CYCLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 709, 8 October 1903, Page 13

CYCLING.

T. Robl, who visited Australia last year, was responsible for a marvellous performance on August 8. Paced by tandems, he covered fifty miles 262yds in one hour, thus beating previous world's figures by over a mile and a quarter. He is the first man who, on a safety, has clone over fifty miles an hour. Robl’s wonderful ride can be better understood when averaged out, his pace being equal to min 12 sec per mile for the fifty miles. For years past the one mile world's re'corcl has hovered between lmin 20sec and lmin 16sec, but Robl rode ev?ry mile considerably faster than this.

About ten thousand spectators gathered round the Canning-town track to witness the first appearance in England of the American coloured rider “Major" Taylor, who competed in three races of a mile each against Jenkins (England) and Piard (Frqnce). In each instance Taylor was infinitely superior to his rivals, who, in the sprints for home., were not in with the American, but the time in each case were slow owing to crawling tactics.

The Summer Nights Amusement Syndicate, who brought out Major Taylor last season, are giving £2500 for a series of meetings to be held in Sydney during the summer months (says the " Sydney Mail”). Not to be outdone the opposition body (Mr Brannagan, secretary), intends issuing a counter attraction in the shape of a series of races for £2500 prize money. It is proposed to hold the first meeting in November, when £5OO will be given in prizes. Should these be carried out, racing cyclists will have some £5OOO to race for in Sydney during the coming season.

Tandem racing still finds place in the programme of all the big European cycle race meetings'. This class of racing when restricted to crack teams proves a bigdraw in Europe. A few years back tandem racing promised to catch on in New Zealand, but gradually dropped out of programmes, not because of public disfavour, but on account of sufficient reliable tandems not being available.

A novelty at the Paris Velodrome has been a match,“Noirs contre Blancs,” the blacks being Major Taylor and Willy Hedspath, and the whites due and Bourotte. The two pair met in three contests, 1,200 metres scratch race, 1,000 metres tandem, and pursuit to a finish. Taylor came in first and Hespath last in the opening event the black pair won the tandem race ; Jue and Bourotte captured the darkies in the pursuit race. Points being thus ,equal a lap time trial between Jue and Taylor was arranged as a decider, and this was won by the negro in the new world's record time of 18sec for the 300 metres: —about 330 vards.

r lho vulcanisation of tyres is a very interesting process, but one* but little understood by the thousands that use them. Those tyres vulcanised under the ‘‘Doughty” patents (of which the Dunlop Company is sole proprietor) have given very satisfactory results. Every tyre cover is vulcanised in so far that the rubber is cured by the process known as vulcanisation, but in the Doughty patent the rubber is placed on a fabric casing in an uncured state, and then put into a large hydraulic press, _ and moulded into the correct shape. Whilst in mould under a pressure of 12001 b to the square inch, the cover is vulcanised at. a heat far in excess of anything it will be subjected to when used under a tropical sun. By this process the rubber is compressed into the fabric or lining, and becomes so impregnated as to render the parting of rubber and fabric an impossibility, and at the same time affording a compressed rubber tread that gives greater durability. When the finished cover is taken from the press it is perfectly shaped that it will not vary one thirty-second part of an inch from a true circle. By reason of its method of manufacture, and of the fine materials used, this vulcanised cover approaches very nearly the acme of tyre construction, if it does not altogether attain it.

The American riders Floyd MacFarland. Ivor Lawson, and H. Downing, passed through Auckland on Mondav on the mail steamer Sonoma bound for Sydney Messrs Crozier and Tierney did their best to show the visitors some of the Auckland sights, but the persistent wet Tendered sight-seeing a impossibility. The three cvclists should be heard of on the other side fairly often during the season, fcr Lawson and MacFarland especially are fine wheelmen.

“Tommy” Flail, of England, defeated Salzmann, Kaeser, and Dangla in an hour’s paced race at Leipsic, before io, 000 spectators, covering 69 kilometres 635 metres in the sixty minutes.

World’s records continue to fall like autumn leaves. In a recent race between Hall, Bruni, Dangla, Tac, Bonhours and Gougoltz, Hall took the lead at the start, and easily following the fast pace set by Cissac on his demon motor cycle, reeled off the first ten kilometres in 7min 49sec, and was gradually getting away from the field. At 20 kilometres he was only 4-ssec outside Robl’s world’s record, and five kilometres further commenced to set up new figures ; but. alas, his old luck dogged him, asthe axle of his motor broke, thus letting Dangla up into first place. The former, riding well, got inside world’s record at 30 kilometres, and kept up to the end, covering the remarkable distance of 50m 715yds in the hour, as against Robl’s previous best of 50m 262yds.

Walne’s benefit race meeting at the St. KiJda track, Melbourne, signalised the opening of the Melbourne racing season. The meeting was tendered to R. Walne, who for many years was the champion rider of Australasia. Last year a series of accidents befell Walne —culminating in a fractured knee-cap, which has compelled his permanent retirement from the racing track. The weather was disagreeable both from a racing and spectator’s point of view—a strong easterly wird spoiling an otherwise perfect afternoon. The racing was a success, and the attendance fair—the gate takings amounting to over £ioo, which amount will be further augumented by private donations, etc., so that Walne' will probably receive about £l5O from the meeting-.

The Australasian amateur championship meeting- was held on the Brisbane Cricket Ground, on Saturday week, in the presence of the largest crowd seen at any cycling sports in Brisbane for a long time. The Half-mile Championship final was won by 1 . S. Berry, with the Sydney riders D. Ellis and A. Lyons in the places, the time being extraordinarily slow, viz., lmin 45sec. Berry beat Lyon by a dozen yards in the Ten Miles Championship, ricing the distance in 29min.