This is one of the first articles from the 'golden era' (my words, bike riding and racing 1880-1910) in SF Bay Area newspapers where I've read discussion of things like drafting, drinking while racing, the concept of a 'time trial'. Our modern 40km time trial course comes from 25-mile races against the clock like this. I love the glimpse into current bike culture; scorchers in dusty cut-offs, folks turning out to watch and to promenade on bikes. You can see a racing culture developing, with this, the first assemblage on this course, for racing it in a district format, for a championship. Look at the long list of officials who made this happen, and the amount of work that went into preparing and protecting the course. Of course, no automobiles existed, so farmers carts, trains, trolleys and foot / hoof traffic were the concerns. This article also keys into what made the bicycle so fascinating; speed, and the ability of the human body to generate it, and for how long those bodies could hold it. The U.S. record for 40km time trial is 47:35.37, by John Frey at altitude, in Moriarty, N.M., 9/2/90. John was going a bit faster than 19 miles an hour, but bear in mind that these racers in 1893 were on single-speeds, on rough, dirt roads, riding on what we might now call 'gravel bikes'. I'm not sure exactly what training was like back then - I'd like to know - but I'm guessing it was not quite the same as now. And technology and science have improved athlete's abilities quite a bit; I'll leave that comment for interpretation. I'll put a few more comments in the text. I hope you enjoy this. I've been editing the text from https://cdnc.ucr.edu archives, which is generated by Optical Character Recognition (OCR) - basically robots scan the newspapers and interpret the content. I find the articles from the 'golden age' of bike riding and racing, edit the content - sometimes by doing the OCR myself if from newspapers.com - and then paste it here, add graphics, research and hyperlink it. I hope you enjoy it. I do.
RACING ON WHEELS
A Pacific Coast Record Broken.
NINETEEN MILES AN HOUR.
The First of a Series of Great Twenty-Five-Mile Races at San Leandro.
Think of a race twenty-five miles long that is a keen athletic contest, during which no racer may even slow his pace or relax the highest tension of his best energies until he has passed over the last yard of that long distance.
That was what the great twenty-five mile bicycle road race around the San Leandro triangle in Alameda County meant to the contestants yesterday forenoon. Such was about the speed at which twenty expert wheelmen shot themselves over mile after mile of wagon road yesterday forenoon.
It was the biggest event in all the history of cycling on the Pacific Coast. Wheelmen and wheelwomen talked about it with keen interest for a good time before the time for it came and they will talk about the grand affair for a good while to come.
Twenty-five-mile races have been run over the same course before, and at various times just as many cyclers have assembled at big events, but for all that this was the biggest event in the world that rolls on bottled air.
It was the first annual twenty-five-mile handicap-race of the California Associated Cycling clubs, and so it was a universal affair. The previous similar races were held by individual clubs. Then this will be an annual affair hereafter, and will remain the greatest cycling of each year to come.
It was a grand success. Only one thing could have made it more so, and that would have been the hoped-for and rather looked for breaking of the American twenty-five-mile record. That record, however, was a little out of reach and was saved from being splintered. The Pacific Coast record, however, was broken, and that gave some glory to the day. [These reports talked a lot about "Pacific Coast" or "Coast" records. I think "Pacific Coast" was a region, and the record was for our region. I'm not sure why they don't call them California records. -MF]
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| Walter F. Foster |
From Oakland and Fruitvale to San Leandro the level San Leandro road was alive with wheels all the morning, and scores of them were ridden by young ladles, whose fresh cheeks seemed to say all, "Get a safety and be glad."
That irregular six-mile procession was picturesque enough. The ladies looked pretty in their riding costumes and a majority of the men wore their club uniforms. There scores of fellows who "scorched" in dusty cutaways and real trousers and the frequent remark, "I haven't been on a wheel before in a year" showed how general was the interest in the event of the day.
