Vol 2, No 15
Articles in this issue
- Captain M. D. Rucker, Junr. calls for men to represent the Club against the Cambridge University Bicycle Club on 10 June, naming Cleaver, Herbert, Rucker, Thorn, Trollope and Wyndham as those in training and warning that three representatives are needed for each of the one, four and fifteen mile events. A trial at Stamford Bridge will settle any doubtful cases; ground and grand stand tickets 1s. from the Hon. Sec.
- Arrangements for the road trial: most competitors travel by the 5 p.m. Paddington express, with extra accommodation promised for bicycles, headquarters at the "White Lion," Bath, and a 7.30 start from the foot of Cleveland Bridge. Mr. Alison will be stationed on the Reading railway bridge with the official positions, the finish is at the ninth milestone from London near Isleworth, tea follows at the "Coach and Horses," Kew, and members are warned off the "Milford Arms" after last year's treatment.
- Members are asked to return unsold tickets and remit for those sold as quickly as possible, so the accounts of this meeting can be closed before the Annual Race Meeting and the C.U.Bi.C. inter-club matches are taken in hand.
- Six ordinary and two ladies' tickets are enclosed at 1s. 6d. each, the ladies' tickets free to anyone selling all six. The programme is a Two Miles Amateur Handicap (open), a One Mile Club Handicap, the Ten Miles District Challenge Race and the Two Miles Ladies' Challenge Prize Race, with practice allowed on the Wednesday and Thursday and the band late of the 1st Herts Light Horse in attendance.
- Held in fine weather on Saturday the 24th before a small crowd, thanks to the Civil Service meeting at Lillie Bridge. H. H. Crawley took the Three Miles Club Handicap by four yards from J. Griffits, who then ran into Crawley's back wheel and damaged his machine out of the open race, while H. V. Cleaver of the L.B.C. won the final of the Two Miles Open Handicap in 6min. 18¾sec.
- "The Ruminators", riders of a Humber, a Club and a 70 lb. Stassen, leave Swiss Cottage at 3.40 a.m. on 10 May, breakfast at the "Chequers," Steyning after 54 miles, admire the views from Holmwood Common and Chanctonbury, and reach Burwash at 102 miles. They return by Cross-in-Hand, Wytch Cross and East Grinstead, sleeping at the "Clayton Arms," Godstone, and riding home via Croydon and Putney Bridge in time for breakfast.
- No run on 31 May; on 7 June all districts run to Maidenhead to meet the D.B.B.C.; 14 June meets at Lea Bridge Road for Ingatestone, Jack Straw's Castle for Essendon, Kew Green for Slough via Thorney Mill and Kingston and Croydon for Leatherhead; the Race Meeting falls on 21 June, and the W. district begins Wednesday evening runs from Acton Church on 4 June.
- The N.E. rode via Enfield and Cheshunt to the "Salisbury Arms," Hoddesdon, losing one man to a snapped treadle and needing a blacksmith after a horse backed into Webster's machine; Palmer Dalton's N.W. eight went to Eastcott and the "Black Horse" (30 miles) when a fair closed Ruislip to tea; the Western party climbed Box Hill and took tea at the "Horse and Groom," Mickleham; the S.W. rode 22 miles to Halliford; and the S.E. reached East Grinstead over frightfully rutty roads.
- M. D. Rucker, Jun. sets the general rendezvous at the Club depot, the "Coach and Horses," Kew, starting at 4.30, with machines able to be left in the club-room beforehand and district meets for early starters to follow in the next Gazette. He hopes to better the hundred-strong muster of Hampton Court.
- Report of the meeting at the L.A.C. grounds, Stamford Bridge, where wet weather held the gate to about two hundred and made the path heavy. The open prizes again went to other clubs, Cleaver riding best of the L.B.C. long-start men; W. Cornell of the Wanderers' B.C. judged, Arthur Adams started and W. A. Smith took laps.
- Opening of the report on the C.U.Bi.C. meeting begun on Wednesday the 21st, the only club permitted by the Bicycle Union to race amateurs against professionals, held on a magnificent path in first-rate order with records expected to fall. Detailed heats of the Three Miles Open Handicap (won by H. L. Cortis) and the One Mile Novice Race at the L.B.C.'s own evening meeting precede it on the same page.
- "Eavesdropper" reports that the short-distance champion is fond of meringues and lunched on three mutton chops before his two-mile ride against Keen and Cooper, and that he forgot the twenty-mile race entirely while studying. He also contrasts the short, upright professionals Keen and Cooper with the six-foot amateurs Falconer and Cortis, and notes that no tickets will be circulated for the 10 June inter-club races unless asked for.
- Dated list from the L.B.C. Bath Race on 2 June to the Wanderers B.C. and Lombard B.C. meetings on 19 July, including the L.B.C. v. Cambridge University match at Stamford Bridge on 10 June and the Bicycle Union Championships at 1, 5, 25 and 50 miles.
- "A Competitor" suggests that members not riding the Bath race should follow Mr. Alison's example and post themselves at Devizes, Marlborough, Newbury, Reading and Maidenhead to record the order and times of the competitors passing, so that a correct account of the race can be written.
- Letters from C. R. Hutchings, "Urbanus," "Emma" and J. Conyers Keynes are crowded out of this number and held over to next week.