CYCLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 301, 30 April 1896, Page 2

CYCLING.

A Melbourne lawyer who cycles, doing a little bush tour at Easter, left his b’ke outside a hotel in a small, one-horse town on a Saturday afternoon whilst he went inside to blow up his tyre, or grease his wheel, or something of the kind. After taking philosophical observations at the ceiling through a tumbler, the man of law.started out in quest of his thirtyguinea machine. He found it about thirty yards off, woefully crippled, and tied up ‘in hard knots. A large, combative billy-goat was placidly chewing the pneumatic tyre, and a big, plump girl of seventeen was sitting dolefully in the dust of the road, nursing a lump on her head as big as an emu egg The girl, seeing nobody about, had boldly tried her luck on the bike—the pugilistic he-goat had done the rest. In Melbourne there has been recently started an instituti «n which should be a boon to cyclists, and which miyht well be imitated in the large towns in New Zealand. It is the Block Cycle Stables, where machines can be left at any time. The annual subscription is 255, or half vearly, 15s, or monthly, 3s. The place is always open, and subscribers are entitled to have their machines oiled, bearings and chains adjusted, cranks and pedals straightened, and punctures remedied, besides which there are lavotories and dressing rooms. Non-subscribers are charged a small fee. The bicycle has been received with decided disfavour by the farmers in the Crookston district, according to the Tuapeka Times. A drapers’ assistant recently speculated in a machine, and went round to the fanners to collect orders for his firm. The farmers and blacksmiths refused point blank to give him any orders. “ You require neither oats nor blacksmithing, nor anything else for your horse, and how can you expect farmers to support you ?” The draper had to revert to the horse. Thus an American cycling paper: —■ “ One year ago last November, when the Augusta Victoria steamed up the Hudson River and into her dock at Hoboken, hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic natives of America breathlessly waited for Arthur A. Zimmerman to walk down the gang plank and stand once more upon the soil of the country whose racing honour he had so proudly and ably upheld in Europe. Now, alas! all is changed. Last week good old ‘ Grinder’ reached the United States after a tour of more or less triumph around the world, and so little is thought of the arrival by the public in general that scarcely a handful of curiosity-prompted Californians did him honour. His fair weather friends had deserted him, but those who know him best, and, necessarily, loved him most, stand staunch and true in the firm belief that “ Zim.” will yet prove that he is still the champion of them all. Pat Develin was a young and unmarried man, and although he made considerable money, he was conservative about spending it. While at work he had watched the bicyclists go spinning past, and he envied them. “ Be the powers, Callahan, they bate the worruld ! ” he cried enthusiastically one day. “ An’ there’d be wan woild Oirishman straddlin’ a newattic toire this avenin’, shure, if he had the money tosphare.” “ Why don’t yez rint wan ? ” inquired Callahan. “ Can yez be afther rintin’ thim ? ” “Shure!” “ Oi’ll have wan of ’em out this avenin’ or me name’s not Develin ! ” cried Pat. True to his vow, Pat strode into a bicycle store early that evening, and sought the head clerk. “ How do yez rint yer boicycles ? ” he inquired. “ Fifty cents the first hour, and twentyfive cents for the second,” was the reply. “ Fifty cents, for the first hour, and twenty foive fer the second hour, is it ? ” Pat said, quickly. “ Then, me man, give me wan fer the second hour ! ” A Bill, which is said to have a good prospect of becoming law, has been drafted in America for the purpose of allowing the cyclists of Denver to ride without lamps or bells, compelling all vehicles to keep to the right and turn out on that side when meeting riders, regulating their speed as well as that of bicycles within certain portions of the city, and also providing for the infliction of heavy penalties for scattering glass, tacks,

