THE WHEELMEN. - All Ready for the Great San Jose Meet on Friday and Saturday. - The San Francisco Call, 13 Apr 1895
THE WHEELMEN.
All Ready for the Great San Jose Meet on Friday and Saturday.
Club runs to-morrow – Acme Club Wheelmen, Oakland, run to Oak Grove.
Bay City Wheelmen, to Blythedale, 9 A. M., Sausalito Ferry.
California Cycling Club, club race at Oakland Park, 2 P. M.
Imperial Cycling Club, to Camp Taylor, 9 A.M., Sausalito Ferry.
Liberty Cycle Club, road race, Fruitvale to San Leandro, 10:30 A. M.
Olympic Club Wheelmen, to Petaluma, 8 A, M., Tiburon Ferry.
San Jose Road Club, to Palo Alto.
The great relay race of last Sunday has been run over again every night the past week at the different clubs, and it is generally admitted that the Bay City Wheelmen won the cup on their merits. Their team was strong from beginning to end, and they could have won by a much larger margin but for the unfortunate fall of T. A. Griffiths at the start of the fourth relay. Last year Griffiths made this relay in 26 min. 44 sec., which was then a world's record for ten miles. Sunday, owing to his injuries, he could do no better than 29 min. 48 sec., a difference of over 3 minutes.
The Garden City Cyclers of San Jose have been talking a good deal about the hard luck which followed some of their best men. They seem to have forgotten that the falls their men suffered were but part of the race and might as well be attributed to careless or reckless riding. For instance, when T. Delmas went head over heels near Millbrae it was his own fault through looking around. Carey was fortunately close by with a new wheel fitted to Delmas, which the latter got on and was off with but little delay. On this relay, when Harris took his terrible fall, mowing down the whole bunch, Delmas was up front setting pace, and consequently escaped the tumble which the others took. Was this hard luck?
The Olympics made a game race throughout, and would have been a prominent factor had not their team been crippled before the race was run by the injury of three of their best riders, necessitating two withdrawing and the substitution of untrained men. One of these latter, however, proved a wonder, J. E. Edwards, who won his relay in handsome style after taking a severe header near the start. Foster rode a great finish, as he always does, and was behind only because the men before him kept him back.
The Acme Club put up a great contest, finishing a trifle over a minute behind the leaders. There were some errors in judgment in the riding of this team. Kitchen did not make his relay as fast as he could have done, owing to a dispute with Alexander, the Garden City rider, as to pacemaking. Byrne, on the seventh, can do much better than 28:57 any day. Rose, on the eighth, would not accept the lead which Byrne gave him, but waited for the Bay City man, Terrill. The latter can ride rings around Rose, as the result of their relay showed. Castleman made a fine finish, though a collision with a dog lost him fully a minute.
It was a day of accidents and incidents, yet very satisfactory to the wheelmen of this city, in that a local club won a fair and hotly contested race, granted as being the greatest event of its kind in the world. Eastern wheelmen have no such annual race, although different localities have from time to time held 100-mile relay races, and even 1000-mile interstate relay races from Chicago to New York.
The latest in San Jose since the relay is that the San Jose Road Club wants to race the Garden City Cyclers around the bay with the same two teams that competed in last Sunday's event, the Road Club reserving the privilege of putting another man on the last ten miles in place of Ziegler. I am inclined to think if they can have Ziegler they had better keep him on that last relay; he may be needed.
In Oakland a proposition is on foot to arrange another 100-mile relay race between the Acme Club Wheelmen and the Bay City Wheelmen of this city, the teams to be the same as competed in the race last Sunday. Both clubs are willing if a suitable trophy can be provided for.
T. A Griffiths, C. S. Wells, Archie Reid, W. A. Terrill, T. S. Hall, Captain T. C. Dodge, H. F. Terrill, F. G. Lacey, A. J. Menne, E. Languetin, Emil Ubrecht.
A very good picture is presented herewith of the winning team, that of the Bay City Wheelmen, the personnel of which is as follows:
T. A. Griffiths, 21 years, 155 pounds; C. S. Wells, 26 years, 190 pounds; Archie Reid, 24 years, 180 pounds; W. A. Terrill, 20 years, 180 pounds; T. S. Hall, 19 years, 146 pounds; H. F. Terrill, 21 years, 180 pounds; F. G. Lacey, 20 years, 130 pounds; A. J. Menne, 19 years, 142 pounds; E. Languetin, 22 years, 130 pounds; E. Ulbricht, 33 years, 160 pounds, Average age, 22 1/2 years; average weight, 159 3-10 pounds.
