The Wheel: Journal of Bicycling, Vol 10, No 21
Articles in this issue
- Weekly news miscellany covering racing results from Lynn, Wolverhampton, and Paignton; notes on riders including Rowe (third-mile in 49 seconds), Con Dwyer's reported mile in 2.38 2-5, and William Langdown's 16,000-mile journey from New Zealand to compete at Springfield; also reports the N.J. Division's vote to abolish Rule H and abandon League racing, and the Owl Cycling Club of Chicago's September 18th meet.
- Editorial discussing whether English racing men will visit America's fall tournaments at Hartford, Springfield, Lynn, and Roseville, prompted by a Cyclist editorial on 'Springfield Prospects'; weighs A.C.U. promateur classification rules and the speed of the new Coventry and Long Eaton tracks, and suggests the four American tournament promoters send a joint ambassador to England to arrange a visiting party.
- First-hand inspection of the new Roseville track near Newark, N.J., under construction for the Orange Wanderers' meet and managed by Frederick Jenkins; the three-lap-to-the-mile path was modeled on the Springfield record track by an engineer, with a grandstand, press shelf, dressing rooms, sodded inner field, and lawn tennis grounds planned, with Kluge and Weber soon to begin training on it.
- Brief announcement that entries are arriving briskly for the Hartford Wheel Club's race meet on September 8th and 9th, listing confirmed competitors including Howell, Sellers, Duncan (the French champion), Langsdown of New Zealand, Rowe, Weber, Burnham, Hendee, and Knapp.
- Satirical description of the St. Louis Autumnal Festivities programme (September 8th to October 22nd), covering the L.A.W. nocturnal illuminated wheelmen's parade, Knights Templar triennial conclave, flambeau battalion march, and Veiled Prophets pageant; the editor pokes fun at the elaborate pageantry while concluding it will be worth the trip to witness in person.
- Letter from Rev. C.E. Cunningham of Elizabeth, N.J., written from Temple Grove, Saratoga, describing the Clerical Wheelmen's tour — a company of Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian ministers who rode 150 miles from New York City on August 3rd, 1886, organized by Rev. Sylvanus Stall of Lancaster, Pa., enjoying fine weather, good roads, and robust health throughout.
- Report on the Orange Wanderers' hill-climbing contest at Eagle Rock, Orange, N.J., before about 300 spectators; C.H. Chickering of Smithville reached the top of the steep mile-long hill in 9 minutes to win, with John A. Wells of Philadelphia second in 12m. 20s., while E.P. Baird was forced to dismount near the summit and C.L. Meyers struggled at half distance.
- Results of record trials on the new Coventry track on July 29th: A.P. Engleheart set English amateur records at the quarter and half mile for the safety bicycle, and world's records at the three-quarter and one-mile (2.45); F.S. Buckingham narrowly missed the mile tricycle record by 2-5 seconds but set a world mark at three-quarters (2.11).
- Full prize-list for the three-day Lynn Tournament, September 23rd–25th, covering amateur, promateur, and professional bicycle and tricycle events including A.C.U. championship races; top professional prizes reach $100 for the ten-mile lap and $75 for the five-mile lap, while promateur and amateur events offer silverware, gold watches, diamond pins, and ornamental teasets.
- Club-life column by Frank Alloy Egan covering the quiet summer in New York cycling circles, including Dr. Beckwith's bachelor apartments at the Citizens Club, the Ixions' winter plans for billiards and chess tournaments and monthly ladies' receptions, and the Harlem Wheelmen's September 11th race meet at the Manhattan Athletic Club grounds with Cappa's Seventh Regiment Band; also reprints Springfield Republican items on Woodside training on a new 58½-inch Columbia racer and Kluge and Langdown arriving at the Springfield track.
- Short news items noting John S. Prince and T.W. Eck racing in Arkansas, the Kings County Wheelmen reaching 87 members, E.P. Baird arranging a rematch race over the Irvington–Milburn course, the Kings County Wheelmen's fourth annual meet programme at the Brooklyn A.C. grounds on September 18th, the Albany Wheelmen's August 28th tournament at the Ridgefield three-lap track, and a tribute to the recently deceased Major Durell.
- Touring route report from a Citizens Club member describing a ride from New York to Saratoga via the Day Line boat from Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie (to avoid sandy post-roads), then by bicycle through Red Hook, Blue Stone, Hudson, Stockport (calling on L.A.W. representative Joshua Reynolds), Kinderhook (Bradley's L.A.W. House), Albany, Port Schuyler, Mechanicville, and Round Lake, with practical notes on road conditions, lodging costs, and key turns.
- Comic editorial mocking an Illinois inventor's claim that his bicycle attachment will enable a rider to cover a mile in two minutes, humorously describing the catastrophic consequences of riding at such speed and concluding with a mock epitaph for the rider destroyed by the 'Breakneck S-Pat. Attachment.'
- Cycling route guide from New York City via the D.L. & W. train to Newark, then through Bloomfield, Montclair, Verona, Caldwell, Pine Brook, Parsippany, Denville, Rockaway, Dover, up Mount Hope to Lake Hopatcong and the Mount Arlington Hotel, then on to Greenwood Lake, Hewitt's, Ringwood, Sloatsburg, and Suffern, with road quality assessments and hotel recommendations at each stage.
- Preview of the Orange Wanderers' Grand Opening Race Meet on September 4th at the new Roseville Track, detailing the eleven-event programme including the 2-Mile Bicycle Championship of N.J., 1-Mile New Jersey Tricycle Championship, tandem tricycle, and consolation races, all under L.A.W. rules; the race committee of L.H. Porter (chairman) and E.P. Baird (secretary) is described as working to ensure the track is in fine condition with elegant prizes for winners and second-place riders.
- Preview of the Berkshire County Wheelmen's fourth annual tournament, September 10th–11th at Pittsfield, Mass., naming officials including referee Abbott Bassett of Boston, judges Gerry Jones of Binghamton and Gideon Haynes Jr. of Boston, and timers from Springfield and Albany; the two-day programme covers novice, county championship, professional, invitation, handicap, and record races, with the Germania Band engaged for a concert.
- Practical note on rail arrangements for the New York State Division L.A.W. meet at Buffalo on September 3rd–4th: members can obtain a certificate from Chief Consul George R. Bidwell at 313 W. 58th Street to secure a 25% reduction on the West Shore, New York Central, Erie, and D.L. & W. railroads, cutting the New York–Buffalo excursion fare from $18 to $13.50; a special train via the West Shore may be chartered if enough passengers sign up.
- Standing calendar of cycling events from August 24th to October 3rd, 1886, listing meets at Scranton, Cleveland, Millville (N.J. Division), Albany, Buffalo (N.Y. State Division), Roseville, Hartford, Pittsfield, Springfield, Manhattan (Harlem Wheelmen), Junction City (Kansas), Lynn, and the L.A.W. illuminated parade and interstate meet at St. Louis on October 1st, plus the L.A.W. grand tour from Niagara Falls to Harper's Ferry.