The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-11
OLD TIMERS" TALK ABOUT GOOD TIMES
 AS BICYCLE RACERS
Bike Racing Seems to Be Coming Into Its Own Again-Gossip of a
 Racing Man

According to many authorities on ths subject bicycle racing is he conI- inS pastime of the age some so so far as to state that the sport may even usurp baseball as the national sport of the American people. It will be the marvel of ages, however, when any sport is able to equal baseball as a pastime to the American pubic. Nevertheless, bike Tacing has many followers, and this rule holds good, "Once bicycle man, always one" Let the lure of the board tracks grip man and he is lost forever, at least as far as any other sport is concerned. Get any old timer of the game off into a corner and get him started on his favorite subject, and his talk of races and records and the general knowledge conveyed will fill volumes. And so it is with Otis Foster. who by the way, is not an ''old man at the same, but just modern bike rider. who has seen service and plenty of 1t.
 Its a grand old game claims Otis. 'I have followed it for may years, and it has never lost it's grip ping intensity for me Why, man, could tell you tales that would make you shiver with delight, and ,il about the game of bike racing. The fellows who get the real joy out of life are the bike racers. Take the followers of the racing circuit in the north. for instance These fellows fol- low set route just like vaudeville circuit, and race in one place ore night and in another the next Up north bike racing is the real sport As many as 10000 people witness some of the championship races held at the different veliodromes. Several years ago I followed the circuit and have had some fine times while racing at different places.
 T remember one time I was racing at regular stopping point of the cir cuit and was entered in a hard cham pionship which was being run off Tn heats. There was one heat which was mighty hard. with many of the world $ best riders entered I knew perfectly welF that if I raced in that heat I would be eliminated from the finals. Finally I thought up way of lodging the troublesome heat. Going behind the screen for the riders I carefully examined my tires and found weak place in one. I punched around that weak place with a nail until the spot was so weak that the least strain would cause it to give way. When we were lined up for the start. and the starter was about to fire his pis- tol, gave sudden push on the pedal and caused the wheel to jump forward
 
 and to all appearances I was "out of luck I made great show of disap- pointment, but of course was forced to drop out of that heat We'll, I got in the finals and came out all right but it's risky business trying anything like that. If you are caught up wi.h you are liable to fine and suspensioA. 1 got away with it that time, how ever
 q never will forget the furry and excitement in the bicycle world when Paul Nettlebeck broke the worlds champions . paced record on b:- cycle Tfat record had been broken B times. 6s. his .ime it caused more
  his secono gams for the Tanks. In cidentally t vas tns second game that he has pitched for Lham.
 Rickwood has chan red scenery again This aftes noon the Slack Barons will appear instead of the white ones. There will also DO Giants on the scene. the variety from Anoxvlle If the same crowd tuIns ods that turned out to the double ht ader with he Atlanta Cubs. the old pa rk v'lil ag in be overflowing with how ng fans.
 The Gu claim tiat the Giants didn't win two | mes out of three from them. They say laf t Is 2 great mistake
 Accord ag to ths Vol scribe a victory is so seld h that burg that when one does hap zn alppg, there is a general epidemic faaEtsns and hysteriA