Captain Theodore C. Dodge also appears in the picture, together with the trophy won in the race and the club's mascot, "Mike.” The captain was mainly instrumental in bringing victory to the club, together with F. H. Watters and W. D. Sheldon, for it was these three men who selected and placed the team and kept after the men and with them until the race was over.
Now that the relay has passed, interest in matters of cycling has centered in San Jose, where a great race-meet will be held next Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20. San Jose is alone in its ability to attract crowds to bicycle races on weekdays. In any other part of the State such an event would be a failure. The racers from different parts of the State are already in daily training at the track, and the work they are doing clearly demonstrates that California is to witness some wonderful riding next week.
The surprise of the week is the wonderful development of Coulter. A week ago he was slow compared with the others, but now he is riding as fast as Ziegler. Every day the two of them have desperate sprints down the stretch, Coulter invariably leading across the tape. Thursday, after a hard afternoon's work, he rode an unpaced third of a mile, flying start, in 38 1-5 seconds, which is under the world's record. He made the last quarter in 28 seconds and the last eighth in 14 seconds. Harbottle is also riding very fast, making a mile in 2:06 Thursday. Ray Macdonald has suffered a relapse and is now confined to his bed with a high fever. Eddie Bald is in fine shape and is entered in the races next week. Edwards, Wells, Delmas and Osen of the Rambler team are in fine condition, the former riding faster than he has ever ridden before. San Jose wheelmen are very sore over Osen's recent suspension, as he is thereby shut out of the races next week.
The class A men form a pretty speedy group by themselves, and are riding very fast, especially Jones, Chapman and Moody. Sampson of the Acme Club arrived at the track Wednesday. Byrne of the Imperials will commence training on Monday. The class A one-mile race is going to be a fine event, and as tandem pacing is to be put in the final of the heats the record may be lowered. In this event are Jones, Moody, Sherman, Smith, Nissen, Byrne, Chapman, Languetin, Dieckman, McFarland, H. Terrill, A. Reid, Rose and Frazier. The latter is champion of Oregon and Washington, and won over 100 firsts last season.
Tandem pacing will also be put in the one-mile invitation and the two-mile scratch, class B, the Garden City Cyclers being desirous of getting records for their new track.
The following sweeping challenge has been issued by the "kindergarten" of the Garden City Cyclers:
We here announce that the Garden City Cyclers' “kindergarten" would like to arrange a race with any kindergarten team (members under 19 years of age) on the Pacific Coast, from a quarter-mile dash up to a fifty-mile relay race. The members of the Garden City Cyclers' kindergarten are: Tony Delmas, Elmer Sherman, Dick Moody, Oscar Smith and Allan Jones. Very respectfully,
A. H. JARMAN, Manager.
To-morrow afternoon the California Cycling Club will hold the first of a series of one-mile handicap club races at Central Park. Three of these will be run every other Sunday, the intermediate Sundays being devoted to club runs.
The Bay City Wheelmen will hold a club run to-morrow to Blythedale, Marin County, under Captain Dodge, riding from Sausalito. They leave here on the 9 A. M. boat, and unattached riders are cordially invited to accompany them. The ride is easy, and a good dinner is assured the tourists at their destination.
To-day the San Francisco Young Men's Christian Association Cycling Club will hold its initial road race over the five-mile course from San Mateo to San Carlos, starting about 2:30 P. M. The complete entry list with the riders' handicaps was exclusively published in the CALL last Wednesday. To witness the race spectators should take the train which leaves Third and Townsend streets at 11:45 A. M. There are nineteen entrants, the scratch man being J. E. Edwards, who rode the first relay for the Olympic Club last Sunday, covering the ten miles in 29 min. 35 3-5 sec., faster time than was made by any other rider over this relay before.
J. A. Ostendorf has just been enrolled as a member of the Bay City Wheelmen. The regular meeting of the California Associated Cycling Clubs will be held this evening at the rooms of the Olympic Club Wheelmen. There is a great deal of business to be transacted. The Santa Rosa Wheelmen have applied for membership and will be voted upon and undoubtedly elected. The matter of confining future relay races to class A riders only, as exclusively published in the CALL on Wednesday last, will also be brought up for discussion and all delegates should not fail to be present.
The quarter-mile track at Alameda is being put in condition for training purposes, and the Oakland and Alameda racers will now have equal advantages with the wheelmen of this city and San Jose.
