CYCLING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 342, 11 February 1897, Page 3

CYCLING

[By

Rim.]

Auckland, October 27th, 1896,

To the Proprietors, Sporting Review, Auckland. Dear Sirs, —I have pleasure in advising you that the Sporting Review has been appointed the Official Organ of the Auckland Cycle Club. Yours faithfully, J. P. HOWDEN, Sports Secretary.

AUCKLAND CYCLING CLUB’S SPORTS.

The Auckland Cycling Club held their long-announced citizens’ carnival at the Domain Cricket Ground last Saturday afternoon in beautifully fine weather, and before an attendance of some 2000 spectators. Unfortunately, they had to contend with such a popular attraction as the Takapuna Jockey Club’s Eaces, and to this fact in a great measure is due that the attendance was not much larger. Those present, however, spent an enjoyable time, as the racing throughout was of a most interesting and closelycontested character, and the meeting was well handled by the officials, special attention having been paid to the comfort and convenience of patrons The following are the results : — 75yds Handicap.—H. W. Brierly, 6yds, 1; W• Riley, 10yds, 2; N. Barton, Byds, 3. Time, Bsec. One mile Maiden Bicycle Handicap.—E. Bockeart, scr, 1 ; R. Gelston scr, 2 ; J. Doherty, 130 yds, 3. This race resulted in a battle between the two scratch men and the limit man. Doherty (limit) was eventually cut down, and Bockeart carried off the honours from Gelston. Time, 2min 43 3-ssec. Auckland Cycling Club Handicap. —First distance (one mile) —A. C. Forbes, 35yds, 1; H. Lyon, 85yds, 2 ; R. Hendry, 75yds, 3. Forbes won after an exciting finish. Time, 2min 29 l-ssec. Second distance (three miles) —F. Hunt, scr, 1; T. Clarkson, scr, 2; C. Cattanach, 70yds, 3. In the last lap, the two scratch men, Hunt and Clarkson, left the field, and after a sharp struggle Hunt finished about a length ahead of Clarkson, in the splendid time of Bmin 8 2-ssec. Third distance (five miles) —F. Hunt, scr, 1 ; T. Clarkson, scr, 2; A. C. Forbes, 80yds, 3. A fine finish between Forbes, Clarkson, and Hunt resulted in the latter winning by a length, with Forbes about the same distance behind Clarkson. Time, 15min ISsec. The result of the handicap, judged by points, was as follows : Hunt. 10 points, 1 ; Forbes, 8 points, 2 ; Clarkson, 6 points, 3. 100yds Handicap. —H. W. Brierly, 7yds, 1 ; N. Barton, 10yds, 2 ; H. Absolum, 7yds, 3. Brierly is credited wit h having done 9 4-ssec One-Mile Walk Handicap.— A. Whiting, 75yds, 1; G. T. Boakes, 150yds, 2; A. Coleman, scr, 3. F. Wilkins, the second to finish, was disqualified. Time, 6min 40sec. Q,uarter-mile Flying Bicycle Handicap.—Lyon, 15yds, 1; A. J. Campbell, 10yds, 2; C. Curteis, 20yds, 3. Time, 36 2-ssec. 250yds Handicap.—S. Buchanan, 11yds, f; A. W. Watts, 9yds, f; J. A. Tate, 7yds, 3. S. Buchanan and A. W. Wafts ran a dead-heat for first place after a great race. Time, 27 l-ssec. Auckland Cycling Club Championship.—A. J. Campbell, 1; R. Hendry 2 ; P. A. Smith, 3 ; G. Hyauiason, 4. Campbell won by something like half a lap. Time, smin 25sec. Five-Mile Interprovincial Scratch Race. —F. Hunt (Rangitikei), 1; T. Clarkson (Invercargill), 2 ; A. C. Forbes (Egmont), 3 ; O. O. Sherwood (League of Victorian Wheelmen), 4. Hunt won by about 50 yards. Time, 15min 54sec. Quarter-mile Handicap.—H. W. Brierly, sci’, 1; W. Farquahar, 22yds, 2; J. A. Tate, 13yds, 3. Time, 52 2-ssec. Three-Mile Bicycle Handicap.—P. Smith, 130 yds, 1; G. Hyauiason, 175yds, 2 ; E. Bockeart, 230yds, 3. Time, Bmin 24 3-ssec. Auckland Wheel Race, two miles. —W. F. Ramsay, 210yds, 1; H. Lyon, 100yds, 2; A. J. Campbell, 65yds, 3 ; A. C. Forbes, 45yds, 4. Ramsay won easily by five lengths. Time, sinin 24 4-ssec. 220yds Hurdle Handicap.—H. Absolum, 11yds, 1 ; A. W. Watts, scr, 2 ; D. Somers, 17yds, 3. Absolum won comfortably. Half-Mile Bicycle Dash Handicap.—C. Curteis, 65yds, 1 ; H. Lyon, 45yds, 2; W. W. Anisebrook, 50yds, 3;A. C. Forbes, 10yds, 4. Time, Imin 13 3-ssec. F. W. Shallcrass made a road record from Nelson to Havelock (fifty miles) on February 1, cycling through in 3hr 56sec. Shepherd, the Sydney ’cyclist, recently lowered the record from Melbourne to Sydney by 36 hours, covering the distance in four days four minutes. The Dunedin St. Clair track is being pushed on apace.

