Vol 3, No 14
Articles in this issue
- The Committee has ruled out printing the Club's history prior to the Gazette, but striking early events, the first Bath Trial, the first Race Meetings, the Falconer and Whiting Race, the early General Meetings, may be re-told as "Old Tales Re-told"; the Editor asks members to divide the subjects between several writers and to lend any bicycling literature of 1874–77. The number then reprints a contemporary's article supporting the Bicycle Union's protest against the newly formed Athletic Association legislating for bicyclists, predicting that in ten years bicycling will be a national institution far in front of "athletics".
- At the meeting of 14th June R. B. Hough, H. T. Crosby, C. A. Brown and O. G. M. Leeds (of Clare College, Cambridge) were elected members. It was decided to hold a Club Handicap in the last week of July, with a second in the first week of September if it succeeds, and a grant was voted from Club funds to publish in the Gazette A. P. Trotter's Woodbury type of the London and Cambridge competitors in the recent L.B.C. v. C.U.Bi.C. races. Signed Herbert R. Boyce, Hon. Sec.
- Theo. Godlee gives the times for the 19th, Club Mile preliminary heats at 3.0, Open Two Miles at 3.35, Ladies' Challenge Cup at 5.0, the District Challenge Race at 5.50 and presentation of prizes at 6.45, reminds members that the Club Badge admits them free, and cautions competitors that referees and judge have full power to disqualify unfair riding on the spot. A complete list of entries follows for the One Mile Handicap, the open Two Miles Handicap (H. L. Cortis, the Hon. I. Keith-Falconer, C. E. Liles, A. P. Shaw and others), the Ladies' Challenge Cup and the District Challenge Cup.
- The N.E. confesses that the 5th June run to Harlow dissolved into watching athletics near the station, only T. Child, F. Jolly and Smith reaching the "Forest Hotel" at Chingford; on the 12th eight men rode by Ilford, Barking and Rainham, crossed nearly two miles of field-paths to Great Coldharbour Farm and were ferried to Erith, where thirty-two sat down to tea at the "Pier Hotel", the boatmen Corsan and Austin "duly swindled" them on the return. The N.W. took fourteen members by Greenford and Ickenham to the "Red Lion," Hillingdon; the W. joined them at Sudbury Station; the S.W. were photographed by Gruggen in the garden of the "Swan" at Walton-on-Thames, "Scout" the district collie included; and the S.E. rode by Hayes Common and the Cray Valley to Erith, The O'Reilly having come from Brighton.
- Francis Godlee, his absence abroad prolonged beyond the May he had expected, resigns the North-East District Captaincy he had held for three and a half years, the letter being signed by his attorney Theo. Godlee. Hon. Sec. Herbert R. Boyce accordingly summons a district meeting under Rule 26 for Wednesday 23rd June at seven p.m. at 37, Downs Road, Clapton, by kind permission of Mr. F. Jolly, absentees being asked to send a post-card to Mr. Theo. Godlee naming their nominee.
- The Fourth Annual Race Meeting at Surbiton Running Grounds on Saturday 12th June, in splendid weather before some 800 people, Dr. Owen Coleman judging and G. P. Coleman timekeeping. Forty of the fifty-five entries came to the post for the One Mile Open Handicap, praised as M. D. Rucker's best handicap of the season, with two dead heats forcing six starters in the final, won by W. T. Thorn, jun. by five yards from A. P. Shaw, and C. E. Liles won the Five Miles Scratch Race by three yards from Shaw in 15 min. 38 sec.
- R. M. Gruggen continues his tour. At the hotel in St. Gaudens (5s. a head, wine included) an English traveller who had spent three months in the mountains recommends it as the best starting point for bicyclists and names the Pic du Midi de Bigorre as one of the highest yet least difficult to climb without a guide. Riding on Friday 29th August, a treadle cone-socket comes unwelded near Montrejean and is repaired by a local blacksmith in half an hour; the route by Luzaguet, La Barthe, Capbern and the abbey ruins at Escaledieu ends with a long climb and a steep drop into Bagneres de Bigorre, where an oil-and-dust-clogged brake roller pitches the writer over the handles.
