The Bicycle. - The San Francisco Examiner, 08 Nov 1886
The Bicycle.
The riders entered for the road race to take place on the 25th instant are taking advantage of the moonlight nights for training in the Park.
Those people who hire machines to ride in the Park, "promateurs" as they have been called, are allowed many privileges that responsible riders are not. This surely is not right as they usually are not good riders.
Welch and Mohrig went to Stockton yesterday to pay a fraternal visit to the L. A. W. members living there.
The Bay City Wheelmen's team for the road race will consist of Elwell Adcock and Browning The Sacramento team will consist of Brenner, Tolle and Cook. It is expected that San Jose, San Mateo and other clubs will be represented. The Oakland Ramblers (reorganized) will have charge of the race and will offer three prizes.
San Jose claims the tallest rider in the State: he rides a 58-inch machine with high saddle and long cranks, and even then finds it somewhat small for him.
The Bay City Wheelmen were well represented at Haywards yesterday.
The Chief Consul, California Division, L. A. W. is preparing a census of all the wheelmen in the State, and asks the aid of L. A. W. members. Only men over eighteen years of age who own and ride their wheels are wanted.
Rowe made one mile at Springfield on the 92d of October in 2:29 4-5, with Hendie, Woodside and Crocker as pacemakers; with the same pacemakers on the following day he rode 22 miles 150 yards in one hour, being an average of 2:44 for each mile.
W. H. Sheen of Boston has ridden 6,500 miles since April 1st.
F. F. Ives of Meriden, Conn., has challenged S. G. Whittaker for a race over the road on which the latter made 300 miles in 24 hours, the race to be of 50 miles or a 24 hours run.
Eastern papers speak of professional racing in this city; there has not been such a race since Rollinson was here last year.
The bicycle record of Stillman C. Whitaker of Indianapolis has been beaten by Alfred W. McCurdy of Lynn, who finished his twenty-four hours ride at Waltham on the 7th instant, making a clear total of 305 miles in two minutes and fifteen seconds less than twenty-four hours. The total time of actual wheeling was twenty-two hours and thirty seconds, and the average rate of speed almost fourteen miles an hour. Besides breaking the 20, 25, 40 and 100 mile record, he beat the 150-mile record by four minutes and twenty seconds and Hollingsworth's 200-mile record by thirty-eight minutes and thirty seconds, thus smashing records all along the line. It is also said that the course traveled is about half a mile over fifty miles, and if measured and proved to be so, more miles must be added to his score. McCurdy used a 48-inch light roadster. Alfred McCurdy is 21 years old and is five feet ten and a half inches tall. He weighs about 160 pounds, and is a Lynn shoemaker. Hendie and Rowe are now professionals - if they were not before.
