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. CYCLING NOTES.

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CYCLING NOTES. F By" P V M p HARDER," ] On Wednesday week the members of the Aberyst- wyth Cycling Club enjoyed a run to Llanrhystyd. the roads were in fairly good order, but dusty. The Cardiganshire roads are net the best of their kind, and soon bear evidence of heavy traffic; especially is this the case on the road to the Devil's Bridge, which has been made good use of by the brakes and coaches daring the last few weeks. The rage for machines amongst the ladies at Aberystwyth and neighbourhood still continues. Those who are unfortunate enough not to possess a machine of their own will have to grin and bear their misfortune withcrowdsofotherfairdevotees. Indeed it is a matter of impossibility for the makers to meet the demand, and even those who hire: machines from tradesmen have to book their orders a week in advance. The ladies do not care to; venture long rides, and rarely go far beyond tho precincts of the town. The heavy downpours of rain prevented many wheelers turning out in and about Montgomery- shire. There were occasionally brilliant intervals but not sufficient long to ensure a pleasant ride even of short duration. At any rate the roads have been brushed of their dust and are now in a clean condition. The country too has improved in ap- pearance and the lovely woods that abound between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth are looking at their beat. This is a. pretty run for wheelmen acd although the ladies are not at the outset particu- larly anxious to extend their rides to long distances they can in safety venture along this run, and they might rest assured that the views en route will amply repay thUl any little extra exertion they should be called upon to make. The strict observance of laws, written and un- written, cannot be too much insisted upon, especially at the present time, when a vast number of new riders are abroad who know little of road usages, to say nothing of road etiquette. I am sorry to say that from what I have noticed the ladies are the worst offenders, and do things with as little thought as if they were scorching school- boys or the reckless juvenile brigade. To deal only with the practice of overtaking, one can see this wrongly or badly done an astonishing number of times in the course of a. ten-mile spin. I feel sure that many lady riders who are at fault would long ere this have learnt the errors of their ways if drivers had not been restrained by respect for their ears. Once or twice I have heard a remonstrance more forcible than polite iiurled at a. fair offender, and have thought what a pity It was that she should lay herself open to these insults. The rula in over- taking is to go round on the right-hand side, parties falling into single file, unless there is ample room b preserve the previous formation. Ilaringpassed a horse, the ground in front of him should not be taken until the wheelmin has a lead of ten yards, provided a clear road allows of this, and if he is a poor judge of comparatlve pace, ne should aim at 20 yards to make sure. I know that the temptation to overtake on the left-hand side is very frequent, sud there are occasions when it is the proper thing to do. But 1 would here lay down a law of laws a3 regards all road riding, and it is this-no ono who is not a skilled master of all road work and habitually obedient to road law is competeut to decide under what cir- cumstances a law is better broken than observed. The old hand who has this competence will very rarely break a rule, and when he does he will earn the admiration, and not the resentment, of tne drivers of other vehicles concerned. That is the best test of his judgment. There are plenty of times when the novice think rules a nuisance, if he troubles to think at all. Traps, for example, have a preference for the crown of the road, because it it not comfortable to [it in them when they are aslope. Nothing seems easier than to keep down on the left-hand side and run by. But unless the road is very wide indeed it should be crossed and the rule obeyed. Passing on both sides is never ritzlit except in the case of a tramcar or a stationary vehicle of which the horse is being held at the head. It is needless to say that the rule in overtaking vehicles applies fully to the overtaking of other cyclists. It is unmannerly as well as dangerous to overtake on the wrong side without first obtaining permission, or, having overtaken, to drop into the rider's course before obtain iug a few yards' lead of him. Oddities in cycling and cycling apparatus are endless. Thousands of busy brains are bent upon the discoyery of some new thing in or connected with wheels or wheeling. Dozens of transient fads' and fashions have their little day and cease to be, and then comes something which bids fair to become just a3 transient, but which, like the pneumatic tyre, makes a fortune, tind creates an industry. The newest novelty and oddest oddity is the bicycle canopy." In