The record-union., 1898-08-20
OF INTEREST TO CYCLISTS.
ROAD RACES - RECoNSTRUC.
TION OF OAK PARK TRACK.

Around the World Awhee1-Proper
Hight Of Frames-Time Limits
"A New Rack.
Negotiations are pending between the
Capital City Wheelmen of Sacramento
and the electric and railway company
for reconstruction of the Oak Park
three-lap track, partially destroyed by
fire on Saturday last. Fully three
fourths of the track remains. 1t will
be necessary to wholly reconstruct the
scratch straightaway and the grand
stand, and about third of the high
fencing. 1t ought to be done, and the
Capital City Wheelmen should be given
entire charge Of the grounds. The in
terest of the railway company is in the
transportation the track will secure for
it. The insurance money will meet
most of the cost of reconstruction. In
repairing, however, the banks should
be rebraced, the whole track wood
filled with a preservative, and the
grand stand made longer and lower,
and with a sun shelter extending far
OFCl Il1C lidCh 1uc SIOullQS lllSlQS tlIC
track make ideal baseball diamonds,
and for all manner of outdoor ground
games and athletics there is not bet
ter conditioned ground in the State.
The railway company would do well to
give the grounds over to the sole man
Iagement of the wheelmen. They could
take charge and make the grounds pop
ular.
4
The first of the three months series
of road races by the Capital City
Wheelmen takes place tomorrow at 10
a. m. The course is triangular and
nine miles in length 1t begins at
Twenty eighth and Y streets, runs
southerly in a straight line, to the
schoolhouse and church on the lower
Stockton road, turns then easterly and
runs to Duden's, thence northerly in a
straight line over the upper Stockton
road to Thirty-first street. It is rough
country road all the way. with but one
mile of macadam on the route. Accord
ing to County Surveyor Boyd, the dis
tance is 9 34.1OO miles. 1t is a road
to test the physical capacity and the
headwork of the riders. Our idea is
that headwork, generalship, will have
most to do with it. There are to this
writing some eight entries, and there
will probably be ten in ALL The men
are good riders, and as a rule they are
all good managers. Every one who en-
ters and finishes the series throughout
will have some reward, and the lead
winners have fine promise of suitable
recognition, the leading prize being a
White wheel given, offered by A. j.
Pommer But the honor medals, pins
and bars stand most to the credit of the
riders in our judgment. The G. G.. w.
is showing fine spirit in promoting
speed and endurance trials. The last
number Of the Western Sports" cred
it's the club with having more spirit
and push in such matters than all the
other clubs of the State combined. That
is extravagant praise, but there is a
| liberal measure Of truth in it.
The record meet of the c. G. W. last
Sunday was not successful, because at
the last moment the club had to change
| from the Oak Park three-lap broad
track to Agricultural Park one
mile earth track, owing to- the
burning Of the Oak Park track the
| day before The earth course was
| heavy and the men could not break
records on it, besides the course was
over-long, as the riding had to be done
twenty feet from the pole. If the rules
permitted discount for that distance,
Hirsch and his PAGERS, Eldred and
Hamlin, really did beat the half-mile
! OF seconds) record, as they made it in
100 % Noyes rode a half-mile un-
paced in /: 90 %, and Patterson half
unpaced in 1:13 %. Patterson is a
promising rider. ALL he lacks is more
care of himself in training. We sus-
pect that he trains rather spasmod-
ically, and with not enough of regu-
larity and care for conditions. Hirsch
is one of the most easily trained men
awheel, and Noyes appears to be
nearly his equal in getting into condi-
ton quickly. By the way, Noyes IS
looked upon by club men as the most
promising Of the new California riders.
If he does not go too fast in his ambi-
ton. and takes full care of himself, he
will pile up a record to be proud Of.
Eldred and Hamlin gave an example
on Sunday of ideal tandem pacing
Nothing better in that line has been
seen here for years.
Electric pacemaking," remarks a
follower of cycle racing, sis the monu-
mental failure of the season. In foreign
| countries. where 1t was tried extensive
Iy and seldom with success, 1t is no
longer in demand, a condition that has
| prompted leading Frenchmen to re-es-
tablish their teams Of human pacemak-
ers The French public became heart
lily sick of electric fizzles, and Cham
pien and Bonhours both state that they
| prefer human pacing, the change from
team to team being greatly preferable
to the deadly monotony of hanging on
to an electric or petroleum tandem
throughout a so or 100 kilometer ride.
The monotony, however, is often broken
by a breakdown that causes the unfor-
tunate follower to chase alone as best
he can until repairs are made
1t is rumored in Buffalo that Ed
die" Bald and Jimmy Michael will enter
the horse racing business together, Bald
as an owner and Jimmy as his jockey
The most popular model in the way
of serrated tread tires at present com
prises a smooth strip at the point OF
contact, from which slight longitudinal
ribs branch on each side. It seems to
be a happy mean between the rough
and entirely smooth tires
In the extreme West the necessity
of having a national cycle law to cover
all rules and regulations affecting the
use of the wheel on the public thor
oughfares is being urged It's promOt-