The times., 1898-09-11
CYCLING COMMENT.

The cool weather of the week forcfbly
reminds the riders of the silent steed
that the close of the bicycle season is
rapidly coming: that 1t will be only a
question of a few more months when
the chilling blasts of la te Fall will rem
der bicycle riding almost too disagreeable
for a majority of riders Before that
time comes, however, there will be sew
eral weeks of excellent riding weather, the
best of any season of the year. Ever
since the Introduction of the bicycle into
general use the Fall of the year has been
regarded as the most enjoyable season
for riding. The temperature is just about
right for good riding, sufficient to keep
one from getting overheated, and just
cool enough to encourage an amount of
exertion that makes the exercise pleasant
and healthful and causes the blood to tin
gle through the veins Then, again, it is
invariably the case that in the Fall of
the year the roads are in the best condi-
ton. In the Springtime the frost of Win
ter remains in the ground for some time,
while in Summer the dust makes cycling
more or less unpleasant. But in the Fall
of the year, after the Summer rains, the
TOduS are generally at liiclr pest.
So far as racing is concerned, there Is
promise of plenty of sport before cold
weather permanently sets in. The season
will continue possibly up to as late as De-
cember The contracts of all of the local
members of the Eclipse team call for
their services until November Is. and this
| means over two months of good racing.
The regular weekly race meets will still
be held, and good features for the same
will be provided Not only will the local
men compete. but they will have a good
many of the outside cracks to ride
against In addition to these meets one
of the biggest events of the year yet re-
mains to be held, a race in which there
is perhaps as much national interest as
local, because on the result of 1t depends
more or less the title of champion of the
country.
The National Circuit will return TO this
city on Thursday, October g. and will
most likely be an afternoon race. This
has not been definitely settled. The
meet may be conducted like the circuit
meet in this city on June %, when the
trials were run off in the afternoon, and
will be settled in due time, and the gen.
eral public kept fully acquainted of the
plans This race practically marks the
close of the circuit. So far as this city is
concerned it is the close, but after leaving
ing Washington a very few other places
will be visited before the end will come
| Then the figuring up will be made, and
| the rider standing at the head of the
table of national championship races will
be declared champion of the year.
| For the past two or three years the IT,
| tie of champion has been in dispute. Ed
| die Bald and Tom Cooper were each
given the credit and called champions
| This was due to the fact that the scores
| of the circuit meets were kept in so many
different ways that more or less confusion
| arose. This year an entirely new order
of things has been introduced. Under the
rules of the racing board of the League
| of American Wheelmen, a system was
| introduced which was expected to remedy
! all difficulties. AT every national circuit
| meet one race was assigned to be known
| as a championship race. The distance
| could be anywhere from a quarter of g
| mile to five miles. All riders could enter
| these events, and only in these contest:
| was a score kept. The man leading ir