The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-10 00:00:00

THE ONE-HUNDRED-MILE BICYCLE
MATCH.

Mr Stanton started on Monday morning punctually
at eight o'clock on his great 100 niile race against time.
The wager was £4O that Mr. Stanton did not accom-
plish 100 miles in 8i hours in the race-ground at Lillie
Bridge. This task of recording the distance run was
not as easy as might be supposed, since the " laps " or
circuits of the ground to be traversed amount to no
less than 300. The great inconvenience to the
bicyclist of riding in an enclosed ground was the
necessity of turning so many sharp corners, as the
course was of a square form, and not very much
rounded at the angles. The whole number of turns
to be made amounted to 1,200. Mr. Stanton rode the
same 54in bicycle which carried him on his first suc-
cessful trip from Bath to Kensington, but there was
a second lying close at hand on the side of the
path, in case of any accident occurring to the other.
The rider went off in high spirits, in view of a very
moderate number of spectators, wearing what is known
as the University costume, without any cap or
ostentatious make-up of any kind. He appeared
perfectly at home in rounding the corners, his tall
machine inclining at a strong angle towards the
white rails inside the course, which it seemed almost
to touch as he whirled past. As Stanton proceeded
without sign of fatigue, though not without becoming
much heated with his exercise, the backers of time
began to look more queer, and when the time of
twenty miles was hoisted on the telegraph as 1.11. 14m.
50s. the balance of opinion came round very strongly
in favour of the rider. Mr. Stanton finished his 30th
mile in lb. 55m. 435., and his 40th in 2h. 41m, 15s.
He stopped at the completion of 43 93rd miles for re-
freshment. After waiting nineteen minutes he went on
, again in splendid style, and at ten minutes to twelve
I had covered 50 miles- half the distance-in 3h. 49m.
2s. The fifty-fifth mile he had covered in 4h. urn. 285.,
' and the sixtieth in 4h. 34m. 435. At the termination of
63 miles and a lap, his time being 4h. 49m., he got out of
the saddle for refreshments, which occasioned a delay
of 17 minutes. He again stopped after running
another ten miles. Time for 70 miles, sh. :Wm. 475.
After a rest of 14 minutes he continued, his CMG
for 75 miles being 611. 17m. Ks. ; at 80 miles, 6h. 44m.
555. ; at 85 miles, 7h. 6m. 17s. ; at 90 miles, 7h.
33m. 345. ; and at 93 miles 86. 3m. 355. From this
point Stanton laboured heavily, but would mot stop.
He covered 'A mike with great difficulty in 811. 10m.
53m., and on being 200 yards in the first lap of the
97th mile, when opposite the signal-box he was stopped,
his baekers fiading that ke meld not asoomplisli hie
I task. Ids full time for 90 miles and 100 yatils being
86. 11m. 455. Stanton thus bed the match.

Mr. Chambers, the coach of the Cambridge crew,
wassthe backer of time; Mr. J. Vandy, of Bell's Life,
acted as starter and timekeeper.
Mr. Stanton has matched himself against the
champion Keen to ride a match of 106. miles, Stanton
receiving half-an-hour's start.—Daily ?Vries.