CYCLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue X, 5 March 1898, Page 286

CYCLING.

C. F. Barden is so disgusted with the treatment he has received from, the officials of the League of Victorian Wheelmen that he will not again compete in Victoria in either scratch or handicap races. That Barden has been disgracefully and shamefully treated at the hands of the Victorian League anyone will admit, and few will be •surprised at the stand that the English ehampion has taken. At the A.N.A. meeting Barden was disqualified for the day’s racing for the finable offence of looking back whilst riding. Why this severe punishment should be dealt out to the Englishman whilst others are let off with a nominal fine is a mystery we are unable to ravel. The stand now taken by Barden is the only one open to him, and his action will be endorsed by everybody conversant with the unfair treatment he has received by Victoria. It is now the Englishman’s intention to proceed to Sydney, where he will train on his Dunlop-tyred ‘Swift’ behind the Dunlop pace, with a view to lowering some of Betts’ records. May he receive better treatment at the hands of the New South Welchmen. If any extra practical demonstration were needed as to the advantages of steel rims of the DunlopWelch pattern over the light American single tube wooden rims, it was provided at the A.N.A. meeting, Melbourne (January 26th). In numerous instances the light wooden rims cracked up like match-wood, to the manifest disgust of their riders. In marked contrast were several instances of the remarkable rigidity of the Dunlop-Welch steel rim, notably J. Farrell’s accident in the final of the great A.N.A. Wheel Race, when exactly one quarter of the spokes were ripped out of Farrell’s back wheel, through colliding with Ainsworth’s pedal. This mishap spoilt any chance Farrell had; but. he was still enabled to ride owing to the great strength of the rim preventing the wheel from collapsing. Still misfortune pursues W. J. C. Elliott. In the ’97 A.N.A. Wheel Race Elliott rode a game race for the £2OO, but was beaten, only by inches, by C. O. Tebbutt. This year he repeats the performance on his Dunl >p-t.yred Beeston Humber, being beaten on the post by L. M. Jackson, after a magnificent struggle. There is a strange coincidence about this race. Last year Tebbutt (then a novice), in the hands of A. Fossey, secured the Wheel Race by half a wheel from Elliott, and another protege of Fossey’s secures the same race on the same make of machine and from the same second man this year. Elliott pockets £llO through his fine rifting last Wednesday, whilst L. M. Jackson takes £220 as his share. Not a bad afternoon’s recreation I The Dunlop pacing teams (including the three new quads just to hand) have been all leased for a team by the Austral Cycle Agency, who intend taking all the teams across to the Sydney Cricket Ground early in February, and to there pace Messrs Green, Walne, Barden, Megson, and Elliott for Australian records. We wish the enterprising firm every success; but they have set themselves a hard task in trying to reduce Platt-Betts’ records.

The Australian Champion, R. Walne, has changed his mount, and will ride a Dunlop-tyred ‘Swift’ for the remainder of the season. It is very noticeable that whilst the cracks change about with their machines they always stick to the tyre that was ‘first in 1888’ and has been ‘foremost ever since.’ In F. C. Beauchamp the Tasmanians have a rider that bids fair to make a name for himself in the Australian cycling world. His riding and pacing in the heats and semi-finals of the A.N.A. Wheel Race, Melbourne, were a treat to watch, and only for his misfortune in having a bad position in the last lap he would have even bettered the third position obtained by him in the final. Few of the many thousands present at the Melbourne Exhibition Building saw the splendid run made by the Tasmanian, they being all engrossed with the struggle between Elliott and Jackson. We predict a great career for Beauchamp on his Dunlop-tyred wheel, and will certanly be surprised if he does not figure prominently in racing circles during the next few years. It is more than probable that Melbourne will not see a cycle show this year. The ’97 Exhibition was a pronounced success, the promoters clearing a hundred pounds odd after paying all expenses, which were exceptionally heavy. The majority of the large importers favour holding the show at the beginning of next year. At the last Melbourne Show the Dunlop Tyre Co. scored a great success with their fine exhibit in royal blue and white, the Company’s racing colours.