ON THE WHEEL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 450, 9 March 1899, Page 6

ON THE WHEEL

LBy

Cyclos.]

LEAGUE OF NEW ZEALAND WHEELMEN. The Governing Body of Cycling in New Zealand, AMATEUR and CASH. Federated with National Cyclists Union of England, International Cyclists’ Association. The Leagues of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, and Western Australia.

AFFILIATED CLUBS. Club. Secretary. Cycling Club G. Peace Cart; Cycling Club W. McKenzie Danevi !■ e Cycling Club J. Holt Foxton Cycling Club C. T. Austin Hawera Cycling Club A. M. Conroy Huntly Cycling Club W. Ellison Manawatu Cycling Club J. F. Manning Otaki Cycling Club A. Knocks Rangitikei Cycling Club J. Robson Wellington Cycling Club R. Hood 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 Petone-Hutt Cycling Club ... F. Packard Ariel Cycling Club... ... ... J. Muller Christchurch Cycling Club ... F. D. Kesteven Hokitika Cycling Club ... ... E. J. Dorreen Denniston Cycling Club J. T. Jaspers Greymouth Cycling Club F. W. Keddell Invercargill Cycling Cash Club... W. E. Gladstone Jubilee Cycling Club T. G. Jamieson Kumara Cycling Club R. Rouse Marlborough Cycling Club ... J. H. Scott North Otago Cycling Club ... J. E. Hood Reef ton Cycling Club B. P. McMahon Riverton Cycling Club ... ... D. McKenzie Seiwyn Cycling Club ... ... G. C. .Derrott Amberley Rovers ... ... ... J. Blain Alexandra Cycling Club J. R. Cairns Otago Cycling Club ... ... D. Duncan Roxburgh Cycling Club W. George Vincent Cycling Club ... ... T. Beveridge Invercargill A.C. & A.C.... ... E. Norton Dunedin Cycling Club A. C. McLeod Lawrence Cycling Club J. B.Rinley Middlemarch Cycling Club ... J. Robertson Star Cycling Club J. W. Manchester Mataura Cycling Club ... ... T. G. Smith Gore Cycling Club ... .. G. F. Morison Westport Cycling Club ... ... J. S. Webb Wyndham Cycling Club ... ... D. J. McLauhlan Balelutha Cycling Club J. W. Mitchell Otago Railway Cycling Club ... L. Barclay Stratford Cycling Club ... G. Pritchard Wanderers Cycling Club ... W. Copeland Nelson Cycling Club ... ... N. B. Levien Wanganui Cycling Club ... J. T. Muir Thames Cycling Club ... ... A Williams Port Nicholson Cycling Club ... A. E. Homer Gisborne Cycling Club ... ... R. Cole Kaiapoi Cycling Club ... ... J. E. Brockelbank Tapanui Cycling Club ... ... T. T. McAlister Pioneer Cycling Club R. O. Duncan Waitemata Cycling Club ... E. G. Skeates Oxford Cycling Club W H. Alford Waihi Cycling Club ... ... E. Joll Bruce Cycling Club ... ... J. McLeod Geraldine Cycling Club ... P. Bourke Temuka Cycling Club ... ... C. A, C. Opie Winton Cycling Club ... ... F. Moore Leeston Cycling Club ... ... W. Dent Timaru Tourist Cycling Club A. H. Bourn Cromwell Cycling Club ... ... A. H. Harris Cambridge Cycling Club C. W. Arnold F. D. KESTEVEN, Secretary. 7, Chancery Lane, Christchurch.

League of Hew Zealand Wheelmen’s Definition AMATEUR SECTION. A League Amateur is one who is the holder of an amateur license from the League, and who has not since November 4th, 1897 : —l. Engaged in, nor assisted in, nor taught any cycling exercise for money or other remuneration. 8. Knowingly competed with or against a person who does not hold a license under the Amateur Definition of this League, or a person under suspension, for a remuneration of auy description, or in any cycle contest in public (except where permission is granted by the Executive). 3. Made pace for, or been paced by a person who does not hold a license under this League, or for or by a person under suspension by this League. 4. Sold, realised upon, or otherwise converted into cash any prize won by him. 5. Accepted directly, or indirectly any remuneration, compensation, or expenses whatever from a cycle manufacturer, agent, sport promoter, or person interested in the trade or sport, for cycle riding, except where special permission is granted by the Executive. The Executive of the League may entertain and deal with applications for reinstatement from those who have forfeited their amateur status or were not amateurs within the meaning of the foregoing definition ot Nov. 4, 1897, each ease to be decided on its merits. A member applying for reinstatement must have absta’ned from any infringment of the amateur status for one year before his application can be considered by the Executive. CASH SECTION. Any member of the League outside the Amateur Section is eligible to hold a Cash license, which is forfeited by— 1. Competing aglinst any person who does not hold a license under the Cash Section of this League, or against a person under suspension, or at an unauthorised meeting, except where permission is granted by the Executive. 2. Making pace for, or being paced by, a person who does not hold a license under this League, or for or by a person under suspension. 3. Racing for a bet, stake, or gate money, without permission of the Executive.

