The record-union., 1899-05-08
OF INTEREST TO CYCLISTS.
OPPORTUNITY OF THE LOCAL
WHEEL CLUB.
In Vienna-Rate Of Speed Ascer-
tainable-Whee1m and GOOD
Roads-A Bit of Rhyme.

Roads-A Bit of Rhyme.
The Capital City Wheelmen has be-
core "a st1org and influential local or
gariZatiCn. 1t has the respect ana COIL
hdence of the public. AS the plcycie
hsccmes rrore and more a machine OIL
utility. the wheel clubs 10 live must
BECOME more and more social and gen
eral ORGANIZATIONS They must add new
and pleasing features to club life, and
they must do more practical work also
in public ways. The Capital Citys have
gone into a bargain for the purchase of
a clubhouse They have secured a good
iot and a house that under repairs Is
going to serve them we'll enough TWO
or three years In that time such an
organization ought to have developed
enough Of economy push and stir 10
have paid for the property and be In
position to build f1reproof house.
There is no difficulty in this, not a bit.
Tt takes only time and energy, the use
and exertiCn of which are both benen-
cial to the membership and the commu-
nifty Now let the club give more prac-
teal earnest attention to road and
street questions, to wheelways, TO gen
eral city betterments, to clean athletics
and high character, and good manners
among the young men it so Immediately
influences. Sacramento County has
scandalous reads not ten miles OF gooo
road out of GOO. The wheel club is the
only good roads organization IN the
county. Let it take the lead, firmly, not
Extensively, on the good roads question:
and if it sticks to it the people Will
come to its aid, and inside of five years
we can have better roads than SANTA
Clara, free rural postal delivery system
and side paths all over the county. For
such effort and work people will recog-
nize and reward the club and assure II
permanency and a new home on its ac-
quired lot.
Meantime let the club draw stricter
line as to behavior in it's clubrooms. In
sist upon more of order, quiet and gem
teel bearing. There is nothing out of
the way now, but there is too little at
tention to neatness in the rooms. The
members who most use them have
them in confusion; seem to think there
is some one at their heels to replace
and clean up. In other words, the club
would be Mortified at the free and easy
manner in which the household belong
ings are treated at the c. c. W. house.
In the new home let there be more OF
order, quiet and restfulness. Make the
place more inviting, and that, too, with
out depressing animal spirits or having
a single dull moment due to any
House Rules In this way the c. c..
w. will, by labor and demeanor, rise
still higher in community confidence
The annual 104-nlile relay race for
the Weinstock Lubin & Co. trophy
cup took place yesterday between the
Capital City Wheelmen of Sacramento
and the Terminal City Wheelmen of
Stockton 1t was the most exciting
of any yet run, and was hot" from
start to finish. The G. c. w. won, and
by but 100 yards. 1t being the third
winning for that club, the trophy now
belongs to it for good Now that
the relay is over it is we'll to say that
under the cost necessary it does not
pay. The four races run have cost
the two clubs not less than $3.50 each
That money could have been better in
vested. Track relays could have been
given for it that would have afforded
fine entertainment and have paid hand
some profit. But it costs too much
money to train and put on a team, and
to outfit relay stations on a long road
race where there can be no possible in
come. So far as interest and spirit
and town rivalry are concerned, these
road races do pay. But they give the
public very little opportunity to see
fine riding. If our road conditions
We're what they should be, road races
would be easily run and at small cost.
But until we have better roads in Cen
trail California, road races for long dis
tances certainly do not pay. Yester-
days race was a splendid athletic
event. That may be said. 1t was one
of the best-ccntested road events of
record. That much is to be conceded.
The Sacramento team was splendidly
managed by Captain Clay That is
simple justice. As for the Stockton
team, it was the best the Terminals
have yet put into the field, and it
seemed to be we'll managed, though
there were some features on the last
relay into Stockton that look darkly
under present advices.
There was no quorum at at the May
session of the California Associated
Cycling Clubs meeting. The Sacra-
mento delegation has now gone down
to San Francisco twice in succession
and found no quorum. This is costly,
vexatious and discouraging. If the c.
A. c. G. does not do better than that it
will lose its interior membership.
New York Tribune: Selling bicycles
is not so easy task as doing some
other things, as those employed in the
business have found out. Even in these
days of perfection in cycle construction
and the intimate knowledge that every
one is supposed to have of the silent
pneumatic shod steed, there are in
stances of ignorance of common things
about the wheel that often battle the
salesman. A case in point occurred the
other day at the salesroom of promi-
nent maker in Warren street. A man
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