A GREAT CYCLE RIDE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 475, 2 September 1909, Page 4

A GREAT CYCLE RIDE.

After a lapse of thirteen years a twenty-four hours (human paced) cycle race was held on a track in London on Friday and Saturday. The Stadium was the venue, and the venture proved a big success;' The feature of the race was the great struggle between H. Combes, a finely-built Frenchman, and J. H. Bishop, a wiry little Londoner, who has been riding about twenty years. Coombes led for eight hours, with Bishop “sticking,” but the visitor then had a bad time, and Bishop gained several miles. Combes came round again later, and with the Englishmen in distress, reduced the leader’s advantage to five miles at twenty hours. He could not maintain the effort, however, and was passed by F. H. Grubb in the twenty-second hour. Bishop rode 513 miles 1,430 yards in the twenty-four hours, Grubb (a vegetarian) doing 492 miles 1,720 yards, and Combes 486 miles 1,100 yards, all three thus easily beating F. R. Goodwin’s record of 476 miles 1,702 yards in the twentyfour hour race at Herne Hill nearly thirteen years ago. Of course, bicycles have been improved, though not much, since then, but the Stadium track is no faster than Herne Hill for humanpaced races, consequently the performances of Bishop and Grubb show that England can- still produce some fine stayers. Another big event in the cycle world recently was the British l Empire championships at Glasgow. Ben Jones, of Wigan, with J. D. Nathaniel and D Gould, of Scotland, were the finalists for the “quarter,” several cracks standing down because of the wet track. Gould finished first, but as Jones was interfered with, the judges ordered the race to be re-ridden. The Scots refused to get up again, so Jones rode over. W. J. Bailey, of London, again showed what a champion he is on the concluding day, for he carried off the one and ten miles championships in great style, E. Payne, of Worcester, and Ben Jones “running up” respectively. England also won the team race, and Scotland and Ireland appear to be suffering from a lack of “fliers” just now.