its simplest form this is no more than a kind of comprehensive sunshade attached to the machine as a protection from the glare; but in its complete shape it is almost like a miniature hansom cab, with roof and side blinds, and a gauze veil in Ladies using these canopies would be more completely incognito than the wearers of Oriental yashmaks, but whether they can be safely used remains to be seen. After all, ladies who are afraid of their complexions are very likely to take to cycling at all. Judges and magistrates are, like lesser mortals, sometimes subject to eccentricity. They occca- sionally assume ignorance, as did the late Lord Coleridge, who, although an inveterate first- nighter" at the theatres, once inquired, if we remember lightly, who Miss Nelly Farren was; like Sir Henry Hawkins, too, who, although popularly supposed to be the legal adviser of the Jockey Club, is said to have blandly inquired what "hedging" meant. There are instances, however, when their ignorance is real and earnest, as was the case of one of the stipendiaries in London lately. He had a bicycle case before him, and he expressed his regret that somebody had not invented a machine warrranted not to go more than eight miles an hour, as if such a machine could be secured. He thought everyone should be compelled to stick to that particular pattern. As a contemporary observes, perhaps if he were to try to wheel himself he would realise that, though eight miles an iiout is as fast as anybody ought to go in a crowded city, it would be absurd to restrict people to that pace in the country. We have always con- demned the scorcher," but v.e do not like to see the imagination of the bench running away with any of the occupants thereon. If they served no other purpose the matches between the Simpson Lever Chain and the Irish Field" teams on Saturday weie the means of bringing together such a host of famous racing men as have never before, perhaps, met at a race meeting. This was quite a sufficient attraction to draw the public in their thousands. Few, doubt- less, cared a straw about the question which was supposed to be settled there and then as to the comparative merits of certain chains. Only the most credulous could have believed for one moment that any satisfactory settlement of the claims of the different chains could be arrived at, and they were sorely disappointed as the results must prove. As is so often the case with paced racing, those riders who were fortunate in this direction romped away from their badly-paced oppouents. However, no one could have been altogether dissatisfied with the meeting. The public got a good afternoon's sport for their money, the lacing men were well paid for their exertions, and the organisers of the meeting have obtained a splendid advertisement for their respective concerns, the Simpson Lever chain and the "Irish Fi. del." The presidency of the National Cyclists' Union has at length "een filled. On being approached a second time the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour has con- sented to occupy that position and every cyclist from John O'Groat's to Land's End ought to be thankful at having such a man at the head of affairs. Mr. Balfour is a keen sportsman and an active cyclist, and will, therefore, take afar greater interest in his new office than a mere figure head. He has arrived at an opportune moment, and we seel sure that he is the right man in the right place. T: o inevitable "waiting races" are again the subject of complaint, and it is quite time that race promoters devised some method by which they might be abolished. Nothing is more aggravating to the public to see half a dozen men cycling around a track at the rate of 15 miles an hour. The difficulty might be overcome by presenting a lap prize, however small, for every single event on the programme. Men who would have no opportunity in securing a position in the final would most likely enter with the object of winning the lap prize, and so lead the pace at a reasonable rate. The pace of a long and important race is invariably better than many short ones because of the lap prize given, and it would be interesting to see if the suggestion made could bo worked with anything like success. The Cycling World illustrated has a very good portrait of Mr. Balfour as president of the National Cyclists' Union, some charming illustrations of a cycling trip through Brittany, and some views ou the way from Salisbury to Ringwood. At Wycombe on Saturday, Earl and Countess Carrington were each ordered to pay 5s. 6d. costs for riding bicycles without lights. Lord Carrington will be remembered as president of the Welsh Land Commission. Communications for this column should be addressed to "Pump Harder," Comity Times Office Welshpool, not latter than Thursday in each week, to ensure publication in the current issue. Secretaries of clubs will oblige by sending their fixture lists as soon as possible. Light up to-night at 9-10 o'clock; next Satur- day, 9-15 —

PARLIAMENTARY.

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CHESS.