The times., 1899-08-27
INTEREST IN ROAD RIDING.
Observations and Opinions of n
Prominent Rider on the Subject.


during the past week was Ed. S. Byrnes,
captain of the local Century Cycle Club and
Centurion of the Century Road Club of
America. He has recently returned from a
round trip, awhee to Atlantic City. He is
a close observer and ii is his opinion that
there is at present considerable lack of in
terest in road riding, but he has been un-
able to fathom the reason for the sudden
drop of interest in this department of the
sport.
He said among other things in connection
with the subject:
i can recall the time when one started
on trip from here to Baltimore; you would
meet wheelmen bound for this city from all
parts of the country and especially from the
Eastern cities.
Now In q ride from here to the Monu-
mental City you rarely meet a wheelman.
Speaking Of this reminds me of a recent
trip OF mine to Philadelphia and Atlantic
City, and | took care to make a note of the
number of wheelmen / met, and five were
all that passed me during the six days that
/ was riding. 1t is the same with many
of the bicycle clubs, who seem to have
dropped the feature with the exception of
Philadelphia; they have either gone to
little town had its bike club, but in the
present day it is hard for one to find even
consul with enough spirit in him to give
you any information regarding roads, ETC.,
which is essential to an enjoyable trip. OF
course in the large cities this sort of thing
is different. and | believe to a certain ex-
tent the bicycle here in Washington is al
most as much used as formerly. There is,
however, beyond doubt, a decrease in
nd r-ig5 haPo Tuly tHa nltI he for in
stance; formerly when a run was called
thirty or forty men would respond and
the members friends would swell the
crowd considerably, but now it is hard for
the local clubs to take out ten men on an
all-day rum especially this season of the
year, the riders claiming it is too warm for
long distance riding, or in fact riding at
all. / presume the novelty has worn off
TO a certain extent which is the chief cause
of a good many not riding the wheel as of
old. l can recall the time when the hotter
the day the better the rider liked it, Give
a majority of the club men a steamboat
trip or a long ride on the cars and they are
satisfied.
You can manage he continued, by a
good deal of persuasion to get them to
ride five or ten miles as a little side line.
Two club captains l talked with while
away have called off all runs for the sum
clubs has done the same thing all for the
reason that the men do not care to ride
in hot weather. | cannot understand
when riders expect to ride if they do not
go on the road at this season of the year
for take spring and fall, you have only
two months each season, and that leaves
eight months when the wheel is put away
or used only for business purposes" He
added: Il do not wish TO 90 on record as
an advocate of men plugging a hundred
miles every time they go out for ride
j am against that sort of thing, and do not
think it does a rider any good to simply
run up mileage and see how many hills he
can climb without getting off. On run
for riding of that sort all a man sees is
the road in front of him and he has no
chance whatever TO enjoy the fine scenery
that is spread out for his enjoyment. /
think a century once or twice within a
year, providing proper time is allowed 10
make IT, Will hurt no one and will put a
rider in shape to make smaller distances.
| am a strong advocate of road riding and
think ii would help all wheelmen if every
one that owns a wheel would show him
sell on the road, whether a member of a
club or not and not let the bicycle re-
main in the cellar or UP in the attic these
fine days and take q train or steamboat
to some resort
The opinions expressed by Captain
Byrnes were concurred in by number OF
prominent riders.
Century Cycle Club.
Today the run of the Century Cycle Club
will be out to Ashton, Nd, leaving the
clubhouse at $50 o'clock, going out by way
of Burnt Mills Road and returning over
the olney and Brookville Pike. Lunch will
be taken at AbelI's Road House and the
city will be reached early in the afternoon
Captain Byrnes has adopted the system of
regulating the runs by alternating each
week; one Sunday an all day ride and the
next short quick trip which will no doubt
work TO the satisfaction of all the mem
bers.
Last Sunday twelve members braved the
hot weather and made the run to Surratts-
vile and Marshall Hall. The weather was
so hot that the entire bunch made several
stops as il was almost Impossible to push
through the sand in that section of Mary
land.
The members who made the run were
Captain Byrnes, Pop Doyle, Doc Weeks,
the two midgets. Close brothers, Charlie
I Burton, Jack Sheehy the infant Lieuten-
ant Hollander. Frank T. Howe. jr., and
little road plugger Willie Wright mounted
on tandem with the captain.
There is great activity about the club
rooms. The pool table has made its ap-
| pearance. Meetings are well attended and
| the entertainment committee has prepared
an interesting card for the opening enter
tainment which comes off next month
The regular bi-monthly meeting was held
! last Monday evening with thirty-fiYe mem
| bers present. Mr.. b. F. Stone, the newly
/ elected president was in the chair and
made an address, assuring the members OF
his interest in the organization and saying
! that he would be with them in all the ups
and downs of the club. Capt Ed S. Byrnes
was by unanimous vote of the club chosen
| chairman for the public century run which
| comes of October and he will within the
next few days announce the names of the
members who are to serve on the commit
| tee with him. II is more than likely that
Captain Byrnes will recommend that the
| century be given to Frederick Md. within
the sensible time limit of fourteen hours
So far as the Century Cycle Club is con-
cerned no more nerve killing centuries viii
be run under its auspices.
The track team of the club is composed
| of W. A. Bolden, William Lewis, the Ia
koma champion and featherweight, anC
| William Werner. While there is no pros
riders continue at hard practice and on
| may find them ready and willing al al
| times to uphold the honor of the club, a
| weT as their own glory. Notwithstanding
! that these men do most OF their ridinl
on the track the fair percentage they ais
make with the club on runs is far abov
a number of clubmen, who have never bee
in the racing game.
Dick Brown, the former vice president O
the Century Cycle Club of Poughkeepsie
n. Y, is spending his vacation in the littl
town on the Hudson. From recent CORE
spondence Dick tells us that cycling In tha
locality Is booming, and race meets, cen
tury runs ETC., are the prevailing pastime:
Frank T. Howe, jr., did some fine wor
with his camera last Sunday, and too