CYCLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue II, 11 July 1896, Page 45

CYCLING.

HOW TO ALIGHT FROM A BICYCLE. fOHE importance of knowing how to alight from a bicycle is very great, and how people can go into the street or the country roads without being perfectly au fait with this branch of wheeling is simply amazing. M. Terront, the New York expert, recently gave an illustration of the various ways of dismounting at his school. Speaking of slipping off the machine from the rear in case of danger, this is what I always recommended under such circumstances. Suppose, for instance, you are going down hill and you find you are going too fast to control the machine by the pedals, this is the way to do. Hereupon Alfred, an assistant, who was sitting on a machine, awaited the word of command. ‘One,’cried the director, and Alfred, without changing his position in the least, simply opened the palms of bis hands on the handles of the guidon, so that the hands lay flat on the poignees. ‘ Two,’ commanded the director, and Al fred kicked his feet forward, so that the limbs were en tirely rigid and straight, at about an angle of 45 degrees from the horizontal of the floor of the track. ‘Three, and pressing his weight on the guidon as a pivot and leaning slightly forward, his rigid limbs were naturally brought to the rear of the machine, which, acting undei the slight momentum given by the movement, went for ward slightly, thus enabling him to alight on the ground as easily as could be imagined. At the same time he passed his hand to the top of the saddle and arrested the progress of the machine, which had started forward under the slight propulsion described. ‘ You may let the bicycle go, if you like,’ said M. Terront, smiling, ‘ and this would be not only natural, but almost unavoidable in case you are going down hill too fast; but it would not do the machine any good. Yet, if it saves your life or a broken bone or bruises it would be preferable to sacrifice the machine.’ This method of alighting was then illustrated by Alfred when riding at a fair rate of speed, and its simplicity and efficacy were much applauded. ‘ Now, I don’t consider this method altogether elegant; for instance, when alighting at a cafe or before one’s house. What do I prefer ? Simply this.’ Hereupon Alfred, who was riding slowly about the ring, waited until the left pedal was ‘ down,’ put his weight on it and dismounted in a perfectly easy and graceful manner. ‘ This,’ explained M. Terront, ‘is the ordinary way, but it presupposes that you have brought the bicycle to almost a standstill —it is not for cases of emergency. If the bicycle is moving, and you wish to jump off quickly, under ordinary circumstances —’ Hereupon Alfred, who had quickened his pace, threw his weight on his left pedal, when it was ‘ down,’ as before, but instead of stepping off, sprang from the machine.

‘ The third way to alight,’ continued M. Terront, ‘is what I recommend to stout people or to those who are somewhat advanced in age.’ Hereupon Alfred, who had slacked the pace of the machine he was riding so as to quite stop it, threw his weight on the right pedal when it was ‘down’ and caused the bicycle to lean to the left, touched the floor with his left foot first, following the movement by raising his right leg to the rear of the machine, and thus alighted. Thus the three movements were more clearly seen —viz., 1. Right foot presses pedal when ‘down’; 2. Machine leans to left, and left foot touches the ground ; 3. The right leg passes back of the rear wheel and touches the ground.

Recently a branch of the London Trades Union has, according to the Court Journal, prohibited a certain class of artisans from riding to and from their work upon bicycles. The reason given is that those who use cycles have an unfair advantage over those who do not, owing to the fact that they can give the employer longer hours of work and yet reach their homes at the same hour as the pedestrians.

Tourist parties of lady cyclists are to be a feature of the English highways this summer. Already a large number of cyclist parties have been formed for runs into the country extending over several days. In the matter of luggage the laws laid down are specially strict. No rider is allowed to carry more than can be packed in a small haversack. The average lady’s ‘ kit ’is as follows : —Sleeping costume ; brush, comb, and tooth-brush ; powder-puff and box, and a soft silk blouse.

A paper in Nice advertises among its other attractions a private race track solely for the use of its cycling patrons.

There is a heavy demand by bicyclists or Government geographical survey maps of country roads. These maps show the topographical character of the country, the

road surfaces and the hills, and thus tell where pleasant territory for bicycle riding can be found. The maps were made expressly for the Army.

One of the most extraordinary results of the present cycling craze is the formation in London of a C baperone Cyclists' Association,’ which provides companions for those who do not think it proper to ride alone and who cannot conveniently find friends to accompany them. The terms are 3s 6d for an hour, or tos 6d by the day, and the chaperone provides her own cycle. The qualifications for a chaperone are that she should be an experienced rider, and that she should either be a married lady, a widow, or an unmarried lady over thirty years of age.

Mobile (United States) wheelmen have a big fight on their hands. In that city for some years past an annual tax of 25 cents, per wheel was imposed by the City Fathers. Recently, however, the Aidermen thought that the tax ought to be higher, and so they raised the ante to ft. The wheelmen refused to pay the tax, but, instead, chipped in and retained eminent counsel. The result will probably be that the tax will be wiped out altogether.

