The record-union., 1898-03-21
OF INTEREST TO CYCLISTS.
THE CITY ORDINANCE ABOUT
STREET RIDING.
Outline OF Law of the Road-Ab bo-
dtion of Amateurism-Late
Cycling Novelties.

Ihe weather has been unprOp1tIOuS, the
entries We're insufficient, and the COM
| ing relay of 100 miles has absorbed
| the attention of the speedy men of the
club.
1t is proposed at the next meeting of
| the Board of Governors of the Cali
| fornia Associated Cycling Clubs to
amend the laws so as to strike out the
| word amateur" and have a single
class of all racing men. western
| Sports" of San Francisco classes the
Capital City Wheelmen as indorsing
| the proposition. The Record Union"
has it from official sources that the
| c. c. w. have not acted upon the ques-
tion, though it is likely to come up
! at to-night's meeting. 1t is safe to
| say that the C. c. w Will stand op-
posed to the proposition. There is fear,
| however, that it will carry in the Board
| of Governors. 1t is movement of very
doubtful wisdom.
To this date no effort has been heard
| of to enforce the ordinance of the city
| recently passed concerning driving and
| riding in the streets. TeamSters and
| cyclists appear to go as they please
! and the officials do not interfere. Or
| if they do their interference is inef-
| fective. The very important provision
| applying to both classes that turns
! shall be made as near center intersect-
! ing lines as-possible, is wholly ignored.
| While we write a Well-knoWn citizen IS
| lying in pain from a broken leg be-
| cause q teamster on Friday took the
wrong side of K street at Tenth. 1t
! is the commonest thing to see turns
made by both teams and Wheelmen, by
| taking half the block before reaching
! a corner in a diagonal course, thus
| making the, turn finally with a sud
denness that imperils pedestrians. SO
| too the speed limit is paid no attention
| to; the law of the road is coolly ig-
nored, and Misunderstanding bells con-
/ tinue to be used instead of the con-
! tinual ringers Perhaps all this is be-
| cause of ignorance of the law, but we
doubt it, Certainly the officials are not
| ignorant of the law, or should not be.
| The turning provisions in the Sacra-
/ mento ordinance are Identical with
Ithose of New York, and there the rule
! is followed by the people by choice,
since it is reasonable, convenient and
reduces collisions to the minimum of
| possibility. 1t would be an excellent
! idea to have the new rules printed with
| diagram such as recently appeared IN
| the Record Union" and have the
same literally posted, with a warning
| that someone will bring up in the
! Criminal Court if there is not better
observance of the law.
! The law of the road" by ordinance
made an ordinance in this city, is set
! forth in the New York Tribune" OF a
recent date. with illustrative diagram.
In brief the City of New York by or
/ dinance defines the law of the road to
| be drive and pull to the right. In over
! taking pass to the left, and the over
| taken must pull to the right to permit
! the passage. In turning, a driver be-
/ fore making a turn must raise his
| hand or whip as a signal so as to be
! seen by those behind him and the turn
! side, and he must indicate which way
he is about to turn. (This provision is
new in New York; In making the
! turn into an intersecting street the
| driver of a vehicle or rider of a wheel
must, if the right hand side of his new
course is more distant than the left,
proceed on his way to the crossing of
! the center lines of the two ways, and
! then make his turn. BY this means all
| pedestrians on all crossings have him
! in full view, and collision is practically
out of the question. If however, one is
| to turn to the right he must keep to
! the right side of the course, but must
! not hug the corner, so as to surprise
! a pedestrian on the crossing. In Sacra-
mento the law is as above, and that he
! must be clear of the corner by at least
i three feet. No vehicle must be stop
! ped in New York except at the curb,
/ unless emergency or avoidance of col
lision with a pedestrian or a. vehicle
! Justify it. Nor must any one start from
/ a curb without a hand signal announ-
cling intention, or the giving of an aud
j ible signal will be deemed sufficient.
Eight miles an hour is the speed al
lowed in New York. In Sacramento
| it is the same, but crossings below
! Twelfth street, and between G. and 2
streets must not be passed over faster
! than six miles an hour by cyclists.
/ Outside of those bounds ten miles is
! allowed The rider of a wheel must
! keep at least one hand on the handle
i bars under the Sacramento ordinance,
and at all times must ride in posture
so as to see clearly and at all times
with care. so as to avoid collisions with
pedestrians or vehicles. No vehicle in
! New York is permitted to turn corner
at a speed greater than three miles an
| hour: here it is six miles. In New
| York q cyclist in overtaking another
or passing him or her. or in overtaklng
| a vehicle, must sound a signal. 1t is
| a wise provision, but there is no such
requirement in the Sacramento ordin-
ance though there should be-. In New
York, and it should be the law here,
when the driver of an overtaking We
hicle requests the one in advance OF
! him to give to the right that he may
! be passed. the request must be granted.
I The ''warmest' novelty at the cycle
show in Paris was a pedal for sold
weather. The feature OF the pedal was
a little stove within You put cake
/ of charcoal inside the stove door ar
rangement of the peday, apply the
match. and there you are as warm as
la morning in haytime.
A dealer named Camille Portal show
ed a folding pedal at that same show.
/ The pedal was of the ordinary kind,
fitted to the crank by cleverly con-
structed elbow attachment, permitting
the pedal to be folded against the outer
surface OF the crank and thus to be
shielded against accidents and occupy
a small space in being transported in
/ the railway.
| An English folding peday can beturn-
ed to be parallel with or against the
eranks. so as to econonlize space for
/ housing or packing