ON THE WHEEL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 26 May 1898, Page 5

ON THE WHEEL

LBy

Cyclos.]

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, E. G. SKEATES, Hon. Sec. L EAGUE OF NEW ZEALAND WHEELMENThe Governing Body of Cycling in New Zealand, AMATEUR and CASH. ' Affiliated to National Cyclists Union of England. International Cyclists Association and to the Leagues of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, and Western Australia. AFFILIATED CLUBS. Club. Secretary. Auckland Cycling Club G. Peace Carterton Cycling Club W. McKenzie Danevirke Cycling Club ... ... G. N. Wallace Egmont Cycling Club N.‘ Benporath Feilding dycling Club M. S. Brunette Foxton Cycling Club ... ... C. T. Austin Hastings Cycling Club H. Symonds Hawera Cycling Club W. D. Nicholas Huntly Cycling Club W. Ellison Manawatu Cycling Club J. F. Manning Otaki Cycling Club ... ... A. Knocks Pahiatua Cycling Club ... ... J. Conn el ■ Rangitikei Cycling Club ... ... J. Robson Wellington Cycling Club C. E. Eagar Wanganui & W.C. Cycling Club H. R. Woon Wairarapa Cycling Club... ... P. C. Reynolds Woodville Rovers Cycling Club H. P. Horne Weraroa Cycling Club C. Thompson New Plymouth Cycling Club ... H. H. Mace Reliance Cycling Club F. L. Seager Petone-Hutt Cycling Club ... F. Packard Ariel Cycling Club H. Thompson Christchurch Cycling Club ... F. D. Kesteven Denniston Cycling Club ... . ... J. T. Jaspers Greymouth Cycling Club... ... E. M. Sheedy Hokitika Cycling Club ... ... F. L. Kirwan Invercargill Cycling Cash Club... W. E. Gladstone Jubilee Cycling Club . ... T. G. Jamieson Kaikoura Cycling Club ... ... J. B. Borthwick Kumara Cycling Club ... ... R. Rouse Marlborough Cycling Club ... H. Hillman North Otago Cycling Club ... J. E. Hood Reef ton Cycling Club J. F. Clark Riverton Cycling Club H. H. Twemlow Seiwyn Cycling Club ... ... G. Porter Linwood Cycling Club T. Reed Amberley Rovers ... J. Blain Alexandra Cycling Club ... ... J. R. Cairns Otago Cycling Club A. Munden Roxburgh Cycling Club ... ... B. V. Reilly Vincent Cycling Club ... ... G. Stumbles Invercargill A.O. & A.C.... ... E. Norton Dunedin Cycling Club W. R. Brugh Lawrence Cycling Club J. B.Rinley Middlemarch Cycling Club ... J. Robertson Star Cycling Club J. W. Manchester Mataura Cycling Club ... ... T. G. Smith West Taieri Cycling Club ... J. Mcßride Gore Cycling Club ... .. J. C. Allan Westport Cycling Club J. S. Webb Wyndham Cycling Club ... ... D. J. McLauhlan Balclutha Cycling Club J. W. Mitchell Otago Railway Cycling Club ... C. Coon Stratford Cycling Club ... G. Pritchard Wanderers Cycling Club ... C. Cunningham Nelson Cycling Club ... ... N. B. Levien Wanganui Cycling Club ... J. T. Muir Thames Cycling Club ... ... T. Day F. D. KESTEVEN, Secretary. 7, Chancery Lane, Christchurch.

League of New Zealand Wheelmen’s Definition of a Cyclist.

Amateur Definition. An Amateur is one who is the holder of an amateur licence from this League, and who has—a. Never engaged in, nor assisted in, nor taught any swimming, athletic, or cycling exercise for money or other remuneration, b.

