the town recently. The boom in cash cycling may be discussed latei _