Walter F. Foster

https://fastestslowguy.blogspot.com/search?q=foster

Clubs

W. (Walter) F. Foster and Thomas H. B. Varney were part of the local cycling scene. They went hunting together. Thomas H. B. Varney had a bicycle shop (a "biclorama") and an outdoor advertising business. Walter Foster meets George Kleiser, go into outdoor advertising and 129 years later we have ClearChannel.

The two-mile safety race for the Pacific Coast championship, held by G. H. Osen, of the Garden City Cyclers, was won by W. F. Foster of the Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club, Osen coming in a good second. B. C. Lund of the Acmes had very little trouble in winning the one-mile ordinary handicap in 2:51 3-5, the second man being H. C. Smith of the Garden Citys.
Then came what was really the event of the day, the one-mile safety handicap, In this all the best riders were entered, and the record was badly knocked out in the second round by Walter Foster on his racquet-frame Victor. Grant Bell, who rode the fine Swift which he won in the May races, took the first heat in 2:45 2-5, G. A. Falkner being second. Foster almost had a walkover in the next heat, his lime being 2:36 2-5, with Van Wyck a poor second. This cut the coast record down nearly six seconds, and a still greater reduction would doubtless have been made had the Alameda youth been pushed.
...
The final heat of this race was extremely exciting. Bell, Foster, Osen and Edwards started from scratch, their first object being to overtake Van Wyck, who had a 75-yard handicap. This they soon succeeded in doing, and then the battle of the giants began in earnest. Each led by turns until the last lap, when Osen got to the front and on the lower turn led Foster. who seemed to be in a pocket, by 20 feet. Then the Alameda champion let out a link and showed how he could ride when he felt that way. It was only a short distance to the lane, but the way he overhauled Osen was a caution. He gained with every push of the pedal and In a moment was lapping the San Jose giant's hind wheel. Ten yardmore and Osen would not have been in it, but there was not that distance to go, and the pride of the Garden Citys crossed the line two feet ahead of the Alameda boy. Edwards was third and Bell fourth. Van Wyck dropped out of sight somewhere near the clubhouse. The time was 2:37 3-5.
... Nevertheless, Walter Foster is happy, for he still holds the time championship for the Pacific Coast.