The Liberty Cycling Club of this city will hold its initial five-mile handicap road race to-morrow, from High street, Fruitvale, to San Leandro, starting at 10 A. M.
The entries and handicaps are as follows: F. Irelan, 1 min. 50 sec.; L. Andre, 1 min. 50 sec.; O. St. Denis, 1 min. 50 sec.; F. Koch, 1 min. 20 sec.; A. Joost, 1 min. 20 sec.; S. Honigsberger, 40 sec.; C. Steinan, 40 sec.; C. Bouton, 40 sec.; W. Irelan, 40 sec.; C. Meyer, 40 sec.; C. T. Roach, A. W. Shields and E. Bellman, scratch.
The Imperial Cycling Club has had a committee at work for the past week formulating a plan for the incorporation of the club. A report will be made at the meeting next Monday night. The club has just received 100 of the elegant gold buttons recently ordered for members, the design being a royal crown of gold, the center set with pearl enamel, on which appears in white letters, "Imperial C. C."
To-morrow the Imperial Club will have a club run to Camp Taylor, led by Captain Egan. They will start on the 9 A. M. Sausalito ferry and take the train to San Anselmo, and will wheel from there to Camp Taylor and return, a distance of twelve miles each way. Frank M. Byrne, the well-known class A racer of this club, goes to San Jose this morning to commence active training for the great races there next Friday and Saturday.
The Olympic Club Wheelmen will hold a club run to-day to Petaluma. They will take the 8 A. M. Tiburon ferry and local train to San Rafael, riding from that point. The distance each way is about twenty-two miles.
The Olympic Club Wheelmen propose to have a banquet among themselves and Messrs. Thornton, Stratton and Hunter have been appointed a committee to arrange time and place. If it is on a par with their "smoker" last January it will certainly be a very jolly gathering.
W. C. Lovie of Redwood City, a very fast rider, rode the third relay for the California Cycling Club last Sunday and met with an accident. His namesake, Lou W. Lovey of this city, a well-known wheelman, has since been receiving innumerable letters from his friends offering sympathy and asking as to his condition. Mr. Lovie of Redwood City has about recovered from the collision and consequent fall he suffered.
Racing men will do well to keep their eyes on the Santa Rosa rose carnival, to be to be held May 8, 9 and 10. Bicycle races will be run every day in conjunction with the general programme, and as the prizes will be up to the standard a good many of the local riders will doubtless compete. A good chance for a "pot-hunting" expedition for some crack class B man here presents itself.
Captain Peppin, the newly elected road officer of the San Jose Road Club, has called a run to-day for Palo Alto, stopping at Santa Clara to witness the five-mile road race for the Santa Clara championship, to start at 9 A. M. Next Tuesday evening there will be an entertainment and ball at the Road Club Hall. C. E. High won the medal offered by the club to the man attending the most runs, he having attended them all. W. Harris, who was injured badly in the relay race, is slowly improving, but will not be out for some time. A committee has been appointed to secure if possible the use of the Central Park track in this city on which to hold a race meet, there being no track available for the club's use in San Jose. The club has some good men entered in the races to be held at San Jose next week including: Ziegler, McFarland, Schwall, Larder, Navlet, and Carroll, Benson, Peppin and T. E. Belloli in the novice.
The Sonoma Bicycle Club has recently been organized with the following officers: E. R. Perkins, president; Fred Batto, vice-president; George W. Reed, captain; Benjamin Weed, secretary; H. H. Granice, treasurer.
E. P. Lewis is actively engaged in organizing a bicycle club in Ukiah, that thriving town now having a great many wheelmen.
The Acme Club Wheelmen of Oakland will hold a run to-morrow to Oak Grove, on the road to San Pablo, where a lunch will be spread and the riders will be joined by the trampers' annex of the club.
A large party of ladies rode up from San Jose last Saturday afternoon to lend the encouragement of their presence to the Garden City Cyclers in the great relay race Sunday. After the race, in which their club finished an easy third, they rode back to San Jose on the Oakland side of the bay, much discouraged, and with half an intention of joining the Associated Clubs themselves and entering a team in next year's event. The riders were all members of the Ladies' Cycling Club of San Jose, an organization with a large membership of enthusiastic wheelwomen.
R. Harry Kavanagh, M. Mitchell Shields and a party of four other wheelmen rode to San Jose last Sunday. It was their first trip for such a distance, but they arrived in good shape, though very tired. Shields was an old-time member of the Bay City Wheelmen and one of the best ordinary riders on the coast.