On Thursday last Andrew Calder made a new road record. Leaving Christchurch at midnight on Wednesday he arrived at Dunedin Post-office at twenty minutes past six on Thursday evening, his total time being 18hr 20min. The previous best time accomplished over this route is stated to be 22hr 20min. Popular cycle cracks seem now to be on the alert for something certain, several well-known riders having recently commenced in business on their own. Harry Reynolds, the Irish crack, has just

opened up in his native town, Balbriggan, as a general merchant and newsagent. He contemplates providing special accommodation for cyclists visiting the town, and no doubt the speedy cyclist will do well in his new venture. Charles Barden, after an absence of some years from Putney, is about to return, and intends to become a Boniface in the PutneyBridge Road. Barden should be a very popular landlord. Auguste Lehr, who is now staying at Siegen, intends making that place his home, and has taken over the management. of an hotel owned by his mother.

One of the English racing cracks has been drawing the long bow to the confiding representative of The Cycle :—“A popular champion who visited Australia recently showed us quite a large bundle of epistles from the love-sick maidens of Melbourne, and very amusing some of them were. This rider says that the costume of an Australian racing man was a matter of great importance, and that lady journalists * down under ’ often devoted columns to a description of men’s racing suits. ‘ So-and-so looked ravishing in a dream of blue and white,’ someone else’s ‘ curly raven locks contrasted harmoniously with his orange and black costume with an entrancing effect,’ and so forth. That was the way these lady scribes reported the meetings, so it is not to be wondered at that their lady readers lost their heads occasionally and wrote the most extravagant letters to these Adonises of the path.” What is undoubtedly the most dangerous cycling feat in the world is being performed twice daily at the Royal Aquarium, London. The hero of thia truly astounding performance is Minting, the American trick rider, and it may truly be said that he dares death twice dailyin attempting his spiral ascension feat. The average rider who finds it difficult to steer his machine in a bee line will" realise the nerve and skill possessed by Minting when he learns that the height of the spiral platform which he ascends is 105 f t; and as the spectator watches the daring young fellow appear to grow smaller and smaller as he ascends to the lofty roof of the Aquarium, his own brain almost reels at the sight. There are two spiral platforms, each 105 ft in connected together by a narrow bridge 170 ft long, and only one foot in width. Across this narrow path Minting travels, and descends by the other spiral. It is a desperate feat, and puts everything ever accomplished by trick cyclists in the shade. The action of the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company v. the Tubeless Tyre Company has gone in favor of the defendant company. This was an action brought by the Dunlop Company, as owners of the Bartlett clincher patent,; for an injunction against the Fleuss Company, to restrain what they alleged to be an infringement r/ of Bartlett’s patent. The defendants denied the infringement, and Mr Justice Romer gave judgment for them. In the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Vaughan Williams upheld the judgment, Lord Justice Rigby dissenting. Finally the Dunlop Company carried the case to the House of Lords. The Lord Chancellor upheld Mr Justice Romer’s judgment, which he said was entirely satisfactory, and the appeal would therefore be dismissed; Lords Watson and Shand concurred. • The Fleuss Company has thus obtained judgment in three courts. The whole question hinged on the point as to whether the Fleuss tyre, which has no inner tube, was a tube in itself. Cyclists are warned against advertisements, which periodically appear in the various papers, mentioning imitation tyres on “ Dunlop Principle.” It is hardly necessary to mention that tyres of the above description are not genuine Dunlops, but are thus described with a view of deceiving the novice. Purchasers, when in doubt, should see that tyres offered as Dunlops bear the wellknown trade mark of the company legibly embossed on the outer cover and inner tube.