Never knowingly competed with or against a person who does not hold a licence under the Amateur Definition of this League for a prize of any description, or in any cycle event in public, except where permission is granted by the League, c. Never made pace for,' or been paced by, a person who does not hold a licence under this League, or for or by a person under suspension, d. Never sold, realised upon, or otherwise converted into cash, any prize won by him. b. Never accepted, directly or indirectly, any remuneration, compensation, or expenses whatever from a cycle manufacturer, agent, sport promoter, or other person interested in the trade or sport, for cycle riding, except where special permission is granted by the League., Cash Definition. . . .■ A Cash Cyclist is one who is the holder of a licence ' under this League, and ceases to be eligible by— A. Engaging in cycle racing, or training or coaching any person therein, as a means of obtaining a livelihood, b. Orcompeting against any person who does not hold a licence under the Cash Definition of this League, except where permission is granted by the League, c. Making pace for, or being paced by, a person who does not hold a licence under this League, or for or by a, person under suspension. ♦ Tom Clarkson, the well-know Christchurch cyclist, was married to Miss M. A. Reynolds, of Auckland, on Monday. Congratulations and best wishes. Tom Clarkson took a farewell of his bachelor friends on Friday night last, when he was tendered a farewell smoke concert by the Auckland Cycling Club. There was a capital attendance and a most enjoyable evening was spent. The new cycling track at the Auckland Exhibition is to have a concrete surface, and will at the ends. Teddy Reynolds, who has a model of the track, is of the opinion that if constructed as suggested he could cover a mile in 2 minutes on it. . The sports committee of the Auckland Ex- ; hibition intends endowing the ’cycle events to be arranged for with a liberal hand, the idea being that they may attract Australian cracks. I hope they will be successful in so doing, but fear that there will be too many plums to ride for in Australia at the time. On April 2nd C. B. Lawes lowered C. B. Pari by’s English amateur flying start quartermile record from 26 l-ssecto 25 3-ssec. His Honour Judge Emden, an English judge, has become a cyclist. There is nothing startling in this announcement, but when we hear that he has become a cyclist in order to fit him for his duties as a judge, it is something new to chronicle. Finding that actions arising from cycle collisions and accidents had become so numerous his Honour set about learning to ride, with the result, as he himself says, that the experience he has gained has proved most useful to him in adjudicating upon cases which come before him. William Martin lost no time after his return to America in getting to work on the cycle track. Within twenty-four hours of setting foot on Yankee soil, he challenged anybody to a contest, and was promptly taken on by Bob Terrill, of the Bay City Wheelmen, who was about the best man available. Terrill was just as anxious as Martin to make the match, and preliminaries were quickly settled. The race is to be over five miles, the riders starting from opposite sides of the track and racing unpaced. It is a new kind of competition for Terrill, while it suits Martin splendidly. Terrill’s clubmates, however, are confident of his ability to defeat the returned wanderer. An inventor who appreciates the dangers of following modern pacing machines at a high rate of speed, a danger which is constant, and which affects the nerve of many a paced rider, has brought out an invention in the shape of a safety buffer for pacing machines, which he claims will do away with this danger. The contrivance is decidedly unique, and looks quite practical. The idea consists in placing a wheel at the end of a, continuation of the top tube of the frame of the pacing machine. This wheel is horizontally placed, and is about 12in. in diameter, and fixed at such a height that it comes into contact with with the head of the following machine. It may be set to permit the wheels of the paced and pacing machines to approach within an inch o each other, and without the least danger. The safety wheel comes in contact with the head-tube of the single rider’s machine, and prevents his front tire touching the rear tire of the pacing machine, the contact which causes such disastrous “spills.” It is said this contrivance has been tried on the road, and collisions deliberately made. The effect was that, if the guard-wheel was struck fair in the centre, there was a slight jerk to both machines, and nothing further; and if the guard-wheel was struck to either side the following rider was simply caused to swerve just sufficiently to pass alongside. In either case there was absolutely no damage nor was the swerving sufficient to have been dangerous had they been riding amongst a crowd of contestants fairly close together on the track.

Mr Sayers (the secretary), and Mr Tolhurst (the Wellington Consul of the Cyclists’. Touring Club), waited on the Government recently and arranged that those who are members of other touring clubs affiliated to the New Zealand one on entering any New Zealand port with a bicycle will’have the machine passed by the Customs authorities without payment of duty or other formality on the production of a certificate from the secretary of the New Zealand Cycling Touring Club. The Thames Cycling Club’s inaugural meeting 'held on Queen’s Birth'day (Tuesday) will be touched on in next week’s issue. As has been before pointed out, professional facing, as canied on by the “cash cycling clubs, takes for a time (says “Velox.”) The trouble amongst the riders, after they have been attracted from the amateur ranks by the allurement of golden sovereigns, is.that they find only a few can win them, and the great majority after all are worse off, on the score of expense of keep, in machines, etc., than before they joined the professional ranks —amateur status gone and much money and time expended in following the game of a “ cash ” cyclist. 1 have referred how in Australia, after a time, the “cash ’’ business gradually ceased to form an attraction for the public. The professional body in Sydney seems .to be in a bad way. The Town and Country Journal of April 30th says: —“The League of New South Wales Wheelmen, which boasted a credit balance of £1,500 at the beginning of the past racing season, but which is now bankrupt, is to continue its existence. This decision was arrived at at a conference of old members and well-wishers of the body on Monday night under the presidency of Dr. Muskett. Those present pledged themslves to do all in their power to further the interests of the League, and it was resolved to draw np a scheme to be submitted at the annual general meeting of members.” The following excellent advice tendered to cyclists by a writer in St. James's Budget, will be approved and appreciated by those who know most about the subject: — “Those who are invested in new bicycles for 1898 will do well not to be influenced by the prevalent craze for high gears in determining what shall be the gearing of their new machines. It is a great mistake for the average rider to imagine that a high gear will enable him tn travel faster. For ordinary riding there is no doubt that a moderate gear produces the best results when all the circumstances of riding, such as wind, weather and bad roads, are taken into consideration. Seventyinch gear is an extreme limit for the road, and this will be found too high unless the rider is in good physical condition,, uses a light bicycle and fairly long cranks, and does not encumber himself with luggage or any weighty impediments. The majority will be better suited with a gearing of from sixty inch to 65 inch ; while for ladies’ machiens. the cranks of which are usually half . an inch shorter, the gearing should not exceed sixty inches, except in special circumstances, many ladies, indeed, beins- better suited with gears of fifty-six inches and fifty-eight inches.”