At 10:30 San Leandro had wholly surrendered. The visitors far outnumbered the population of the pretty town. Wheels were stacked up everywhere. They were piled three and four deep all around the main hotel and in the barn yard; they rested against nearly every building, and about the starting place there were strings nearly a block long beside the fences. There were nearly four hundred of them altogether. Besides their riders, crowds came on the overloaded electric cars and all San Leandro was out doors. Nearly a thousand people crowded to see the start, and it took several marshals to keep open the long lane through them for the riders.
It was a perfect California winter day. The gentlest sort of a breeze made the genial sunshine more delightful. The balmy air was perfumed and the green foothills a few miles eastward were the background of the inspiring picture presented by the broad rich plain filled with orchards and pretty homes. Flowers blazed in every dooryard in town and country and the apricot orchards were glorious in their myriads of blooms of pinkish white.
Amid such surroundings is found the San Leandro triangle, which is said to be the finest twenty-five-mile cycling racecourse in America. Another advantage of it is that the whole community rather likes to have it put to this use and is indulgent to the wheelmen. Every farmer will cheerfully turn out to give a racing rider full right of way.
The following are the twenty contestants who started and the handicap in minutes allowed each one.
H. B. Ward, A. B. and A. C., 12; A. Griffiths, B. C. W., 12; W. H. McDonald, Acme, 11; C. N. Langton, B. C. W. 10; Al Berryessa, S. J. R. C., 9; H. W. Bernhard, S. F. B. C., 8; J. F. Brown Jr., B. C. W., 8; E. F. Nisson, A. B. and A. C., 7; J. Sampson, Acme, 7; T. C. Dodge, B. C. W., 6; J. A. Howard, Acme, 5; A. Cramer. C. C. C., 4; George Faulkner, Acme, 3 1/2; W. W. Needham, G. C. C., 3; C. L. Davis, G. C. C., 3; C. L. Wells. C. C. W., 1 1/2; J. E. Alexander, G. C. C., 1 1/2; Walter Foster, B. C. W., scratch; Grant Bell, Acme, scratch; W. J. Edwards, G. C. C., scratch.
The triangle is formed by three intersecting roads and one angle is in the center of the town. The course was officially measured to exactness a few days ago and was found to be a trifle less than eight and a third miles, hence a little less than three laps make the twenty-five miles. A starting point at the edge of the town was marked and the finishing point placed a block or two across lots in the other road from town. All arrangements had been perfectly made, even to stationing flagmen at electric railway crossings to hold cars if a rider was near.
The clubs represented among the officers of the day and the contestants were: San Francisco Bicycle Club, Bay City Wheelmen, California Cycling Club, Acme Club of Oakland, Alameda Bicycle and Athletic Club, Alameda County Wheelmen, Capital City Wheelman, Garden City Cyclers and the San Jose Road Club. Quite a number of wheelmen from Sacramento and San Jose were in attendance.
Before the race began the belief was generally expressed that the American record would be broken, for all the conditions of day and course were favorable to speed, and the fast men who had made records before had been training for the event. A great many looked for Edwards to accomplish this bit of work, and at any rate nearly everybody expected one of the scratch men — Foster, Bell and Edwards — to win the honors.
It was 10:49 A. M. instead of 10:30 when Ward and Griffiths shot over the string and twelve minutes later Wells, Alexander, Foster, Bell and Edwards started off together amid much cheering, Wells and Alexander waiving their handicap advantage of a minute and a half.
Then the crowd started across to the finishing place to see the riders come by on their first lap. Ward was the first of three or four to meet disaster on the course. The turn at the first angle of the triangle was quick and short, for the angle was an acute one. Ward kept up his speed in trying to turn and the bottom of his wheel flew out. A half-hour or so later he came slowly riding back with a badly peeled leg. Nisson and Howard had a similar experience five minutes later. Cramer and Wells did the same thing on the third Iap. Needham fell in the third lap, but finished.
Griffiths finished his first lap of 8 1/2 miles in 26 minutes and 30 seconds, having gained 2 minutes on McDonald, who was 9 minutes behind him. Foster and Bell made the first lap in 24:45. Faulkner's first lap was made in 24:45.