etc., on the streets The man that drafted the above Bill should be remanded for medical treatment. How are pedestrians, who want to cross a street on a dark night, going to get on ? This is about on a par with our county council legislation in New Zealand, effecting cyclists. Mr Hiram Maxim has put the tricycle to a new and an important use. He has fitted the machine with two Maxim.guns, each weighing 251 b, and capable of firing 600 rounds a minute. Each machine will carry 1000 rounds of ammunition. Australia can boast of a quadruplet and several triplets, but the Barnes Cycle Company of New York are building a double - quintuplet, a machine to be manned by ten riders. It has been nicknamed “ the Barnes space annihilator.” One of the features of this extraordinary machine will be the chain, to consist of four ordinary chains side by side, put together with long rivets, making it practically a link belt. The “ double-quint” will, it is calculated, attain a speed of one mile in 30sec. The Yankees are always up to date. Their latest is a silver-mounted bicycle. The first of these, a man’s wheel, was completed and exhibited on Christmas Eve. The wheel shown was one of a regular manufacture, believed to be one of the best in every respect; and this the firm decorate I with sterling silver in Louis XVI. style Carved ivory handles were added to the handle-bar. and the forks, supporting rods, isprocket-wheel, and other parts were decorated in good taste, without impairing the practicability and usefulness of the machine, or adding materially to its weight. A silver cyclometer, silver watch, and silver decorated tool-bag completed the outfit. This machine was sold to the manufacturers of the mechanical part of the wheel, and exhibited by them at the cycle show. The second, a lady’s wheel, was finished during the second week in February, and sold the first day it was put on exhibition in. the window This wheel was of a different manufacture, which was believed to excel in ladies’ wheels. It is a regular diamond drop frame. The front forks and head are richly overlaid with silver open work, the ornamentation suggesting the rococo and Louis XV. styles; the handles are of carved and stained ivory, decorated with silver and jade knobs at the ends. The wheel is equipped with a front brake, solid silver cyclometer, silver watch, silver bell, and tan leather tool bag also decorated with silver, in harmony with the silver ornamentation upon the saddle. Perhaps the most beautiful accessory of the machine is the solid silver lamp attached to the handle bar. It is made after the most approved pattern, with a high-power reflector and ruby and emerald coloured cut chrystal sidelights. There is a full nickel mud guard, ornamented with silver and strung with the finest silk ; a silver chain-guard and a silver shield for the sprocket wheel.

“ Mr S. H. Justin, who has been in Australia with Zimmerman on behalf of the Nimrod-Zimmy Co., of Bristol, has returned to the western city (says an English journal), having come via San Frai cisco. He confirms previous reports re the great receptions accorded the party at Sydney, thousands seeking to shake hands with the ex-champion. The latter was impressed with the powers of the Colonials, who, he thought, would do well on good tracks. English safeties sell best in Australia, and fetch £25 to £35, but Germans and Americans are trying to get a foothold. The first-named, however, appear to use poor stuff, and the Yankees build their machines too light. Zimmerman, says Mr Justin, won thousands of pounds. At Syney he received £l2O to compete in one race, was granted £lOO for his excellent riding, and then won £l5O in prizes. Four thousand machines were ordered through Mr Justin, so that the enthusiasm for the pastime among the Cornstalks is selfevident. Talking of American manufacturing, he said there were 20,000 men engaged in the trade, earning an average of about 8s a day.” Evidently Mr Justin is an utter stranger to Ananias, though so like him in some things. The motor cycles will costabout £l5O. At any rate, they won’t become a nuisance. We are to have a second edition of the song, “ Daisy Bell,” Miss Collins having introduced another song, entitled “ Marriage on a Bicycle.”

The latest organisation in the cycling world (says an English paper) is the Pneumatic Tyre Defence Association, which has been formed, with headquarters at Birmingham, and which has for its object the break down of the Dunlop tyre monopoly. With this aim, an appeal for funds is made to the trade, so that a final decision from the highest tribunal can be obtained respecting the validity of the Pneumatic Tyre patents generally Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, the author of “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” and wife of the celebrated American baptist parson, says that “ bloomers are an abomination, and that they are a disgrace to womankind.” A lady bikist was recently arrested in San Francisco for appearing in the streets in knickerbockers. The judge directed that “knickerbockers were not a suitable garment for a woman to wear in a public place,” and advised the offender to array herself in future in baggy bloomers. Martin is matched against the trotting horse Osterly. The match takes place on the 28th inst. 11. E. M’Crea, the gritty little Californian, is (reports Bearings') sharing with Wells the glory of having broken a world’s record. While not in the best of health, which makes his ride all the more remarkable, he succeeded in lowering the three-quarter-mile standing start record to Imin 22 2 ssec, and Friday morning cut the record of Imin 50 1 ssec for the s anding start mile to Imin 49 2-ssec. He was paced by two quads. “ Look here, young man, I hear you have been seen riding with my daughter on a tandem, and I want to tell you I don’t like it.” “ Well, you may nat, but I do.”

The American Mutual Accident Insurance companies have passed the following resolution :—“ That the use of the bicycle should be covered by additional cost or reduction of death and indemnity benefits, and it is recommended that this be provided for by either of the following methods: The adequate increase of premiums to cover the added risk, or the classification as an occupation of bicycle riders in a class twice as hazardous as the “ preferred” risk. That benefits by accidents by bicycle riding be specifically reduced. The including of bicycling under the policies to be covered only by specific permits at an extra premium.” Many cyclists suffer from cold feet and hands in the winter, A piece of chamois leather, cut to fit inside the shoe, is a good thing, and is very comfortable. For cold hands two pair of gloves are needed. The inside pair of kid, and the outside pair of wool. Porta, the Italian, has been showing good form in Australia lately, and he has twice defeated Parsons and the other cracks.