- The concluding instalment. Tea at the "Wheatsheaf," Basingstoke, then splendid roads to Winchester, where the "Royal" being full of Templars the party put up at the "White Swan" (B.T.C.), which keeps a room with "Bicyclist Room" painted on the door, and hear evening service in the cathedral. Next day they take the dole at St. Cross, wait while Nevill buys a horse at Otterbourne, visit Romsey Abbey, dine at the "Crown," Salisbury, ride along the top of the earthworks at Old Sarum, sleep at the "George," Amesbury, spend Sunday at Stonehenge among the Pickwick B.C., and on Monday race a friend of Williams's to Basingstoke before crossing the Hog's Back to tea at the "White Horse," Guildford, and taking train at Richmond.
- Machines offered and wanted: F. Jolly's very strong 52-in. "Stassen" at £10; E. C. Koch's 54-in. "London" complete with lamps and bags at £10 10s.; a 54-in. "Eclipse" roadster with roller bearings and new tyres at £8; W. A. Smith's 53-in. "Humber" at £12 12s.; O. Thorn's 52-in. light roadster by J. Keen at £10, to be seen at Stamford Bridge on the 19th; and W. T. Hill's 54-in. "Coventry" at £8 10s. J. Williams, Junr., of Abbey Villa, Croydon, wants a cheap 50-inch roadster.
- A correction to last week's account of the final heat of the Pickwick Bicycle Club Open Mile: the Gazette intended to write "O. Thorn, on overlapping the leading man," not, as printed, "on lapping the leading man."
- "L'Homme qui Rit" envies the member who has disposed of twenty-five tickets for the 19th and hopes a big gate will reward the Race Committee; renews his plea that District Captains name new inns beforehand, the Betchworth meet having been trying to the new hounds; and denounces hub lamps as abominations after the Charlton B.C. sub-captain was nearly broken up near Green Street Green when one came detached. He also reports the American team's regrets at being unable to attend the meeting, the Cosmopolite Véloce Club's "Grandes Courses" at Calais on 28th June with works of art valued at 200 francs for prizes, the success of the Erith meet, A. P. Trotter's plan to photograph the S.E. on Purley Downs, Douglas Smith's spill on Gravel Hill near Bexley, and the North-Westers' reply about Muswell Hill and the still-unridden West Hill, Highgate.
- "X" explains how to ride a short distance in trousers, say to a tennis party, without cleaning one's spokes: buy Gadsden's trouser-bands at Goy's or any cycling outfitter, but instead of sewing them into one identical pair of trousers, sew the ends firmly together, draw the surplus cloth outside, pass the foot twice through the crossed noose with the india-rubber nubble in front, and catch the nubble inside the heel. The operation takes under half a minute and holds the trousers perfectly fixed.
- Fixtures from 19th June to 6th November: the London B.C. Annual Race Meeting at Stamford Bridge and the Private Banks meeting on the 19th, the Bicycle Union Twenty-five and Fifty Miles Championships at Surbiton on the 23rd and 30th, the Tufnell B.C. on the 24th and the L.A.C. Second Summer Meeting on the 26th, followed by the Civil Service, Belgrave, Gresham, Eastbourne, Lombard, Arion, Railway Clearing House, Brighton, South London Harriers, I Zingari, Surrey, Druids and L.A.C. Winter meetings.
- Contributions must be addressed to "The Editor, L.B.C. Gazette, 35, Eastcheap, E.C.," bear the author's name though not necessarily for insertion, be written on one side of the paper only, and reach the office by Wednesday morning for immediate insertion. Messrs. Darling supply 2s. portfolios stamped with the Club badge for unbound copies, and for the benefit of new members still have a few covers for 1878 and back numbers at 1d. each.