CYCLING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 244, 15 October 1936, Page 4

CYCLING

GREAT RIDE OPPERMAN’S RECORDS DUBBO TO SYDNEY Despite almost continual head winds, cold, and occasional heavy showers of rain, the famous Victorian long-distance cyclist, Hubert Opperman, recently broke the Dubbo to Sydney record by 3 hours 7 minutes. Opperman rode the 267 miles in 14 hours 37 minutes, averaging approximately 18.3 miles an hour. During the ride Opperman brok'? the Dubbo to Wellington, Dubbo to Bathurst, and Bathurst to Sydney records, the lastmentioned being by 52 minutes. Opperman rode the la it 60 miles from Katoomba to Sydney in woollen tights, as a protection against the Intense cold, and he was well muffled up on arrival in Sydney. He appeared little distressed by his strenuous ride. He said that, he had had a good run throughout, except for the rain and wind.#His worst experience had been on a rough detour between Dubbo and Orange, where he had almost fallen on several occasions. In Teeth of Southerly Opperman set out from Dubbo at 8 a.m. and reached Geurie (18 miles) 55 minutes later. There he found it necessary to make a detour over a rough road. Wellington (32 miles) was reached at 9.42, and Molong (75 miles) at 12.12. At Wellington a strong southerly head wind was encountered and Opperman had to ride into this for the greater part of the day. Orange, 99 mlise from the starting point, was reached at 1.35 p.m., and here the cyclist encountered a delay of 5 minutes, occasioned by the crowd of people who swarmed across the street when he arrived. Opperman arrived at Bathurst (135 miles) at 3.30 p.m., having covered the distance in five and a half hours and broken the existing record from Dubbo to Bathurst by one hour 14 minutes. The 35 miles from Bathurst to Lithgow were covered in two hours 10 minutes, bringing his mileage total to 172 and his time Io nine hours 40 minutes. Mount Victoria (187 miles) was reached at 6.35 p.m., and there extreme wintry conditions w r ere encountered. Opperman pedalled into Katoomba (198 J miles) at 7.10 p.m., complaining of numbed fingers and toe,s ,and made a stop to change into warm clothing before commencing the descent of the mountains. The cold at this stage w'as increasing and sleety rain was falling. Riding Daringly To make up for his stop of 12 minutes at Katoomba, Opperman made great pace down the Blue Mountains, which he had climbed on the western side from Lithgow to Mount Victoria,

and at times the cars following him were registering almost 50 miles an hour to keep up with him. He roue daringly in spite of the darkness. At Penrith (233 miles) Opperman had the record well in hand when he passed through at 8.52 p.m. The 19 miles to Parramatta were covered in 58 minutes, and the last 15 miles into Sydney in 47 minutes. Opperman checked in at the G.P.O. at 10.37., and immediately rode away to a well-earned rest. An analysis of the record-breaker’s times showed that he covered the first 50 miles in 2 hours 45 seconds, the first 75 miles in 4 hours 13 minutes, the 100 miles in 8 hours 35 seconds, 200 miles in 11 hours 25 minutes, and 1250 miles in 13 hours 46 minutes.