Madrid recently provided the sight of bull-fighters on bicycles. Carlos Rodriguez, a well-known cyclist, and Badila, picador of the Quadrille de Mazzatini, both entered the arena mounted on cycles. Rodriguez soon ran away from the bull, but the picador stood his ground, and not being able to turn quick enough, was overtaken by the infuriated animal, and both rider and machine were tossed into the air.

Cycling is as much the rage in America just now as it is with us—possibly more so. In Chicago it has been found that it considerably reduces the Sunday congregation at the churches. The Rabbi of the largest and most fashionable synagogue in the city calculated that his congregation was at least reduced by two hundred owing to the popularity of the bicycle. A brother clergyman’s suggestion that each church should provide a room in which the cycles may be boused during service has met with considerable favour, both with ministers and cyclists. Before long the people of Chicago will probably come to regard a bicycle-room as a necessary adjunct to any church.

One clause in the regulations governing cycling in Germany strikes the ordinance observer as slightly superfluous, * No bicycle may be ridden unless provided with a handle bar.’

Newsboys on bicycles is the latest form of newspaper enterprise in London.

In Sydney a short time ago nine cyclists were fined 10s 6d each —one for omitting to ring his bell while passing a person in the street, and the other eight for riding at night without lights.

In America, in 1878, fewer than 100 bicycles were manufactured. It is estimated that the output this year will be between 800,000 and 1,000,000. The Americanmade machine has now firmly established itself in Australasia.

The senior handicapper to the League of X ictorian Wheelmen (says an Australian paper) has prepared an interesting table, showing the amount of prize money given to riders in Victoria for the season’s racing—that is, from November, 1895. to June, 1896. The total prize money amounts to the substantial sum of Z'4.33° »°s. divided as follows: Firsts, Z. 3128 . seconds, /817 5s ; thirds, Z 314 5 8 ’, heats, pacing, etc., Z7l. There were about 650 prizes, and these were divided amongst 200 riders. The chief winners were :■ H. A. Hourigan, 10s ; A.W. Harris. Z 222 ! AB - Crisp, w Martin, Z 164; H. Brickford, Zls’ ’. C. Porta. Z u s> I- B - Sharp, Z i« 2 J A G - Bun K e y.Z ,o 8 1 G. B. Kellow, Z’i°° ; 1) J. Walker, Z 99 128 1 M - J- McLean Z9 B ’.J- w - Pisons, ZB9 ", N. Mattersou, Z B6 103 ;H. J. Pither, ZTBi 6s ; A H. Clinton. /6 7 ; G. Peart, Z. 65 I J- C. Fitzgerald,

Z 6 ' 5 s ’■ J- B - Anderson, Z 59 108 1 J- A - Grantor, Z 55

loa; D. J. Kirk, Z 55 ; C. Turner, Z 55 1J- Carpenter, Z5«Hourigan won nearly all his money in one race —the A.N.A. Wheel Race, Z 250—but A. W. Harris worked exceedingly hard for his Z’ 222 , as his record shows : firsts 10; seconds, 4; thirds, 1. Martin’s Z 164 does not represent any intercolonial money, which would add largely to his figures. Porta worked perhaps harder than anyone else for his ZTiiS, won in 6 firsts 6seconds, and 8 thirds. Parsons only scored 3 firsts, 10 seconds, and 2 thirds, while Don Walker scores a record for seconds, gaining no fewer than 13, with 4 firsts and 3 thirds. About half the men who rode never won a first prize in the season. One thing that strikes our attention in examining these statistics is the great difference between the first and second prize money, against Z Bi 7 ®nd seems a pity that large lumps of money should be won by riders of merely second-rate calibre. Take Crisp and Brickford. This pair won Z-351 in the season over there performances.

It was stated at a meeting of cyclists recently that there are over 4,000 machines in Christchurch.

A large number of cyclists in Christchurch have formed themselves into a Cyclists’ Road-riders’ Protection Association, the object being to use all constitutional means to encourage, protect, and maintain the interest of cycle riders. The members passed the following motion at their first meeting :— * That this meeting of cyclists, having in view the enormous and growing proportions of the cycling traffic, and the valuable factor the bicycle is to the progress of trade generally, is of the opinion that the time is opportune for the laying down of cycling paths on many of the principal roads and streets for the better regulation and control of the traffic, the safety of ridersand the public, and the preservation ofthemachines.’ They further expressed the opinion that all cyclists should be required to register themselves as riders, ard pay a nominal annual license fee ; such fees to be applied towards the cost of laying down cycle paths in accordance with the foregoing resolution. The bicycle riders in the United States are estimated to number 4,000,000.