The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10
RECORDS AND REVIEW
OF YEAR IN BICYCLES
Most Sensational Ride Was in
Race Between Walthour
and Leander.
ELKES'S FATAL RIDE
Rode Mile After Mile Up to Six
tenth, When He Was Killed
IN the Last.

ATLANTA. Ga, Jan. 9.-The year Of 1903
IN cycle history will so down as one long to
be remembered, for records have been low
cred so much that the times made at diff
ferent instances seem impossible. In 1892.
when Johnny Johnson made the first mile
under two minutes. the time was doubted all
over the world. Tor Johnson was then under
the management of Tom Eek, and all cy-
cling experts thought il was another OF
Eck's sensations" but Eek offered to du-
plicate the performance with Johnson, and
at Dubuque. Ia. paced by a running horse
hitched TO a sulky, with shield. Johnson
rode the mile before big crowd of officials
and horsemen. with at least fifty watches
being held on him. doing the mile in 1:56 SIS.
The following year was one for records.
and the mile was brought down TO 1:52. and
every year afterwards four or five seconds
would be Topped off.
In the year of 1901 William Stinson rode a
mile, paced by "a motor cycle. in 1:27. He
only held this a short while. as in the fall
of this year Major Taylor. the black rider.
paced by a steam motor cycle. which was
nothing else but big steam boiler mounted
on a tandem on the Garfield Park track in
Chicago rode the mile in 1;21 Is. This mark
stood for a year. all through the year of
1902. until fall when the riders began to
ride miles in competition I'm lis and as
low as lis. 1t was then thought that the
limit OF speed had been reached but the
year 1893 came along and in April Harry
Elkes. in his first race rode miles at TIA
and this in competition. At Charles River
track May 80. 1893 Harry Fixes, as if
10 let himself out on his last fatal ride
rode mile after mile up 10 the sixteenth,
when he was killed at Ill TO ia and some
OF the parts OF miles he rode as low as 90
After this event there was a lull in fast
speed as the death OF Eli1es caused a scare
among the riders, but later on in July little
Nelson began 60 lower records. but his hold
on them was only several days, when Nat
Butler took a lift at them
The most sensational ride Of the year was
that on July 70 in the race between Wal
tbOur and Leander, when Walthour rode
fifteen miles at an average or 1.O9. riding
four OF the miles in the fifteen at los and
finishing up the last in 1:07. the fastest mile
ever ridden in the world in competition.
Both riders then were IN the very pink
OF shape and the condition OF the weather
was just right for records, for WalthOur
was calling for more speed In every mile
and had his motOrman had the nerve Wal
thour could have gone faster. After this
ride records stood for a while Then came
the hour standing start of Bennie Munroe
of - miles, Sol yards In the hour. \ few
days later Harry Caldwell rode nifty miles
and thirty yards in the hour. Dangla, the
French rider. followed this with a flying
start or nfty-tWO miles IN the hour. but
the French records are not recognized in
this country. as they are made behind wide
protection motor cycles. ranging from %
inches up TO ~. Contenet followed Dangla
with riding hfty-fOur miles I'm the hour.
which record stands for Europe. while
Caldwelfs flying start and Munroe's stand
ing start stand for this country.
This years record are still expected 10 be
lowered next spring. The Journal predicted
the 1:10 clip for the mile which was soon
verified This year 10 can be safely said that
the Tniies viii be ridden In competition as
low as 1.04. and that the hour record will go
- low as ~ miles.