ON THE WHEEL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 670, 8 January 1903, Page 5

ON THE WHEEL

A cable reports that Maur Taylor, the coloured crack now in Australia, in the course of training operations on the Sydney Cricket Ground put up an Australian record for the mile, which he reeled off in Imin 34sec. Champness, the winner of the Melbourne Bicycle Club blue riband, has always been regarded as a promising rider, but up till this season has done nothing of any great importance. His present form fully justifies his mark (60yds), although at the end of last season he was well out —somewhere about 150yds. He hails from South Australia, and in appearance and style of riding is not unlike Zimmerman. Since he has been with the back men he has shown better form, and developed a good sprinting ability.

The racing season in the old world is over now, though the last mail brings some interesting news. Bald, the ex-cham-pion of America, and who has not raced for some years, has shown a wonderful return to form, and has beaten the best sprinters in France. He beat Ellegaard. the champion sprinter of the world, decisively. Ellegaard says he is a marvellous rider, and that he beat him by sheer speed. • • » • •

The new French pace follower, Con tenet, Is certainly losing no time in making a name for himself. Not satisfied with placing the world’s hour record to his credit, he has fairly paralysed the world’s one mile paced record, which was recently credited to A. A. Chase —Imin 20 4-sth sec —by carving no less than 4fsec off Chase’s time. Contenet’s latest ride, 1770yds in Imin 16 l-ssec<, is certainly the finest record performance of the season 1902. He was paced by M. The on a 12

horse-power motor cycle, the ride taking place on the Buffalo Track, Paris'.

There are many occasions on which cyclists have experienced difficulty in driving their machines against a strong wind and up hill, and have often wished they could, reduce their gear so as to render the work of pedalling easier. Many riders, for this, reason, have a two-speed gear fitted, so, that, under adverse circumstances, the labour of pedalling is considerably reduced.: It somehow never has become popular with ; the generality of riders, but, like the free wheel when it was originally invented, it came before its time. There is, however, promised a perfect speed gear which will produce a number of gears, which should satisfy the most fastidious of riders. If should especially appeal to ladies, by reason of the variation of gear obtainable. The change gear is in the hub,and, by pulling a lever which connects with the gear, it can he made either 20 per cent, higher ior lower than the normal. Thus, if the rider uses' a normal gear of 80 inches, it can be raised to over lOOinchesi or reduced to 60 inches, according to the conditions and variations of the road, gradient, and windage. Variable speed gears promise to become very popular during the coming year.

Robl and Dickentmann, who are in Australia, are to give some exhibitions of motor pace this month, or early in February. These riders have come out partly in the interests of the Wallace Tire Company, which will look after their general welfare during their stay in the Commonwealth. The manager of the tour, Mr Lehr, deplores the absence of an up-to-date track in Melbourne. He remarked that the photos he had taken of the ground on which the Austral is contested would greatly surprise his many friends in Paris. He regrets the great opportunity the Melbourne Bicycle Company is losing by wasting the public interest in persisting to hold to the flat grass track. Perhaps, however, his men and motors will give the big Victorian Club something to think about, and show by comparison what the s] Ort is: losing, how slow and insipid racing on unbanked tracks is after witnessing the racing and pacing by motors of great horse power. It is probable that a match will be arranged between Robl and Dickentmann, and one or more of the best Australian pace-followers.

W. Martin, the American cyclist, is now in New Zealand. It is possible that Auckland ere , may see the famous Pluggei Bill ” in the autumn.

• Owing to persistent wet weather, the final of the big Austral Wheel Race has again been postponed. There is now a great outcry in Melbourne for an up-to-date track,” the present method of riding on grass being as behind the times as we are in Auckland in this respect. The meeting will now be brought to a _ termination on January 10. Those left in the big event are : —R. H. Walne, 30yds, A. C. Forbes 50yds, R. Mutton 60yds, J. Chalmers 70yds, J. Filsell 80yds, M. Lewis 90yds, A. C. Middleton 100yds, W. Sadler ISOvds D. J. Plunkett 180yds, ,C. A. Best 200yds. S. L. Whitson 220yds, W. J. Smith 230yds, F. Auger 240yds, 1. Smith 250yds, C. Gee 270yds. .Forbes, Chalmers, and Plunkett are New Zealandors, and the latter is reported to possess a capital chance if he takes advantage of his start. If there f is any loafing Walne will win.

Amongst the entrants for the cycling events at the Feilding Athletic Club’s Sports on Boxing Day was T. Kinkwood, a rider who has been disqualified for life by the League of New Zealand Wheelmen: I never agreed with the sentence passed upon Kirkwood (writes “ Rover," in the Canterbury " Times ”), but until it is removed it should be recognised by all sports bodiesi. therefore the action of the Feilding Athletic Club is not what one would expect from a body professing to exist in the interests of sport. It is bad enough that the club in question persistently refuses to assist the League in its efforts to maintain the standard and purity of the sport of cycle-racing : yet to openly flout the governing body, as it has done in the oresent'instance, is an insult not only to the League and to other sports governing bodies, but to all decent sportsmen as well.

A pertinent question of the day is what of the utilitarian and the pleasure-giving value of the motorless bicycle, as compared with that of the motor bicycle ? The answer to this must forecast the future of . the power machine, which has been aptly termed the missing link between the bicycle and the automobile. For pleasure purposes it is predicted that the motor bicycle will excel the bicycle as the automobile does the horse, because of the power it affords of going further and getting back ’ sooner. Those whohave leisure for pleasure jaunts usually have means enough to afford motor-bicycles, and for this class we may expect to see it supplant the motorless two-wheeler.

In the recent manoeuvres of two German army corps, no less than thirty-six motor vehicles were used. For the transport of officers and the intelligence service twenty machines 'were engaged, while ten were transport trolleys or waggons. For the first time- motor cycles were used for transmitting despatches, and they earned great praise for excellent work. Never before had such extended use been made of motor cars and cycles during army manoeuvres, and the trials throughout were considered thoroughly successful. • . • • • * An English motorist gives an interesting account of an eighty-mile run from London to Reading and back, in which he states'that the entire cost was 4d for petrol and Id for lubricating oil; and he naively observes that railways will be too expensive a luxury for him in future. GREAT CYCLE MEETING IN SYDNEY. There was an immense attendance on Saturday last- on the Sydney Cricket Ground, the occasion being the first appearance of the redoubtable “ Major ” Taylor, the American coloured champion.

A cable states that there were fully twenty-five thousand people present. Taylor’s first appearance was in the Wyalong Handicap, in which he started from syds behind scratch, but he was beaten by McLeern, 55yds, and Drinkwater, 60yds. Don Walker, after getting blocked in the last lap, won the Spring, Stakes by two . lengths from Goodson, 25yds, and Bordi, 40yds. The flying American won the QuarterMile Interprovincial Championship, from Walker and Lewis. Taylor won his heat in 30 3-ssec, while Walker’s time was 31sec for the Quarter. The final was a great , struggle between the pair, Taylor winning . fry a length in 32 2-ssec.

A great race took place in the Five Miles event. The Victorian champion scored another victory, winning by half a wheel from Goodison, with Mutlow third, and Taylor fourth, the time occupied being 11 min 23sec. Walker put in a terrific spurt during the last round, the quarter of a mile being reeled off in 26 3-ssec, which constitutes an Australian record. He has been riding in the most brilliant form this season, and must prove a thorn in the side of Taylor. The big gate is a testimony to the astuteness of the committee, who, went, to a very heavy expense in getting Taylor over from America as a star attraction.