ON THE WHELL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 515, 7 June 1900, Page 5

ON THE WHELL

I BF

CYCLOS.

The British cycling papers all agree as to the growing popularity of the freewheel with the riding public; but that the greatest obstacle up to the present has been and still is the apathetic, and in some cases the actively hostile attitude of a section of the older generation of riders, who have not hesitated to condemn all free-wheels untried, because they were unwilling to sacrifice the control of the machine by the only means of backpedalling which they understood. These are precisely the same conditions which carry weight in Australia. Based on common sense, as well as sound law, was a recent decision of the Maine (U.S.A.) State Judicial Court, affirming that a city regulation restricting traffic to one side of the road (going in one direction), and that the side impassable was null and void. Suit was brought against a teamster for violating this regulation, and for this he was fined, but he resisted payment, and was sued. The magistrate absolutely refused to hear evidence showing that the proper side of the roadway was impassable, and found for the plaintiff. The State Court reversed this decision, holding that while the restriction was a salutary regulation, the by-law would be unreasonable if the portion set apart was impassable. The validity of the by-law hung upon this print; if the road was in good repair, passable, its validity could not be questioned, but as the contrary was the case the Court held it to be invalid. It is now stated that R- Walne has decided to abandon his contemplated trip to France owing to the fact that there is a difficulty which debars the L.V.W.’s affiliation with the International Cyclists’ Association, simply because Victoria is merely a state, a colony —a portion of a nation. It would possibly have been easier for Australasia to have had a representative, and it seems a pity that this chance was allowed to slip by. A prominent cycle agency in Sydney has received a shipment of three motor cycles, intended chiefly for advertising and record-breaking purposes. In a trial of speed last week a pace of 30 miles per hour was obtained, with, a .motor of 2-£

horse power. It is intended to put them on the track with the intention of pacing some amateur cyclists who are desirous of making or breaking a few records. I should think, however, that unless it is possible to exceed a 30-mile pace the short distances will not be cut as fine as would otherwise be possible. Money is still rolling in over in Sydney for the Rowley fund. The present is the off season in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Alfred Harmsworth, the enterprising journalist, while on the Riviera roads recently, counted no fewer than 446 automobiles. There were 269 motor tricycles and 177 motor cars.

A French scientist has made some interesting discoveries while experimenting with pneumatic tyres. It was proposed by an automobile club to inflate motor tyres with carbonic acid gas, and save the trouble of pumping by using cylinders of the gas at high pressure. But the professor of science made a preliminary investigation, and discovered that the gas at high pressure would reduce the rubber to a pulp. He then proceeded to inquire into the effect of ordinary air upon the tubes, and in the course of his experiments found that the composition of the air in an ordinary pneumatic tube speedily changes. The oxygen escapes through the tube at a more rapid rate, than nitrogen. Even the best tyres, he found, were permeable. It is now proposed to inflate tyres solely with nitrogen, in order to save the, trouble of frequent resort to the air pump.

Several of the large Coventry cycle manufacturers have accepted contracts to turn out many thousands of shells a week. These contracts have been let out owing to the ordnance factories in England being unable to cope with the demand for shells owing to the Transvaal War.

Emile Bouhours won the 50 kilo paced race (open) in 54min lOsec, at the Velodrome du Parc des Princes, Auteuil, France. T. Linton was second, and “ Jenny ” Walters third. Bouhours won by two and a-half laps. The wonderful doings of the New Zealand League of Wheelman, concerning the test race, to choose a representative for the World’s Championship, are likely to stand for a record for many a day. Cycling will be in a bad way if any other Australasian body ever eclipses ,the Maoriland example of incompetence and injustice.—Sydney Referee, May 23rd. The vacancy on the committee of the Canterbury Athletic and Cycling Club has been filled by the appointment of Mr F. D. Kesteven, the League secretary, The fall sustained by El warth in the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club’s road race on Queen’s Birthday was a bad one, and he had a great amount of luck in getting off as easily as he did. It is a great pity that the officials would not take the trouble to keep the road clear on occasions of a race like this. I am informed that Elwarth was left lying on the road for some minutes until Mr E. Cucksey, one of the competitors, came up and attended to him. The uriver of the cattle made himself scarce at the time of the accident, and has not been located since. Messrs Service and Henning have received a Dion motor tricycle, for which they have been appointed local agents. The machine has been given several trials on the roads and is accredited with having travelled at a speed of 30 miles an hour. The motor can be driven up hid at a very fair rate of speed. The owners intend taking it on a trip round the Ihames and Te Aroha to give it a thorough test. The motive power used in working the tricycle is a petroleum motor. W. E. Shrimpton, Richards, Ben Goodson, C. Cameron, and other wellknown riders were entertained at dinner by Melbourne admirers on May 9. Among the toasts proposed was that of “ The Winning Machines.” Mr C. B. mellow,, one of Melbourne’s leading

