Cycling.

Manawatu Herald, 9 March 1897, Page 2

Cycling.

-♦ Cycling appears a pastime which is fast catching on in this district, but it appears to be one needing drilling: on the part of amateurs to enjoy themselves with pleasure and to secure the safety of the general public. It is all very well to reckon that the public roads are made for all, but some junior cyclists apparently think it is only made for them, as but a few days ago two went rac ing down the centre of the Main street and and ran into a horse ridden by the rider at a walk. The cyclist in this instance got hurt, but at another time it might be tbeJiorse and its rider. We should imagine these young men laid themselves open to a churge of furious riding quite as much as would be the rider of a horse who tore down a street at the same rate Another point the young cyclist misses at present is that he is as amenable to the rule of the road as much as any horseman or driver of any vehicle, and before he airs himself abroad he should prove that he has at least mastered these few plain rules —in passing a rider or vehicle going the same way, it must be on the rightin meeting anyone coming in the contrary direction he must keep to the left. There is indeed another point which every cyclist would do well to keep in mind, and that is, every horse is as yet unaccustomed to these weird, noiseless things, and therefore get startled, bo that when passing a horse they should keep as far away from it as possible, and on meeting one they should do the same, only more so, that is to say if they notice the horse appears startled, to get off their machines, and stand by them tfhtil the hor3e has passed. A little consideration on these points will prevent any unpleasant feelings being raised at what is a very innocent amusement if its nothing more, but if not then certain things will occur as we heard occurred also but a few days ago. This true tale might be headed a warning to cyolists, though the perpetrators deserve some other sort of warning. A vehicle was being driven down one evening into town, when the horse shiod almost into a drain, tha driver could not see the why aod wherpfore of the shy, and therefore convicts himself of want of light?, and so pulled the borpe on to the metal again, when another shy from the usually steady animal convinced thp driver that something most unusual must have taken place, and therefore he sought assistance to clear thn mystery up. His astonishment wagreat when he discovered that hin animal bad phied at an obstruction placed across the whole width of the mntal, nearly three feet high, and not only one obstruction but three obstructions at varying distances. Close inquiry elicited that some boys were answerable for this who desired in this way to trap some enterprising cyclists ! This only Bhows how a certain cyclist had exasperated some of the community, when they would risk so much to get even with him. These little disagreements are, however, likely to prove extremely dangerous to most unoffending travellers.