The Wheel: Journal of Bicycling, Vol 10, No 5
Articles in this issue
- The editors rebuke the British Bicycling News for misrepresenting American cycling politics — falsely casting Henry Ducker as a 'would-be dictator' and champion of promateurism — and defend the broad opposition to Abbot Bassett's Racing Board policies.
- Report on the 50-mile road race at Clarksville, Missouri, projected by the American Wheelman of St. Louis: George E. Weber of Smithville, N.J. won in 3h. 7m. 42½s., with C.E. Kluge second and Percy Stone third; S.G. Whittaker, the early pace-setter, suffered two headers and retired.
- The Springfield Bicycle Club's formal letter to L.A.W. President Dr. N.M. Beckwith protesting the Racing Board's suspension of members McGarrett, Hendee, and Westervelt without specific charges, arguing the burden of proof must lie with the accusers.
- Description of the new three-laps-to-the-mile oval cycling track under construction at Lynn, Massachusetts, featuring a screened blue gravel surface, banked corners, a 2,000-seat grandstand, and a completion target of May 31.
- Account of the rematch 50-mile professional race at Minneapolis, won by Woodside in 2h. 44m. 37s. — a new American professional record — after Prince's foul claim was rejected; both the 40-mile and 50-mile American professional records were broken during the contest.
- Calendar of upcoming cycling events for May through July 1886, including the Myers-George races (May 8), the L.A.W. annual meet at Boston (May 20-27-28), the Lynn Bicycle Club inaugural meet (May 31), and the Canadian Wheelmen's Association annual meet at Montreal (July 1).
- Letter written from Teheran on March 9, 1886 by around-the-world bicyclist Thomas Stevens, describing his planned route through Meshed, Merv, Bokhara, Samarkand, Tashkend, and Siberia to Japan — some 6,000 miles over largely unmapped Central Asian terrain.
- Boston correspondent C.S.H. reports on Chief Ducker's energetic preparations for the L.A.W. League Meet (May 20-28): race programme, parade route, hotel arrangements, sponsor contributions exceeding $2,000, the dissolution of the Overman Wheel Co.'s legal attachments, and local cycling gossip in a 'Points' sub-section.
- Miscellaneous cycling notes: the Springfield B.C.'s annual dinner, the Chicago Bicycle Club's quarterly mileage of 2,004¾ miles, a new one-mile home-trainer record (1m. 27⅖s.) by C.S. Holt, the formation of the Newburg N.Y. club, Weber and Kluge's Clarksville record, and the Wheelman's Gazette's relaunch under Ducker.
- Brooklyn correspondent 'Tattler' covers the Brooklyn Bicycle Club's plans for a new brick clubhouse on Livingston Street, the 1886 road-riding programme with medal awards for mileage and century runs, upcoming club runs, and Kings County Wheelmen and Bedford Cycling Club activities.
- Survey of nickel plating as a bicycle finish, crediting Pope Manufacturing Co.'s successful four-year method on Columbias; notes that 17% of Expert models sold in one year were fully nickeled and that Thomas Stevens rides a full-nickeled Expert on his around-the-world tour.
- Reprint of a letter to Bicycling News by Lord Bury, President of the N.C.U., arguing that electric tricycles are impractical: a single E.P.S. accumulator cell weighs 70–80 lbs. and provides only one hour at full power before requiring hours of recharging, making the total machine weight exceed 210 lbs.
- Review of the third enlarged edition of the L.A.W. road book compiled by Henry S. Wood, now covering 12,000 unrepeated miles, 1,500 towns, and eight maps; distributed free to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey Division members and sold to all League members at $1.
- Satirical commentary on contradictory amateur definitions enforced by the National Amateur Athletic Association and the L.A.W. Racing Board: the N.A.A.A.A. permits expense payments that the Racing Board would classify as professional conduct, making conflict between the bodies inevitable.
- Official announcement of L.A.W. championship races at Union Grounds, Boston, on May 29, 1886: events include the national and Massachusetts state one-mile amateur bicycle championships, a novice mile, and two invitation races open to the suspended 'maker's amateurs'; entries close May 17.