BICYCLE MATCH.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 765, 19 January 1871, Page 3

BICYCLE MATCH.

Nearly 500 persons assembled] at the Star Grounds,. Piilham, to'witness the match of twelve miles on bicycles for £SO, tho riders being J. ,T. Johnson, of Sparrow's Bicycle ' Club, Knightsbridge, and "W. Howard, of the Caledonian Road. The former holds the championship of Belgium, and has also proved the victor in several races in Prance. At Birmingham he won a one mile handicap, in which there contended some of the most celebrated riders, includirg Shelton, Prince, and Porder: whilst his exploits at the Star, Bow, .and other metropolitan grounds have been more or less successful. His machine . ". i ■

was one ol Forder's patent aiiii-tric-tion rollers, aud the wheel 44 inches in diameter. Howard, up to phis last race, had succeeded in winning nearly all the events in which he contended ; and amongst tho principal was a match often miles against time. This he won by completing the distance in 56 minutes ; he has also clone 11 miles in 58 minutes. The size wheel of his bicycle, oue of Stassen's, was 36 iuches, or eight inches less than his opponent. The men had to make 57 circuits of the ground less 20 vards to complete the distance. On the signal beiug given, Johnson, who was the quickest to mount, went off with the lead, which he soon increased to about twenty yards. During the sixteenth round, Howard w'ent to tho fore, and he continued to hold that position up to the twenty-fifth, when Johnson, who had by far tho best machine, again overhauled him; once only after this Howard was in advance, and in the forty-second lap, so swiftly had Johnson been riding that Howard was oue lap to the bad. In this way the race was continued, so that at the finish Johnson was hailed an easy winner, as he had overlapped Howard no less than six times. The time of the 12 miles was 58 min. 5 l-sth sees.