Kanufacturers, is reported as having said:—“As an old racing amateur, and as a rider of considerable experience in the ’ B ’ section, he felt sure that amateur sport would outdo all other, and he thought that in two years the amateur ranks would be twice as strong as the cash section.” Mr J. Barker collected over £2O towards the purse of sovereigns which the Christchurch Cycling Club presented to George Sutherland. The free wheel cycle is not catching on so fast in the colonies as was anticipated. There is too much additional weight to be pushed for the small amount of ease gained in coasting down hills. The Australian flyer “ Newhaven Jackson has taken to football during the winter months in order to keep in form for next season’s racing. __ The clever family of trick cyclists, the Valdares, are playing in Westport to good houses. E. Nordon, the Auckland Cycling Club’s secretary, returns from the South in a fortnight’s time. Nordon has been endeavouring to persuade the League to give Teddy Reynolds some extra money towards his Paris expenses. Just after we went to press last week we received the startling news that the French Union has decided to withdraw from the International Cyclists’ Association, and to form a new body, “ L’Union Cycliste Internationale ” (says “ Wheeling ”). It is expected-that the American, Italian, and German bodies will follow the French lead, and with this the I.C.A. is left without even an excuse for existence. If the English Union cares to remain affiliated to a body which includes none of the other unions of importance,

it is welcome to its bargain. The situation, however, is interesting. At present it seems as if, since the N.C.U. won’t leave the 1.C.A., the I.C.A. will

leave the N.C.U. In plain language, the English Union is offering itself to be kicked.

A salutary lesson to careless riders was given, says “ Tangent ” in the Melbourne Leader , in the District Court the other day, when John Reid was charged with having negligently ridden a bicycle along Flinders-street on May 2. It was stated that defendant rode over an elderly men, who was knocked down, but fortunately escaped serious injury. A fine of £2 was imposed in default ten days’ imprisonment. The recent disqualification of G. Sutherland by the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, after he had wrested from Reynolds the honour of representing that body at Paris, caused great surprise here when it was ascertained that his offence was the common practice of claiming “ appearance money ” for riding. Says “ Tangent ” in the Melbourne Leader : —Our leading professional riders have long looked upon it as a special and recognised source of revenue, and personally I must confess that I can see no harm in a professional, who rides for his living, saying to the promoters of a sports meeting: —“I will ride at your meeting at such and such a date if you choose to pay me such and such a sum.” It would be well indeed for professional

cycle racing all over the world if its exponents never did anything worse than that. In Sutherland’s case the gravity of the offence was minimised by the facts

that he first only asked for £5 to cover his expenses, and secondly he agreed that if he won that amount in prize money he would refund the £5. Sutherland’s disqualification in these circumstances has certainly gained for him general sympathy in this colony, where the following comments by the New Zealand Wheelmen will be read with interest: —-“The League Council, in its frantic efforts to persecute George Sutherland, and make a dead certainty for their protege, Reynolds, going to Paris, have gone completely mad. Were the issues at stake not so serious, both

to the future government of the sport and to Sutherland himself, the whole

thing would certainly be ludicrous in the extreme. The Council, in taking away Sutherland’s livelihood for eight months, in order that he may not stand in the way of Reynolds going to Paris, have dragged the dignity and good name of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen to the lowest depths of shame and degradation. In order to gratify a personal whim, and vent their deadly spleen upon Sutherland, they have driven a coach and six clean through the rules, laws, and regulations under which they* hold[office

They have shattered the constitution of the League to its very foundations, and proved themselves a standing menace to the welfare of cvcling racing in the colony.” The New Zealand riders, Reynolds, Tierney, and Draffin left Auckland for San Francisco, en route for Paris.