The evening times., 1896-02-24
J0TIM6s IB0UT BlKERs
Meet at Louisville to Be Held
August 10 to Is Next.
CHARGES OF TREAoHERY
Monster Tourney in the Ohio City
VIII Follow the Kentucky Event.
Class II Riders-Immense Improve
ment in Pedais-Fine Points Of u
Wheel That should BE Studied

/ Louisville has decided to apply for Au-
| gust 10 to % as the dates on which to
! entertain the L. A. W. and hold the an
nuai race meet of the national cycling
body.
At recent session OF the SO Meet Club
this decision WAS reached after u thorough
discussion, it being considered that August
would be much better period than July
| In which to visit the metropolis OF Kentucky.
The meet must take place during either one
OF these months, and August is the cooler
| Of the two.
The action OF the meeting has been sent
| to President Sterling Elliott, with the re-
quest that it be referred to the new racing
| board as soon as Mr.. Elliott announces his
| appointments.
The Fountain Ferry track, on which
the championships will be fought, is sec
ond to none in the country, and all rid
ers will have an equal show. At many
national meets an unsafe track has been
a means of yexation, and made the races
as good as farccs, the luckiest man and
not the fastest invaria bly, coming out
ahead. Such will not be the case at
Louisville, and the racing men are more
than pleased with the selection OF that
city.
Toledo did not take its defeat in the
most tracta bic spirit, aud charges OF
| treachery aud throw downs" came from
the town on the muddy Maumee. New
ertheless, the Toledoans have decided to
run a race meet themselves, in which
they propose outdoing their Kentucky
rivals. Announcement is made that
monster tourney viii follow the one at
Louisville, an6 a sanction has been ap-
piled for.
There has been some talk of abolishing
the National Circuit. Whether it would be
policy to do this is a question. 1t is true
that the manufacturers who employ racing
teams art at present dissatisfied with the
idea o. jumping them several hundred miles
at time; but, II the distances can be modi-
fled in some way, it is possible that the
National Circuit will survive the opposition
manifested to it. A conference between
the Cycle Board OF Trade and the L. A. W.
will probably be held soon to determine this
interesting question.
People who have made close study OF
th., dceth OF that intermediate class known
as Class Is, the sport can be conducted on
profitable and sensible basis hereafter.
There will be some confusion at the start.
of course. but with clear-headed men at the
head of the racing board, the trouble will
not last long. There is no reason why pro-
fessional cycle racing cannot be run with as
much profit and satisfaction as professional
baseball.
The amateur must be kept pure and free
from all contaminating influences, and the
professional part of the program must be
run on the same lines that any other business
is conducted on. There are hundreds of
riders at present, who are lowering between
the amateur and the professional class, and
they and their fellow-clnb members are
watching the racing situation as they never
watched it before. Many expect to go
through che early part OF the racing season
as amateurs. but to become professionals
in time to take part for the cash prizes
given at the fall tournaments
Every careful observer of the evolu-
tion of the bicycle for the past three or four
years must have noticed the immense i'm
provement that has been made in the
pedals.
A comparison of the pedals on an up
to-Iate machine with those used say on
the wheels of 1894, is both interesting and
instructive. This is especially the case with
those pedals with rubber attachments. The
rubber pedals of two years ago We're heavy,
awkward and clumsy affairs, and conl-
pared with those of the present time, seem
ten years rather than only two years old.
The rubber was irremovable, and there
was no such thing as converting rubber
fitted into rat-trap pedal, or vice versa.
Now the rubber parts are attached by tive
little bolts, and it is only a matter OF q
minute or two to put them on or off.
Then. too, the rat-trap pedals are made
with much less sharp-pointed teeth than
formerly, with the result that the shoe sole
is not quickly cut and worn away by them.
The nut on the inner side of the crank
hanger has been done away with in order to
secure narrowness of tread: the pedal has
been much reduced in weight, and at the
sa me time it is strong enough to stand all
ordinary usage.
The hearings are much more securely.pro-
tectel than formerly, and little oil is re-
quired to keep them in good condition. 1t
is said by those who know that a drop or
two of oil will keep a pedal in good con-
dition for four or five months.
Zim was expected to arrive in Freehold
yesterday.
Zalamea, the amateur champion cyclist,
Of South America, is in New York spending
his honeymoon.
George Van Emburg, who, several years
ago. enjoyed short-lived fame as the boy
wonder gained in a six-day race, sailed last
week for England. where he is entered to
race In a similar event to be held in Lon
don. beginning g on March 1.
1t is said that Frederick De cardy re-
Gently pedaled 42.s5 miles In one hour ON
a home trainer In Chicago.
Atlanta, Ga, attempted to pass cycling
ordinance limiting the speed Of cyclists on
the city streets to six miles per hour. The
ordinance was defeated because 1t was
shown that the city permitted trolley cars
to travel at twelve miles per hour and troll
ley cars were rightly declared to be more
dangerous at all times than bicycles.
Z
Michigan judge has Just decided that
where q wbeelman comes In collision with
another vehicle while riding without lamp,
he cannot recover damages for the result of
injuries received In such a collision.
1t Is odd how few riders appreciate the
Pin, Tn