The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
THE WHEELMEN.
Walter c. Sanger Is Considered the
Champion Eacer of To-Day.


being ridable the wheelmen will flock to
the park tomorrow. They will not at
tempt to venture out into the country for
several weeks, but with one or two days
sun-drying the park roads, and particu-
larly the bicycle paths, Will be in better
condition than ever, as a good wetting
always improves them. 1t is noticeable
thing that the park riders all take to the
paths especially provided for them, as it
makes far better riding surface than the
main roads. The Commissioners intended
once to require the cyclists to use the
paths set aside for them and not go upon
the main drive at all, but such an ordi-
nance would be entirely unnecessary now
as tn e wheelmen have taken to the bicycle
paths from choice, and it would take
stringent legislation to keep them off them
now.
Charles S. Wells, behind the great quad
team of Smith, Scarborough, Wash burne
and TerrilI, covered four miles the other
day al San Diego, the following being the
time taken FOR each mile: 2:10-2:03-
2:05-2 :02. The hoy wonder" is riding
now as never before, surely.
Two young wheelmen, Paul and Felix
Butte of this City, have invented con-
trivance for holding wheel in position
while cleaning, lubricating or repairing it,
which is so simple and ingenious that
they have applied for patent on 1t. 1t
consists of two clamps fastened pivotally
on an infiexible rod; one is fastened within
an lnClSlon, the other TO the top OF the rod.
The device can be adjusted on any chair
or bench, and the bicycle then fastened to
it. inverted. 1t is so small that it can be
carried in tool-bag on long trips, when
cleaning and lubricating become neces-
sity.
R. NJ. Welch, representative of the
National Racing Board, has issued his
bulletin No. l, of the season of 1885, dated
January %, 1896, as follows:
Sanctions grsnted-January Is, %, February
!, 5, 10, %, Orange County Wheelmen, Santa
Ana; February %, Redlands Council No. 7,
Junior Order United American Mechanics,
Redlauds; February %, Southern Pacific Com
pany, Santa Monica; Stearns Bicycle Team,
sanction 10 make private record trials at Santa
Monica extended to March Is, 1896.
Suspended from sanction privileges-For
failure TO award prizes at value stipulated,
Pilot Wheelmen, Santa Cruz; Napa Cycling
Transferred to class B, under clause I, class A
rule-H. B. Freeman, Haywards; by vote OF
" of bylaws, Floyd a. Mcfarland and Hardy
Downing, san Jose.
PACIFIC COAST RECORDS APPROVED.
One-third mile standing start unpaced, W.
W. Hamilton, Coronado, December %, 1895,
One-third mile standing start paced, W W.
Hamilton, Coronado, December 81, 1895,
Hall mile flying start paced, tandem, Candy
Hewitt and W. A. Taylor, Coronado, December
%, 1895, 80 ID.
Two-thirds mile flying start paced, tandem,
Candy Hewitt and ". A. Taylor, Coronado, De-
cember 27, 1895, 1 :0S.
Two-thirds mile flying start paced, W W.
Hamilton, Coronado, December %, 1895,
] :0S So
Three-quarter mile flying start paced, c. S.
Wells, Coronado, December %, 1895 l:1S 3-5
Three-quarter mile flying start paced, tan
dem, Candy Hewitt and W A. Taylor, Coro-
nado, December 80, 1895, 1:21 1-5.
one mile flying start paced, tandem Candy
Hewitt and W. a. Taylor, Coronado, January
1, 1896, 1:47 3-5. R. NJ. WEIGH
Representative National Racing Board
Class B riders will race for 500 prizes
this season, unless otherwise provided by
the racing boards in special events, and
under the system proposed will realize far
more than when they were competing for
$3.50 diamonds, worth in reality about 80
per cent of that amount. The system of
gold medals. redeemable at 90 per cent of
their value, is well thought of by the racing
men.
Fred ]. Titus, who was q team mate of
Cabanne and Sanger last year, has signed
with the Syracuse people. This will be a
surprise to those who knew of his close re-
lations with his old concern, but it is
authoritatively stated that the Spaldings
will not put team on the path in 1896
Titus IS now under SUSPENSION, but the
consensus of opinion of the Eastern cycling
press is to the effect that he, Cabanne and
Murphy, will be reinstated by the National
Assembly.
To or not to B? Shall class B be con-
tinued for another year? The question
was widely agltated at the Chicago show
and the general sentiment had tendency
to lean toward the good of amateurism
which can only be properly preserved by a
united effort to sway the National Assem-
bly, IN favor OF class B. George D. Gideon,
chairman OF the National Racing Board,
realizes that b class must exist. So does
Robert NJ. Welch, the representative of
the board in California. This gentleman
has given great deal of study 10 the most
intricate points which encompass this
question, and after careful investigation
Is ready TO declare himself for class to be
known as the "clasS b riders" which in
many respects will resemble the class of
makers amateurs which has been nurtured
by the l.. a. w. for the past two years
OF several changes to be made in class
b, one will meet with general approval
1t IS appreciated that race-meet promoters
did much to discourage the B riders last
year by supplying prizes far below their
recognized value. 1t has been suggested
that the L. a. W. furnish prizes in the
form OF gold medals with attached certifi-
Gates controlled and recorded by the rae
ing board. These are redeemabe, and
when rider wins 500 prize he will know
that he can get 1t, less 10 per cent which
the league will deduct to guarantee the
organization for its trouble. Glass B must
live, If its purer brother would survive
and class A is absolutely necessary.
John S. Johnson, Patrick O'Connor and
A. f. Weinig, three well-known profess
sionals, under the management OF Tom
Eek, will race in Europe this year. Eek
has already made contract for the riders
and they will begin training in America
early in February. The men will return
to America later in the year to compete in
the professional events here In face of
the fact that many of the PRO" riders are
looking forward to conquest in France if
would be suicidal for L. A. w. interests to
drop the B class. One of the fastest rid.
ers on the path said recently: 81 want to
ride in class b, if there is TO be such a
class, for 1t has some semblance to anna
teurism." This but echoes the sentiments
of all the class riders of to-day. They
do not want TO become professionals.
Walter B. Fawcett is the young gentle.
man who has been recently honored by
election TO the captaincy of the Olympic
Club Wheelmen. The position is an i'm.
portant one in such a large club, and |