Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-03

teursevents have conn to be generally re- sarded by the race going public simply convenience befw1an the professional Is hot Strange that the cioSs of tie pres ent season finds no rider entitled to anna teur' championship; and there is scarcely even claimant therefor. The title It. self, held at the various distances for 80 many years by Hendee, Zimmerman, Osmons, Meintjes and others. bids fair to become misnomer; and another sport, once one of the cleanest in the world Of pastime, passes, outside Of collegiate, club and special events, completely under the cloud of professionalism. ....z
 "The pressns year has also marked the practical extinction of road racing. This branch of the sport has never been fos- tered by the governing bodies of Ameri- can cycling, and now it is outlawed gem erally in the interest of public safety. Owing to the objectionable results of sucn long-distance competitions, the famous road clubs of England have practically abandoned their principal old-time events, and a corresponding decline is evident In France, Australia and in Canada"
 For a long time the French have been asking England to record the time by kilo- meters as wall as by miles, as the French have all along extended a similar cour-
 
 the N. c. U has just notified the French racing authorities that this wish has been accsded to and that at the last record ride of Tom Linton the time by kilometers was taken. This means that hereafter the metric system distances will have a place in English records. It is said France will make the same demand on the League of American Wheelmen. In fact M. Henri Garnier, in published article, holds that it Is the duty of the l.. A. W. to extend this courtesy with out being asked, seeing that it is France that many Americans look to for protita- ble engagements, whereas no French cracks are going to the United States. Tt would be strange, indeed" he says, If America would accept our money, but not our distances, since her reputation for sporting fairness is as good as Eng lands.''
 A cycle path from Washington to Bal timore, so long dreamed of by wheeling enthusiasts, is practically assured in an announcement by several prominent cap- italistS of Washington and of Baltimore. The probabilities are that by May day in 1898 the 100000 wheelmen of Wash ington and Baltimore will be able to pedal easily over the forty miles of beautiful country intervening between the two cities on a smooth boulevard, built on level roadway, maintained and designed solely for the use of the bicycle. TO complete such a cycle path is the project into which several capitalists of both cities have entered, and in bulletin ls- sued few days ago, their plans are fully set forth. In brief, the ccycle road IS to be projected by capital now on hand, ready 10 be actively applied with little delay MT. H. l.. Miilner is the repre- sentative of the stockholders, and is the promotor of the cycle road. The capi- talists behind him are not named.
 
 The life of record-breaker, be he either runrier of bicycle rider, is not all play and the intervals between his public per formances are often filled up with the hardest kind of training work. Johnson and Michael, who are now. making sucn wonderful records with the bicycle, have added to their training equipments one of the most simple yet effective devices It is nothing but an ordinary skipping ropesuch as is used by school girls in the spring time. They skip the rope every night before going to bed, and at the close they are subjected to a liberal and ener- getic rub down, which leaves all, the muscles soft and relaxed for sleep.
 The skipping rope brings into play all of the muscles especially needed for fast bicycle work, and at the same time in- creases the athletes wind and endur- dnce. s#s5lt..-ta .s-
 Johnston has a record of 74S with the rope and is considered pretty good mark until it is set up against that of Michael who breaks ten-mile records. When asked how many times he had skipped the rope without stopping, he said: "Sev- en thousand. It depends altogether on how you feel. When I skipped 1000 did not stop once, but got into my step and kept it nicely without a break. Some times 1t is impossible for me to go much above 2000 for then l do not feel like 1t, but when did 1000 I did not stop be- cause I was tired, but simply because thought I had done enough -,..
 The results of this kind of training in MichaePs case are very evident. When making some of his record races he rides almost upright in the saddle and seems to make no particular effort to hasten his machine. His racing work has not that straining, intense appearance that that of other riders has. It looks very easy for him.
 The muscular development of his legs is not abnormal, as one would expect, but is uniform and very well and evenly distributed, so that all muscles are work ing in concert and havenoweak ones hold ing back or growing tired out of turn.
 While the axes are grinding and the wires are being laid in anticipation of the big election for national officers of the
 
 is lining up against the east upon the subject of Sunday racing The west knows almost to a certainty that it has no show for any of the big offices in the league, and it knows also that it's vast army of members is at the same time a potent factor either for or against any ticket that can be put up. With these conditions existing the. west is ready to smash any slate put up unless it is agreed that local option on Sunday rac- ing will be adopted.
 The demands of the western wheelmen in this respect are very reasonable. They only ask for each community or division to decide for itself whether or not Sun day races shall be given the sanction of the League of American wheelemen. All the country west of the Mississippi river is strongly in favor of Sunday racing and the further west it is the mort earn est is the feeling. California and Color ado threaten to bolt outright if they can not get Sunday racing. Missouri is in favor of having it optional, and if it comes to an issue, would, in all probabili- ty., join with the west as against the east.
 No wonder that you see Il s- O-v--9 0r1- .