Cycling Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 36, 1 December 1894, Page 10

Cycling Notes.

[By Safety.]

In spite o£ the bad weather a good many cyclists may be seen of an evening out for a training spin. Among them I notice not a few young riders, who have improved considerably since last season. It is to be hoped that they will enter for, and not only enter for, but. ride in, all the races promoted by the club, and not let them be confined to some halfdozen riders, as was the case with most of the road races held last year.

The programme for the annual sports to be held on New Year’s Day is now out. The items are both numerous and varied, comprising 15 events —12 bicycle races and three fiat races. lam glad to see the Committee have kept in mind the fact that the majority of riders here are not in a position to have racing machines specially for the spoils, and have included a large number of roadster races in the programme. Among these is a li mile ladies’ bracelet. This race will doubtless draw a large entry, and as the distance is not too far, there will probably be an exciting struggle for this much-coveted prize. There is also a three-mile provincial championship, which will decide which of our cracks is to hold the premiership for another season. The handsome challenge cup px’esentedbythe president (Mr Edmunds) has been alloted to a five-mile scratch race for roadster machines only. With such a large amount of prize money as the Club is offering, and with such a track as they will have in a few days, there is no reason, if the members put their hearts—and their soles —into it, why this should not be the most successful meeting yet held in New Zealand. Duncan is getting on with his ti’avels. He left Wellington about a week ago, and will probably by this time be well on his way to Auckland, which is as far xxorth as he intends going. He is riding an yEolus, geared to 60, and weighing about 301 b., and it speakt well for the machine that so far he has not met with any serious mishap, and he has gone over some of the roughest roads in the colony. The" entries for the Austral Wheel Race this year are exceptionally lax’ge, no less than 118 names having been sent up to the handicappers. The handicaps are now published, and there are six scratch men, while the limit man is credited with 330 yards. On looking through the list I see the names of several prominent New Zealand riders. It is stated that the value of the machines entered amounts to £3OOO. The latest thing in cycle construction at Home is a bamboo bicycle. The framework is almost all made of bamboo, and the wheels are fitted with wooden rims. It is claimed for this kind of machine that it can be built much lighter than the ordinary bicycle. Probably it could, but I hardly think it would stand the strain of road riding or racing:. Its chief recommendation should be its cheapness.