A BICYCLE MEET. - A Ride Over the Point Lobos Road Yesterday. - San Francisco Chronicle - December 26, 1878
A BICYCLE MEET.
A Ride Over the Point Lobos Road Yesterday.
The San Francisco Bicycle Club, comprising a dozen members, is now permanently organized, with the following officers: President, Ralph de Clairmont; Secretary and Treasurer, C. L. Barrett; Captain, Loring Cunningham; Sub-Captain, W. B. Land. An informal meet, for the purpose of exercise and practice, was held yesterday at the toll gate on the Point Lobos road. Messrs. Cunningham, Barrett, Land, and Searle, mounted upon their bicycles, were present. The start was made at 10 o'clock A. M. from the Avenue House by the members, who, riding gayly along the hard but somewhat hilly road, practicing the running signals, and changing their positions frequently from single to double file, etc., journeyed to the Cliff House, which was reached in thirty minutes. Here a halt was made for lunch, and three of the party, remounting, set out at a quarter past 12 o'clock on the return trip, and riding rapidly, without tarrying by the wayside, arrived at the corner of Geary and Fillmore streets at 12:45, just half an hour from the time of starting, which is considered to be an excellent road-rate of speed. Much address and proficiency in the handling of their machines was displayed by the riders during the run, Captain Cunningham keeping his seat in the saddle all the way from the Cliff without once halting or manifesting any fatigue, and others of the company, when on a down grade, allowing their bicycles to run with gravity as the propelling power, or with the hands removed from the tiller. On Saturday last Messrs. Cunningham and Strong, in a trial jaunt, made the run from Oakland to the Mission San Jose, a distance of some thirty miles, in four hours, and returned home on the following day. During the latter part of next month James Searle another member of the club, will essay the long trip of 100 miles, from this city to South San Juan, in Monterey county, expecting to be only four days on the road.
