Vol 2, No 5
Articles in this issue
- Treasurer Francis Godlee reminds members that the guinea subscription is due and asks for cheques crossed "Imperial Bank"; covers and an index for the First Volume are now ready from Messrs. Darling at 35 Eastcheap, only a hundred having been prepared, with back numbers at a penny each; the Editor guarantees anonymity to contributors who ask for it; and a special general meeting is called for 44 Pall Mall on Wednesday the 5th.
- Hon. Sec. Ernest C. Koch fixes the practices for every Thursday at 5.45 p.m. at the "Bell Inn," Carter Lane, Doctors' Commons, chides the two or three members who have rarely appeared, and asks for the outstanding 5s. subscriptions.
- District Captain W. A. Smith announces an unofficial short run on 8 March from "The Royal Oak," Willesden Junction, by Wembley Hill, Preston, Kingsbury and Neasden, with tea at "The White Horse," the rendezvous chosen in hopes of drawing N.W. men.
- At the general meeting of 5 March at 44 Pall Mall, M. D. Rucker jun. in the chair, A. W. Barrett's words "under any circumstances" were added to the Sunday club-badge rule, Mr. Cleaver's motion to strip the Committee of its power to add to its number was lost after being treated as a vote of censure, and Sharpe's and Jennings's amendments settled how casual vacancies among District Captains and Committeemen are filled.
- A verbatim report, supplied through Mr. Hutchings and Mr. N. Salomon, of Mr. Justice Mellor's and Mr. Justice Lush's judgments in "Taylor v. Goodwin," holding that a bicycle ridden at fourteen miles an hour is "any sort of carriage" within the furious-driving section and that the magistrates' conviction must be affirmed.
- "The Bishop of Pork Fat" reports the last O.U.B.C. run of Term to Steventon, turned back from Wallingford by an east wind over Didcot Flats, and his own snowbound ride into Suffolk to Bury St. Edmunds, where every horse between Stowmarket and Bildeston shied at the machine.
- The concert is fixed for Tuesday 22 April at the Langham Hall, 43 Great Portland Street, at 7.30 p.m.; members enter free and tickets are 2s. each (not 1s. as misprinted last Gazette) from Jolly, Rucker or Koch, evening dress being de rigueur for performers but not the audience.
- W. A. Smith of 1 Montrose Villas, Acton, invites company for an early start south or south-west on Saturday 12 April by Dorking, Horsham and Petworth.
- A tabulated month of district meets, Lea Bridge Road and Syborn's Corner for Upminster and Epping, Jack Straw's Castle for Watford and Ridge, Harlesden Green, Kingston Bridge and Surbiton, and Central Croydon Station for Ripley and Dorking, with no meets on 12 April, Easter.
- District captains report the opening runs: F. Godlee's N.E. six to Chigwell in heavy roads and a drenching shower, Palmer Dalton's N.W. party fighting the Finchley mud to Potter's Bar and sheltering in a cow-shed, W. A. Smith's West run from Kew through Richmond and Esher to the "Ship" at Halliford, and R. G. Trollope's S.W. five joining them at Kingston Bridge; M. D. Rucker's S.E. report has Scott coming over the handles on Farnborough Common and Turner dividing a Stassen into two equal parts.
- Seventeen riders from every district ran to Reigate on the 22nd by Wallington, Sutton and Banstead and took tea at the "Grapes," the N.E. representative coming over his handles four times on the way home through a collision and a slipping saddle.
- Dates from 19 April to 5 July, including London Athletic Club handicaps at Stamford Bridge, the Surrey Bicycle Club meeting at Kennington Oval, the L.B.C. evening meeting on 22 May, the Cambridge University invitation race, the Bicycle Union 1-, 5-, 25- and 50-mile championships, and the Pickwick Bicycle Club meeting at the Alexandra Palace.
- "Facilis Descensus" returns to a theme he first put to the Field six years ago, arguing that riding downhill legs-over-handles is only a pis aller beside long leg-rests, and ranking the thumb-and-finger brakes against the powerful Eccentric, Timberlake, Grout and D.H.F. roller brakes and the trailing brake, before defending the strap brake as the best of the lot after five years' trial.
- "A Bicycling M.D." answers Mr. Sharpe's question by holding that the profession is decidedly favourable to the exercise, that its risk is no greater than ordinary horse exercise and less than hunting or football, and that the real danger is excess, City men taking long Saturday and Sunday rides and then being unfit for work.
- M. D. Rucker jun. of Oakleigh, West Croydon, reports that the London Athletic Club will lay a gravel bicycle path at Stamford Bridge outside the cinder track if fifty new members can be found, and lists the privileges, five bicycle races free of entrance fee, machine housing, tennis, archery, quoits and boxing, that go with the raised two-guinea subscription.
- "Tota" proposes bulletins on the state of the roads round London after the severe winter, reporting the Gravesend road cut to pieces from Northfleet to Greenhithe but Croydon to East Grinstead almost free from stones.