Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-09-04
American MOtOrcyclist MGddest of
All the KnOwn Mad Speed Fiends

riders hook handlebars and Indulge
IN homicidnl comedy Now and then
they digress from the ethics Of COM
petition long enough To- put thumb
In the other fellows eye, Thumbing
IL rarely favored by the thumbed but
h gets results. 4 really gentle riders
methods viii fan Just short nf may
hem. once Charrie couldn't pass "a
competitor. ana so he reached over
and slapped the other on the bnck.
A bursting tire viii sometimes curl
up and slap rider Just that way,
ana q bursting tire means smashing
down "a 63-dcErcc incline head first
with q rodhot motor chasing YOU at
NINETY miles an hour So the other
man Strengthened up In fright and
Chapple shot by and won.
Sometimes the boys bump each
other into the casualty ward Not
long agO a crOwding pair jumped the
track into the grandstand. ana the
least lucky hooked his stomach over
the rail lie slid along on that use'
ful organ until he had reft every
splinter from twenty yards OF pine
scantling The other kicked his motor
from benesth him and fell twenty
feet TO the ground They practice
that drop kick on redhot mOtora, II
seems. The rapidly revolving mech
anism will ut meat from a bone like
"A meat chopper. Not even the heavy
leather leggings they all wear are
sufficient protection. To save their
heads and necks they wear football
helmets ~ heavy leather. re-inforcol
By steel arches. HUT the real motor
bug is more concerned about his fifths
OF second than about his Osseous
formation. One enthusiast rode
against time not long ago He not
only discarded the helmet. hut ngur-
ing that his ears might catch a lot
Of loose breeze and thus retard him,
he put on rubber bath cap % pin
them tight to his head They train
Tor weight as Jockey does Cor q
pound off may mean prize on.
Partly Ilakcd. Partly Frozen.
A; the end OF a race their bare
forenrms have been almost frozen By
the rush of air. while la a crampod
position. their scorched legs have
gone 90 sleep" To keep their
twitching feet upon the pedals they
manage to squirm down over the
handle bars until they hook their ell
bows over their knees, and thus hold
their legs on. The muscles OF their
backs ~ ache that at the finish they
are hall mad with thu humping pain
! which has reached their heads. Riding
parallel To the earth's surface the
people IN the grandstand far above
seem to be looking up at them. and
the earth seems cantcd at the a3-
degree argyle of the track
They Whirl inmncly on and on, les-
| ing ira OK Of laps and rivals. Their
goggles are blurred by the oil from
other motors. so that they seem
charging madly through q dense fog.
| Few can ride without glasses because
OF tbs pain from the cyelnshes whip
ping against the ball Thcy dare not
turn In their saddles to watch thos"
who follow and they cnnnot hear So
| they cannot place the man behind un-
/ IN he hns reached their hinder pedal
! Ignition ana gaa ana fabrication trout
blcs Keep them busy Between times
they think OF the chances Of a burst 70
/ iug tire and broken head. But
none ever quits.
Next year" each rider snys II
will ride in thirty-siN fiat That
means the even hundred miles All
hour.