The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
EVENTS IN CYCLED ON.
THE OLD BRIGADE or CrCLTNG 0N 4
TOUR OGER LONG ISLAND ROfDS.

TOUR OGER LONH ISLAND ROfD%
PIMA Weston aud Happy Days Pitmnn
Among I'll. Founders of the Boston H. G.
Il. A. W. still Working for Good Roads
Changes In Unndlebars Bowel Gears.
Probably the most sentimental run that was
ever held near tho city was started res-
torday afternoon from the memorial arch NJ
Prospect Park. Tho trip over Long Island
roads will be continued until Tonight. There
were Just nine participants in tho ride. which
was the "l4Sth called run OF the boston
Bicycle Club. the oldest cycling organization
in the country. Tho men who started iurth
together yesterday belonged To the old
guard" OF cycling Of which "A select few per
petuate the pioneer club The club lives now,
II might be said. wholly in sentiment and this is
OF the tcndercst and sincerest kind. Precedent
rules above everything, aud whenever 1t can
be found that certain act was performed or
policy pursued by the club twenty years ago.
that is decided at once to be the thing to be
done in the present. The headquarters OF tho
club Is in Boston. and 1t has called runs
from time to time. Tho organization was
formed on Feb II. 1878. and practically marks
the beginning OF cycling in America. Last
February the twenty first annual dinner Of tho
club was held and the occasion was Aptly
termed a celebration Of the coming OF age"
OF American cycling.
Prominent among the veterans who started
from the arch yesterday was Frank W. Weston.
the Secretary and Treasurer OF the club, who
has served In that capacity since the club was
founded He Is known to old time wheelmen
everywhere as Papa Weston. a title given
to him In respectful recognition Of his paterna
relation. not only to tho club but also to tho
sport II 10 Weston who maintains the tradi-
tions and customs Of the club, and so manages
f.,.t l,af
lead the members back in thought to incl
dents OF the long ago. Another member
OF the club who had a fatherly hand
on the cradle OF the infant sport
Alfred u. Chandler. He imported the first
bicycle ever brought to this country for other
than exhibition purposes and was the first
rider in America to make a bicycle tour. This
he did in the fall OF 1877. travelling from Fitch
burg to Boston. n distance Of forty Vss. in
four hours. Chandler made the ride as an
answer to those who ridiculed the practical
possibilities Of the wheel. Chandler wanted to
show that it was possible for Is man to travel
from one city to another. change his dress and
attend to business the same day. This per-
Torrance was regarded as a remarkable feat
at the time and it created a sensation. Chan
dler is a lawyer who in 1875. was advised
by his physician to take trip abroad and
got all the sea air possible to prevent his de.
cline. Chandler visited the Centennial TX
position at Philadelphia. saw bicycle that
was on exhibition there and concluded to get
one and try it for his health instead of sea air.
The substitution was entirely successful.
Chandler has continued to ride ever since. and
now has two sons who are enthusiastic cyclists.
Chandler was one OF the founders OF the Boston
Bicycle Club Another of the party who was
one OF those who helped to make the early
w al
the Atlantic was Will r. Pitman. widely
known in the cycling world under the sobri-
ouet OF Happy Days" 1t is Pitman 8 boast
that Of the seventeen founders of that first
club he taught tive We to ride and so was
largely instrumental in forming that little
band Of enthusia sts in Boston who launched
the sport and brought it into public notice.
the first bicycle race won in the country. which
was on July 4. 1873. at Brock ton. Mass. The
contest was vas on tr9tting track at country
Judge, The race was at a mile. best three
minutes Al seconds. 3 minutes so seconds
n the run weP E.
Eyerltt,, II; 4. ,woHodward, T: Lawson, l. z.
saphea t f"d K ed F Ss watS
made some new traditions to be followed at "a
nearby hotel: and after the club cry, and the
arch 1880 o'clock. the programme being to
go to Centre Moriches TO night and to morrow
tide in from there. taking in the Patchogue-
Port Jefferson cycle path.
At the monthly meeting Of the local consul
late OF the l.. A. W. the following resolution
was adopted:
Ths.a representation q the consulate, consisting
and aishTsys Gommtiee and appropriation Of the
ihs President and the CHAIRMAN Of the Streets and
Highways committees, select some unaihlatcd
committee on securing asphalt and am streets
and TO watch the passing Of ordinances for new
WHERE they, will be Of most advantage to wheelmen
and the publis at large.
The following list OF streets was handed in
by the Highways Committee as being those
now most in need OF Improvement:
Fast 13Gth street. from Fifth avenue to the en-
from greenwich avenue to TwsntS.seGond street;
the circle at 10th street. from Fifth
Twenty third street, the ferry; Manhattan ave,
nue.; from 10th street north, westchester avenue;
street north; Hudson street, from Canal to West
1s5iS wD srr" from no
20 Central bridge; Kingsbridge road; Aelross sta.
The Cuhans are adopting American methods
IN advertislnG bicycles and are striving hard
by the following from an advertisement in a
Havana newspaper:
This without doubt one of the factories Of first
and We affirm that other has this credit with more
merits. by the goodness ntalliecncy and care EN-
ployed III the preparation and perfecuonmcnt of his
wheels.
The Lamr law which aroused 80 much orpo-
siti"n IN Connecticut has Just gone into effect,
and lively interest is being taken in the ques-
tiOn OF whether or not il will he enforced many
having EXPRESSED n determination to defy it,
The law calls upon all rubber tired vehicles"
to carry lights at night, In some Of the Con
necticut towns where the police force consists
OF chief and one, patrolman 1t is difflculI to
understand how the law can be enforced. The
statute is the best one that the wheelmen could
obtain. but 1t is considered 70 be somewhat UNI
fair. because on the rural dirt roads buggy
with ordinary light steel tires is as noseless as
one with rubber tires.
Handlehars on the first American bicycles
manufactured in 1879. measured II inches
over all. and narrow widths continued in use
until 1882. when 22-inch bars were introduced
These swere tat first regarded as freaks. but
riders grew To- like them. and sizes gradually
Increased until the extreme was reached in
1872 wnen % and 30 inch bars were the fash
ion; In 1893 shorter bars were in evidence.
and in the two years succeeding pars had lost
eight inches: In 1897 the popular width was
once more the original II inches This year
the tendency seems to be again toward an in
creased width. lD-inch bars being much in use