Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-13
Riders In Six-Day Bicycle
Race Spurn Pork and
Beans AT frequent Meals;
Some Display Marked
Flashes OF Temperament In
Selecting Food.

Chicago, March l1.-Men who eat
as often as ten times daily and snatch
their sleep in minute rather than
hourly doses, make up the coterie Of
athletes who ride in the six-day BIZ
cycle races in America, according to
The trainers who handle these ath-
iatss.s
Aside from the riding itself, eating
is one Of the best things athletes do.
iIor is their appetite during the six
day grind Of the pork and beans
variety. 1t is nothing if not epicurean,
the riders displaying in some cases
marked flashes OF temperament in Sc
]ecting articles or food.
Steaks are most popular among
riders Eggs in q. variety OF forms,
chicken prepared in every conceivable
manner and fruits are also eaten
abuntantty. Coffee is q in great
Quantities.
Some riders are satisfied with our
or five meals daily, while others eat
double that number. Trainers explain
these lusty appetites are due to the
constant tearing down of issues Of
the riders body, owing to the contin-
ued pedalling about the track. The
body requires plenty Of ammunition"
to enable the rider to drive his wheel
along the wooden track for the 146
hours of the G
AS far rs sleep is concerned, there
are no Rip Van Wrinkles riding in the
six day races. The riders sleep comes
in periods that average three to four
hours, are more often less than an
hour and very rarely are stretched
out to eight hours. For a rider to get
an eight-hour sleep, however, a
that his partner must remain on the
track. riding against the field, that
long, and this is a feat not often at
tempted, requiring as it does pro-
nounced endurance on the part of the
rider.
There is no certainty about, the
length of the sleeping period. A>rider
may doze off when a Jam" is started
on the rack and he is aroused by his
trainer and obliged to mount his wheel
and resume pedalling to relieve his
partner who,- by reason of the JAM"
which is nothing more than a sudden
sprint, cannot continue the fast pace.
Three Essentials.
Men who, have followed the six-day
bike racing sport closely declare that
the highest type Of athlete is requfr-
ed for the event. For a rider in perfect
physical trim. they declare. the long
grind has nc deterrent effect, n he
finishes in as fresh condition as when
he started. although naturally with
many hours of sleep to make up.
Strangely, the rider upon the compile
ton of a six-day race, does not fee!
sleepy and it generally is several hours
later before sleep comes. Drowsiness
is noticeable, riders declare, for sew
eral days after the race.
Cleanliness is characteristic Of the
six-day rider. The few hours that he
is able to take off the track are di-
vided between sleep, baths, rub downs
n shaving. Necessity for cleanliness
is explained by the fact that the pores
Of the skin must be kept free from
obstruction in order that the rider
may keep as nearly perfect physically
as possible.
Three things are essential for the
bike rider in a long race, one trainer
declared: physical fitness, cleanliness
and courage. 1t takes grit M nerve
to pedal around a ten-hp track for Il
week, and no matter how perfect the
body, a rider would be unable to con-
tinue without plenty Of fighting
heart"