The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-23
HAD 4 VERY HARD RIDE
CYCLERS FAILED YESTERDAY TO
BREAK CENTURY ROAD
RECORD
ROAD IN VERY BAD CONDITION
Considering the Difficulties Birds
Performance Was Very Credit
abIe-He VIII Make An
other Trial Soon.

| Dan Carmichaeps record Of six hours
| and ten minutes over the Mortified cen
| fury course, established three years ago,
| still stands as the official course record,
as we'll as the state record for 100 miles.
Yesterdays attempt to establish a new
mark by three of the strongest riders In
| the state did not come dangerously near
| CarmichaePs time, although conditions
transpired to make almost impossible rec
| ord-breaking time
Tom Bird finished the course in six
| hours and thirty-one minutes and twenty
nine seconds, followed by A. A. Moe, who
| finished twenty-one minutes later, and A.
w .Callander arrived late In the afternoon.
The gold medal hung up by the Century
Road club is yet to be claimed, but one
Rambler bicycle will reward Tom Bird for
his effort; Moe gets pair Of racing tires,
and Caliander will have new Solar lamp
on his bracket. Callander says, however,
that a $1,060 bank note could not induce
| him to try the trip again until the roads
| have improved, and both Bird and Moe
complained bitterly Of the condition of
| the roads. Tom Bird was vtsibly disap-
| pointed over his failure. and will make
| another trial as soon as the dry rutS
are ironed down by country traffic.
| Birds ride is a notable one, and gives
| him the distinction of being one of the
| hardest riders in the state. Callander,
| who is regarded as a top-notcher as
| long-distance rider, was out OF the race
| before thirty miles were passed, although
| it is not to be wondered at when 1t Is
| known that he rode racing tires. Birds
/ experience stood him we'll IN hand, for
| he rode the largest pair Of pneumatic
tires he could find.
beam wind retarded the riders on the
| trip down, and Bird Moe and Callander
| each sustained several bad falls. Ruts
inches deep filled the road. and for long
stretches 1t was necessary to ride on the
COW path along the turf.
| A comparison of Carnichael's record
| breaking feat in 1897 and Birds ride Of
| Yesterday Is interesting. Carmichael was
paced by the best riders in the Twin
| Cities. The day was perfect and the
roads were in flrst-class shape. Relays
| took turns in giving the speedy st. Paul
boy pace, yet with conditions favorable
as they were he only did twenty minutes
better than Birds yesterdays record.
| When the triumVirate left the corner of
| Seventh and St. Peter street yesterday
morning, the understanding was that each
man would pace mile and fall back for
the next man, until Rosemount was
reached on the return trip, when it would
DC every Ildu TOT nlIfSStl Il VI last l1Illd
this was bad plan, as each man In set
ting the pace would feel restrained lest
he should give a little advantage to his
rivals, and, as result, such q pace
would be unsatisfactory and not condu-
Give to record breaking. AS 1t was Bird
scarcely had fifty miles paced during the
entire ride. and that Of an unsatisfactory
nature,
Promptly at 8 o'clock the men wore
started by officials of the Century Road
club who acted as timers. They were
A L. Mace former president Of the ma
tional organization; A H Moore, James
McIlrath and Jules Denegre. It required
exactly twenty-nine minutes to reach the
ten-mile point in Minneapolis, and the
same length Of time to make the return
trip covering the distance In a little bet
ter than twenty miles an hour, or
three minute CLIP.
A few seconds past 7 o'clock the trio
We're climbing the long high bridge to the
bluffs on the other side, and In less than
two minutes later disappeared around
the bend IN the trees and were not seen
again until they reached the tape drawn
across the asphalt In front Of the new
federal building on Fifth street. From St
Paul to Rosemount the riders found the
roads in excellent condition, the trip be-
ing accomplished in one hour and fifty
five minutes. Thirty-four miles from st.
Paul Callander lost the pace going up q
long hill and never caught up, although
he gamely rode the entire 100 miles, fin
ishing about o'clock In the afternoon.
Bird and Mos. left alone. broke the wind
for each other alternately, and reached
Mortified about $3.50. They took ten
minutes rest, secured a light lunch and
started back. Bird held q terrible pace
and lost Moe about one mile out, and
came back before the wind over the ruts
oil he of Rln fn
minute gait. The jolting was terrible,
even his extra large tires not protecting
him from considerable punishment, but
he rode on. At exactly 12:30 one of the
judges called out, Here he comes" and
q small object was seen moving swiftly
down Fifth street. 1t grew larger as 1t
approached, and Tom Bird was quickly
recognized.
did he do it?" came from a half
dozen. No, the hands Of the clock moved
too fast, but all conceded that Bird
made notable ride. At the intersection
of Seventh street he narrowly missed I'M
pleasant acquaintance with a street car,
but at 12;31:29 he crossed the tape. He
was quickly surrounded by a number of
professional bicycle riders and Century
club members, and, without hat and with
but little more breath, he explained that
his fork broke and he was obliged to
borrow w. F. Henze's wheel. This occa-
stoned some delay. Bird made the asser-
ton that under more favorable conditions
he could ride the course in five hours and
forty-flve minutes.
In the crowd that witnessed the finish
were A. A. Hanson Charles Tyren, James
McIlrath and others prominent In cy-
cling affairs Bird rode 81 gear; Cal
lander SO, and Moe So The trial excited
considerable interest among racing men.
Bird will go after the record again
alone, probably with a satisfactory pace,
within ten days. Callander will go after
the worlds 100 mile record over the
'Tonka- Smelling course, and, Aug. 9, A. A.
Hanson, the "Rainmaker," will endeavor
to put the worlds 1000 mile record, over
the same course, a few notches lower.
Last year he broke the record, covering
the distance in ninety-two hours, but
later the same season New York man
took 1t away from him. and he will at
tempt next month to cover the distance
In seventy-fve hours
MINNEAPOLIS TASTES VICTORY.