THE CYCLING WORLD. - San Francisco Bicycle Club annexed by Olympic Cycling Annex - San Francisco Chronicle, 29 Jul 1893

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=== THE CYCLING WORLD. ===
==== Sanger and Zimmerman to Meet. ====
===== Latest Gossip in Local Circles. =====
====== California Wheelmen in the East - The Coming Race Meetings. ======
A regular migration has taken place during the past few weeks among the bicyclists of this city, all heading for the Mecca of wheelmen, Chicago, for the championship races to be held there by the League of American Wheelmen, from the 5th to the 12th of August. Among the local wheelmen who will be in attendance are William M. Meeker, Edwin Mohrig, Horace B. Sperry, Thomas H. Doane and N. W. Carpenter, all of the Bay City Wheelmen. The CHRONICLE will be favored with notes from some of these gentlemen on the races to be held there.
The most important event in Chicago will be the meeting between Zimmerman and Sanger, representing the American contingent, and Osmonde and several other English and foreign champions. Probably the most interesting will be the race between Zimmerman and Sanger which will undoubtedly take place. Zimmerman has for the past three years been the undoubted champion of the world, and if he resorts to his old practice of making a hard race from the start to finish, he will without doubt take the majority of the prizes. Sanger is a most phenomenally fast man on a spurt, and if Zimmerman does not tire him out before the end of the race it will be a question whether the Milwaukee man will not come out the winner. Sanger is a very large man and reminds the California wheelmen a good deal of Elwell, the ex-king of the racing path here.
Walter F. Foster of the Bay City Wheelmen is at present in Southern California. He is not racing, but is there in the interests of his business.
The Riverside Wheelmen are to hold a road race and race meet on September 9th. They have already issued their advertisements, in which they offer $1500 worth of prizes. Evidently the races will be well worth contesting.
The circuit around San Francisco will be an interesting one this fall. The Bay City Wheelmen are to hold three nights of racing by electric light the latter part of August, which in itself is enough to keep interest in cycling in California on the jump. The intention is to place about twenty or thirty arc lights, besides innumerable incandescent lights, around the track at Central Park, placing the poles both on the inside and outside of the track so that no shadows shall be cast. The nights here in the latter part of August are most invariably warm and pleasant, and as the grounds are well sheltered by the grand stands the riders will experience no difficulty or discomfort from any inclemency of the weather. It is a novelty which has never been tried on this coast before and should prove of great interest to the public at large and a good financial investment to the club promoting it.
The races at Central Park will be followed by the meet of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club; to be held on their grounds in Alameda on Saturday after noon, August 26th. This is the first single Saturday afternoon meet tried on the coast.
San Jose has been granted sanction for its races to be held on Admission day, September 9th. This will complete a circuit which has never been equaled in California,
H. W. Spalding and H. F. Terrill of the Bay City Wheelmen have just returned from a week's trip through the Santa Cruz mountains. The roads they report a trifle dusty, but nevertheless a most enjoyable trip was had. 
The Bay City Wheelmen will hold a run to Petaluma, on Sunday, July 30th. This is a very popular ride with the wheelmen and will undoubtedly be largely attended.
The following letter received by George P. Wetmore, president of the Bay City Wheelmen, from P. H. Bernays explains itself:
Knowing such matters to be of interest to you and to those most intimately connected with you in the management of the Bay City Club, permit me to quote as follows from letter just received from L. W. Fox, the young man who made such a good showing at your race meet July 1st to 4th. Mr. Fox is now in Chicago. I quote is follows:
"I went out to the new track where the international races are to be held. The track (one-third of a mile) I must say was some what of a disappointment to me. The turns are fairly wide, about thirty feet, but the straights are quite narrow, about like the homestretch of the Riverside track. The surface, while it was doubtless damaged by the recent rains, was not up to date. The soil is not very fast, I believe, naturally not so fast as the Riverside or even the Los Angeles tracks. Workmen are engaged in putting it into shape all the time, and they expect to have it in A1 condition by August 7th.
I only looked at one turn, and it was banked only about one foot in five, which for a concrete or cement track is perhaps enough, but I believe for a dirt track, or one that wears the least bit, it is not enough to be safe.
I believe the Bay City Wheelmen have a track to be proud of. I think that they have, unconsciously perhaps, struck the right idea with their hard surface laid upon the lively board bottom. This gives life, but still is level end smoothly surfaced.
The addition of the San Francisco Bicycle Club has given the Olympic Cycling Annex a decided impetus. The directors are fitting up a room in the basement with all the necessary conveniences for the care and repair of wheels and have also assigned the annex a "home" adjoining the lounging room where wheelmen may discuss sprocket and tire undisturbed. All the cycling publications will be kept on file here.
A neat and dressy uniform has been adopted to which all will be expected to conform, and this is the only requirement to membership in the annex. There are several embryo "flyers" in the club and another season will see the red and white of Olympia somewhere near the van of the cycling column.
Captain Russ is alive to his opportunities, and makes an efficient officer, while Lieutenants F. Hunter and Haley are his right and left bowers. Last Tuesday evening that veteran wheelman, R. M. Welch, was elected presiding officer, and Lewis C. Hunter was elected secretary.
A run to Mill Valley has been called for to-morrow, leaving the clubhouse at 8:30 A. M.
The programme for the first Saturday afternoon race meeting of the Alameda Bicycle Club will consist of a one-mile novice, one half-mile scratch and one-mile handicap. The prizes are as follows: Two medals for novice. For one-half mile, first prize, Winchester rifle, second prize, gentleman's traveling bag; third prize, sweater. One-mile handicap, first prize, order for business suit; second prize, silk umbrella; third prize, sweater.
The meeting, coming, as it does, shortly before the big meet at San Jose on the 9th of September, will give racing men an opportunity to test their condition and also the ability of the persons whom they will meet later on in the championships.
The Alameda track is a favorite one with racing men, and from the attention being given to it should be faster than ever before. The early birds are already in training, and each evening from 6 to 8 o'clock a number of riders may be seen taking their exercise spins.
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Category:The Cycling World