The match between Ken. Lewis and Martin on Saturday last, at Melbourne, resulted in a win for the former by two events out of three. Lewis appropriated the mile by a wheel in 2min 49 3-ssec, and the ten .miles by a length in 23min 58 3-ssec. Martin secured the five miles by a lap and a half in 11mm 9sec. The ten mile championship resulted as follows: — Kuhle 1, Porta 2, Walne 3. Time, 24min 40sec. Martin fell. Martin’s riding against Lewis in the ten mile event was regarded by the officials as a clear case of stiff running, and they disqualified him for two years. They will inquire into Lewis’s relations with Martin. “Rover,” m the Dunedin Star, is evidently not well disposed towards Auckland, as he gives cyclists the following peculiar advice:—“A word to cyclists going on a holiday to the North. Let me give them an Irishman’s advice: If you are going to Auckland to cycle leave your bike at home ; you will enjoy cycling there much better that way. The roads up there have been formed by volcanic eruption, and retain their pristine state ; but the only eruptions existent there now are those of a vocal sort, and the language of the unfortunate riders is frequent and plain.” A very amusing incident occurred the other day in Dubin. A lady, who’ was cycling along the street, suddenly came to grief, and one of the priests of a neighbouring presbytery—who is a decided cyclomaniac — rushed into one of the parlors, where a large number of the fathers were gathered, crying out excitedly : “ There’s a lady outside in the street, and she’s completely buckled! ” The priests assembled, who were not familiar with cycling terminology, were considerably startled, and one of them, it is said, hastily rose and asked if his services were required to ad minster the last rites of the church. According to Wheeling there is about £27,000,000 involved in the English cycle trade, of which about £12,000,000 has been supplied by the public. To earn a 10 per cent, dividend —and that is considered a reasonable return for money invested in the cycle trade —a sum of £2,700,000 is necessary, and as there are 130 firms trading to secure this, it does not seem too much to expect. Humber and Co”s net profits for the past year amounted to £67,000; the Premier Company earned £BO,OOO ; and it is rumoured that the Dunlop Tyre Company has earned over £1,000,000. Nine-tenths of the collisions that occur between cyclists are due to the fact that either one or the other was where he did not belong. A cyclist may have been coming down the left-hand side of the highway and met another coming towards him on the same side The rider coming on the left-hand side has the right of way, and the rider approaching him should cross over and get out of his way. Yet some of them will try to crowd between the cyclist and the curb, contrary to all road-rules and the rules of common sense. Result —Both go down. One has his wheel broken, and deserves to have it broken ; the other has his wheel broken, and the man responsible for it should be made in some way to pay the damage.