Cycling notes: speeding machines and rim damage – archive, 1899

Perhaps the most audacious piece of evidence ever adduced by a police constable in proof of the speed of cyclists charged with furious driving was that sworn to by an officer last week at Kingston upon Thames. He testified that he caught hold of the backs of two machines simultaneously, and brought them to a standstill, while they were going 14mph. Such evidence, if it proves anything, proves that the riders’ speed was nothing like 14mph. It would be impossible to stop one such cyclist in this way, to say nothing of two.

The Dean of Hereford has expressed himself in favour of Sunday closing for exactly the opposite reason to advanced by the Ruthin Rural Council in its memorial to the licensing authorities. They argued that closing of inns would diminish the volume of Sunday cycling traffic. The Dean of Hereford desires public houses to be closed because he would like to see the publicans enjoying the fresh air and the country on their bicycles on the Sabbath-day instead of being compelled to remain in the atmosphere of the public house. The reason is not very convincing, as it presupposes that all innkeepers are necessarily busy all day on Sunday, instead of at certain hours only, and also implies that the only alternatives are bar-tending and cycling.

There still seems to be an impression in many quarters that a rim brake is prejudicial to the rim. Even if this were so, it is better to have the rim damaged than the tyre. But an ordinary first-class rim will not be injured by the brake-blocks acting upon it. These will gradually wear away and require renewal, but the rim will not suffer in the least. The wear of the rims is so infinitesimally small that after several thousands of miles it is not apparent to the eye.

Much comment is always raised when a cyclist collides with a pedestrian and rides off to escape the trouble of any inquiry. Inhumanity of the same sort has occurred when cyclists have been the victims, not the aggressors. It is the more welcome, therefore, to record an example of a cyclist taking all the trouble he could after being concerned in an accident. The rider in this instance was in Southampton, and was the victim of an incident that no one is ever quite safe from. A little child suddenly stepped from the pavement into the road without a glance to see if anything was near. She was knocked down, and the cyclist at once carried her off to the infirmary, where her leg was discovered to be broken, and then himself reported the accident to the police.

In the first number of the new series of The Hub, which has been enlarged and has a new and artistic cover; there is a closely reasoned argument reiterating the important fact that ability to climb hills depends far more on the gear of a machine than on its weight. This is perfectly true. The difference between a 251b machine and a 35lb machine is after all but a small fraction of the total weight of the machine and rider combined, which total weight is a measure of the work to be done against gravity in hill-climbing, and the high-geared featherweight will be a far inferior hill climber to the full-roadster cycle geared several inches lower.

The National Cyclists’ Union conference of club secretaries on the question of cycling-polo has been held, and it now remains for the General Committee to sanction the provisions. Among them it is agreed to adopt the Irish Association’s rules of play, as originally conceived by Mr RJ Mecredy, whose enthusiasm in the game has had a great deal to do with its modern development. The Irish code includes a very stringent “offside” rule, rendering collisions almost impossible, and the alternative game as played at Sheen House is considered much more dangerous, though perhaps more exciting for the onlookers. Cycle-polo is a game that requires a good deal of skill, as well as a proper field for matches. This latter need may count against its development in districts where recreation grounds with special accommodation are not available.