The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

ton of the league during the coming year to
establish register of wheelmen for the terri
tory embraced in this division, whether they
are league members or not. Such list Will be
extremely useful to wheeling interests in gen.
eral, as it will render accessible to distributed
literature every one interested in the sport,
and it is hoped will bring into the league itself
a large proportion of the total number.
OF the California wheelmen the proportion
that belong to organized clubs is not as great,
in my opinion, as is generally supposed; but
the number is increasing with marvellous "a
pidity, most of the clubs having doubled their
memberships in the past year, and the number
of clubs themselves having more than doubled
The Oldest cycling club proper in the State is
the Bay City Wheelmen. This club was organ
lied in 1884, and was an outgrowth OF the san
Francisco Bicycle Club, the Oldest organization
OF its kind in the United States. Since its in
ception, it has, without doubt, been the most
prominent figure among the bicycle clubs OF
the State, both in the councils of the wheelmen
and on the path. The strong point OF the Or
ganization is the fraternal feeling that exists
among It's members, which is tie secret OF the
long continued success of the club.
San Jose seems to be the Springfield of the
Pacific Coast from a racing standpoint, and 1t
is q natural enough result that the largest In
dividual cycling organization OF the State
should be found within its limits. The Garden
City Cyclers has nearly 400 members, and has
made its influence felt in all racing matters
Among the other clubs that are prominent
in wheeling affairs, probably the strongest
from nearly every point of value is the Cali
fornia Cycling Club. 1t has the largest mem
bership of any club in San Francisco, owns its
own gymnasium, and has developed the social
side of its club life most delightfully."-. In this
regard 1T receives no little assistance from the
Alphas, the first cycling club to be organized
by the ladies in San Francisco, and reciprocal
entertainments are affairs of frequent occur
renee.
The baby club of the State is the Olympic
CyclerS. 1t was organized at the end OF this
year, but has already nearly hundred mem.
bers. 1t is an outgrowth of the Olympic Club
Wheelmen, and from that organization its pro-
motors gained much of the experience and
have received much of the assistance that has
enabled them to place the club at this early
period of its existence on such satisfactory
foundation.
1t is impossible within the limits of this
article even to enumerate the various cycling
organizations OF the State that are adding their
support to cycling and making their influence
felt in wheeling affairs. Some of the strongest
and most enterprising that l have not already
mentioned are the Imperial Cycling Club
| which has developed number OF good racing
men; the Camera Club Cyclers, whose name
! indicates the special field OF their endeavor
the San Jose Road Club, patron of road-racing
| and possessor of the Worlds champion of '94
| Ziegler, and the coast class champion of this
| year, Mcfarland; the Acme Club OF Oakland
| one of the originators of the great relay race
| the Reliance, agitators for good roads; the
San Francisco Road Club, with the five-mile
worlds road record already made by George
Hamlin, IL IL rs; and at least one club fol
| almost every interior town of any prominence
The territory covered by the South California
Division OF the league has not developed the
| club spirit to any great extent, but has pro
duced some of the most prominent individual
! riders OF California, and the sport throughout
the southern counties is daily becoming more
popular.
One OF the most notable features of the South
California Division is the numerous good rae
ing tracks throughout the territory. There
are fine tracks az Santa Monica, Santa Ana
Riverside, Rediands, San Diego, Pomona, Pas
adena and Los Angeles. In Northern Cali
fornia there is really only one good track built
especially for wheeling, that at San Jose. This
seems the more strange when we consider the
universal interest in the sport here and the
support received even with the present made
quate track facilities whenever q race meet is
| given.
think that during the coming year mucI
will be done in cycling circles. The League O.
American Wheelmen, as have already init
mated, will make serious attempt to unite IL
one organization every eligible wheelman IL
the State. With such an association we will
be in position to voice our needs with al
emphasis that Town Councils, Boards of Super
visors and even the Legislature itself canno
afford to pass by unregarded. The wheelmer
and the drivers for pleasure will unite witt
the farmer in the demand for good roads, and
| with the merchants of the towns and cities 70,
good streets, and from it all universal benef
win arise.