The meeting between Reynolds and Wall on Saturday night at the Exhibition track was looked forward to with •considerable interest. Both champions were in fine form, and the races were viewed by a large number of spectators. In the Half-Mile the riders were paced by Marshall, and at the pistol Wall jumped into the lead. Reynolds was content to hang on to the leader’s wheel until the straight was reached for the last time. The local man then put in a strong spurt, passed his opponent, and won by a little more than a length, in the moderate time of Imin 12sec. Reynolds has lately done far better time on this track, so it may be assumed that he won with something in hand. In the Mile, Wall took the lead from the start, and hung on to the pacers, Marshall and Smith, right through. In the last lap the Southerner dashed away, and despite strenuous efforts on the part of Reynolds he managed to keep in front to the end, winning by half a wheel in 2min 25sec. Wall again went to the front in the Two Mile race. Reynolds was content to leave Wall ahead until the bell rang, but then he went for the lead, and running into the back he had three lengths advantage. Going along the bottom turn Wall closed on the local man, and came into the straight a couple of lengths to the good. In the final sprint Reynolds was too good, and catching the Southerner thirty yards from home, he won by a length, in smin 5 2-ssec, amidst a storm of cheers. There were poor fields in the other cycle races,'which were won as under :— Quarter-Mile, Haggenson; Half-Mile, J. W. Irvin; Mile, S. Draffin. The Three-Distance Amateur Handicap was won by O’Dowd, who annexed the Half-Mile and One Mile, the Two Mile race going to H. 0. Thompson. Reynolds came out and won the Farewell Handicap, two miles, from 80yds behind scratch, in smin 7 l-ssec. The Tandem Race against Huckstep was something of a fiasco, as the advertised pair. Dexter and Campbell, never made the journey North, the first-named riding at Wellington. The substitutes were D. Crozier and Irvin, but they could not get near Huckstep. At Wellington, on Saturday, Bennett, of Hawke’s Bay, won the Two Mile Wheel Race easily from Dexter and Plunkett. Sutherland had an easy win in the Provincial Handicap, and Plunkett won a runaway race in the Five Mile, the “crawl” occupying 14min. Mr G. Peace has resigned the secretaryship of the Auckland Cycling Club. His absence is to be regretted, for the club will have hard work to find such an efficient and courteous official. Allan Jones won the Half-Mile Provincial Championship at Hawke’s Bay, on March 1, after a good race with Bennett, in Imin 8 3-ssec. Bennett won the Two Mile Wheel Race, and Tierney secured the One Mile Handicap. 1 The Daily Telegraph (England) tells us that “On dismissing servants in Prussia it is necessary for employers to fill in a form in the servant’s books stating the reason. Not very long ago a housemaid lost her situation ‘ because she cycles ’ ; and not considering that her chances for future engagements would be enhanced thereby the girl applied to the police. The public authorities deemed that it was necessary to insert the above as a ground for dismissal, and ordered the sentence should be struck out.” A. J. Body, although only back from England a week or so. has already ridden in several races in Melbourne, although totally unfit to race with the men on or about his mark. Racing men seem to exercise very little common sense or forethought in taking such a course, for by this means they sacrifice a deal of their hard-won reputation for the sake of racing themselves into form, a thing a first-clas man cannot afford to do. A much better plan would be to put in a month’s hard work on the track, instead of riding like a novice in public A curious coincidence about the placed men in the ’99 A.N.A. Wheel Race, undone only noticeable when the photographs of the placed men appeared in print, is that the first three, viz., Matthews, Herman, and Esler, all rode in racing colors of which the Maltese cross was the dominant distinction. Reynolds’ time in the five miles championship (llmin 59 l-ssec) is a New Zealand record.

The final heat of the Mile Championship of Australia, run at Adelaide was a struggle between Walne and Walker. The field was nicely together at the end of the first lap, with Walne lying fifth, and Porta pacing. At the half-mile Beauchamp took Walne up to Walker, and on the eastern side Carpenter and Crisp became companions. Gordon, Carpenter, and Walker bustled for positions at the southern end; Beauchamp and Walne appeared on the scene, and halfway up the eastern straight waited on Walker’s sprint. Apparently fearing a repetition of Jackson’s heat Walne shot past. By the time Walker got going Walne had two lengths to the good, but by a magnificent run he got level, and only by Walne’s phenomenal jump a yard from home did he secure the verdict by an inch, Gordon third. Time, 2min 12sec.

The Adelaide Wheel Race, two miles, for £l5O, furnished another fine struggle between W. G. Symonds (110yds) and H. M. Aunger (120yds), the former winning by a few inches. The leading division selfishly allowed Cornelius to do all the pacing, and was captured in the last lap by Symonds and Aunger, who had been paced by Sampson, Carter, and Bailey. Symonds made a phenomenal run, closely followed by Aunger, the pair leaving the field as if standing still. Symonds responded gamely to Aunger’s challenge, and won by 4in, Biack a fair third, then came Potter, Fay, Greenwood, Mathais, and McNamara. Time, 4min 17sec.

It is said that H H. Brook is going to try and beat the 2.19 record for the Domain track made by Dexter. With good pacing, the sterling little rider would make a bold bid for victory. As an encouragement to West Australian cycling, and as a speculation, a syndicate of sports promoters has been formed at Perth, W.A. The syndicate have, as their first venture, secured the services of R. Walne, F. S. Beauchamp, W. C. Jackson, and J. W. Parsons. The riders will leave on the 27th of April, and expect to be away some weeks. They will ride at a series of races, at five cycle meetings promoted by their employers. It is expected that a number of racing men will also go West in search of prize money. £l5O is guaranteed to be given for scratch races during the circuit. Remember that the best way to steer is hardly to steer at all. This may seem strange, but it is true. The balance is the chief thing to be aimed at —the steering should be of the slightest. Whilst New South Wales cyclists will lose an ardent cyclist in Viscount Hampden, who has resigned his position as the Queen’s representative in New South Wales, they are fortunate in obtaining another cycling patron in the Earl of Beauchamp, who has been appointed to the Governorship.