'CYCLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XXV, 18 June 1898, Page 764

'CYCLING.

The Touring Club de France has the. reputation for being a most go-ahead institution, and during the Great Paris Exhibition of 1900 it proposes to construct a homelike and hospitable maison, which is to cost something like £20,000, and will embrace all the conveniences desired for entertaining in suitable manner the 60,000 members and many friends of the Touring Club. One of the proposed striking features of the Touring Club building will be a topographical chart of France, showing in detail the roads, towns, declivities, altitudes, rivers, lakes, forests, chateaux, etc. The scheme is intended to further and encourage intimate acquaintance with the sunny land of France on the part of the cycle-riding population. The war has affected general trade in the United States. The question whether it is proving prejudical to the sale of bicycles is answered in one of the American wheel papers. According to this journal the cycle trade is holding its own in a very satisfactory way. Wars and rumours thereof will not prevent people from buying bicycles, provided, as in the present instance, that the wars and their rumours are naval and not land affairs, while the the millions of money now being spent preparing for war will afford many the price of a cycle, which otherwise they might not have. A large number of cycles are being purchased by the United States War Department for Army use. It is worth knowing that cyclists are required to do more than merely give warning to foot passengers to get out of their way if they wish to be exonerated from responsibility for accidents. According to Mr A. Williamson, who is an authority on the law as it affects cyclists, they must do all that is possible to avoid accident, and if there is danger, stop or dismount from their cycles. This point has been tested in numerous cases in the courts, so there is no doubt about it.

We learn that the Dunlop Tyre Company have increased their pacing teams at the Crystal Palace track, and included is a quad team of negro blacks. Their mount is enamelled white, and the team is dressed also in white shoes to match. The team is now putting in some good work, and should prove a great draw at the Palace. The idea is a good one, and Mr James, the New Zealand manager of the company, endeavoured to mount a team of Maoris last season on one of their pacing machines, but was unsuccessful at the time as the season was then too far advanced to take the matter up very fully. The Maori has proved himself an athlete of no mean ability, and could such a team be brought together, we think they would uphold their good athletic name in this branch of sport as well as they have already done in the football field and other sport. .Very few cyclists are aware what a difference a tightly blown up tyre makes in the work of propelling a bicyfle. The work of driving a machine with the tyres inflated to a pressure of 151 b per inch is exactly double that of a machine with the tyres blown to 351 b, and the wear and tear on the tyres is at about the same ratio. The correct pressure for every day road riding (in New Zealand) is from 231 b to 281 b. with a slight reduction in hot weather. Let our readers try an experiment by keeping

their tyre* pumped hard for a few months or so, and they will find that they are riding more easily, that their tyres show less signs of wear and tear, and that punctures will be of the rarest occurrences. Have you ever ridden aimlessly along the crowded street. And seen riding ahead a girlish form petite? Have you ever pictured in your mind a maiden's pretty face, And then in hope of seeing such, you've quickened up your pace; And when you passed your 'maiden fair.’ cast back a searching look. To find the pretty maiden was a crosseyed Irish cook? (Eng.) 'Wheeling,' 9/2/98. When pumping up a tyre and you find that it requires force to use the infln.ter you ca.n generally assume that it is caused through negligence in riding without screwing up the dust cap, thus allowing particles of dust and dirt to choke the valve. When such is the case take the valve to pieces, remove the rubber from the stem, and clear the hole in the stem with a pin, replace the rubber and valve and you will have got over the difficulty. It is now definitely announced that Zimmermann will again race this season in America, his first engagement being a match with E. Bald, another Yankee crack. Nothing would give greater pleasure to all Australians who had anj' dealings with ‘Zim’ whilst on his visit home than to hear that he had once again returned to his old form. No star has ever shone in the cycling firmament with such brilliancy as when Zimmermann was champion of the world. News is to hand from Spain of an exciting contest between a racing cyclist and an expert horsewoman, for the sum of £2OO a-side. The race was for three hours, and was run upon two tracks, one within the other, the outer circle being 224 yards in circumference, and the inner one four yards shorter. The lady had the use of five horses and the option of changing as often as she desired, whilst the cyclist could change his machine (A Dunloptyred Osmond) if found necessary. For the first ten minutes the race was an evenly contested one, the lady, who had selected the outer circle, having a slight advantage; but from this out the cyclist gradually drew ahead of the equestrienne, although she made repeated changes without reducing the gap. As time crept on the equestrienne began to regain her lost ground, and the excitement rose to fever pitch as it was seen that the cyclist was tiring away. But the hard riding was telling heavily on the horses, who were now thoroughly exhausted and unable to respond to their rider’s efforts to reduce the cyclist’s lead. At the expiration of the three hours the cyclist was pronounced the winner by five miles, he having covered fiftyeight miles eight hundred and eighty yards (unpaced), as against his fair antagonist’s fifty-three miles two hundred and eighty yards. Both riders received a great ovation from the thousands present for their plucky and spirited riding throughout the race.