As each rider went past the finishing point he was cheered by his friends and on without a moment's slackening of speed he whirled. Some who had not rigged a bottle of water with a mouth-tube sticking out of it in front of them would catch a bottle from a friend's hand on the fly. The interest in the contest increased still more when the riders began coming in on the third lap, and it was generally realized that dark horses were coming to the front and were likely to carry off the honors.
Griffiths was the first to finish and soon after him came in Faulkner, the winner. Wells, Foster and Bell sailed over the course practically together. The scratch men had been racing each other rather than against time and none of them wanted to assume the disadvantage of setting the pace.
The record of actual time was as follows: Faulkner, 1:19:04; Foster, 1:22:29 1-5; Sampson, 1:22:34; Edwards 1:22:32; Davis, 1:22:36; Bell, 1:22:38; Needham, 1:23; Griffiths, 1:24:24 2-5; Dodge, 1:24:20; Langton, 1:26:18; Bernhard, 1:26:48; Berryessa, 1:27:42; McDonald, 1:28:09.
Eight prizes had been offered and Thomas H. B. Varney had offered a racing wheel for the breaker of the American record. [See this earlier post, showing Thomas H. B. Varney and Walter F. Foster to be the originators of what became ClearChannel advertising. -MF]
Up to yesterday the Pacific Coast record was 1:20, made last fall by Grant Bell. The American record remains 1:17:11.
The officers of the day yesterday were as follows:
Handicapper — F. D. Elwell.
Referee — Al Cole, G. C. C.
Judges — H. B. Sperry, B. C. W.; H. F. Wynne, C. C. C.; T. R. Knox, S. F. B. C.; M. N. Kimball, C. C. W.; Bert Lund. Acme.
Starter — F. D. Elwell.
Timers — George H. Strong, L. A. W.; V. A. Hancock, S. F. B. C.; L. A. Lamory, Acme; E. Mohrig, B. C W.; E. E. Stoddard, B. C. W.
Clerk of Course — R. A. Smyth, A. B. and A. C.; assistant, B. Burrell, A. B. and A. C.
Umpires — A. F. Esterbrook, A. B. and A. C.; S. G. Scovern, S. F. B. C.; E. S. Battles, S F. B. C.; J. Luby, S. F. B. C.; M. Griffiths, C. C. C.
Marshals — J. J. Haniffn, Acme; Robert Long, A. B. and A. C.; Jesse lves, A. B. and A. C.; W. P. Emerson, S. F. B. C.; M. Earl, S. F. B. C.; F. Hewlett, A. B. and A. C.
Scorers — L. W. Ripley, C. C. W.; A. L. Storey, B. C. W.; J. H. Hutaff, S. F. B. C.; C. J. Belloli, S. J. R. C.; J. G. Vidy, C. C. C.; J. Hazell, S. F. B. C.
Press committee — E. E. Curtis, A. B. and A. C.; J. S. Dunnigan, A. B. and A. C.; L. W. Lovey, S. F. B. C.
Road racing committee — J. F. Hancock, S. F. B. C.; L. A. Lamory, Acme; C. J. Belloli, S. J. R. C.; R. M. Welch, S. F. B. C.; R. A. Smyth, A. B. and A. C.
The first 25-mile race on this course was held February 22, 1888, by the Oakland Road-racing Association, and was won by F. T. Elwell in 1:33:56.
The second was in June of that year by the same association, and was won by Elwell in 1:38. The third by this organization was also won by Elwell In 1:37:2 2-5.
In May, 1889, the Alameda Bicycle Club held a race, F. Waller winning in 1:24:57.
October 20, 1892, the Bay City Wheelmen held another. W. F. Foster was the victor in 1:21:33.
The last one before the one of yesterday was in November last under the auspices of the Acme Athletic Club of Oakland. At this race Grant Bell made the Pacific Coast 25-mile record 1:20:25.
The race over yesterday, the straggling homeward procession that enlivened the highway leading to Oakland for hours began and the first of a series of notable annual events was ended.
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