The Wheel. - San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Aug 1886

Do click the link for J. A. Hasley, of the Kansas City Wheelmen. They spelled it "Halsley," and I almost gave up looking for the name until I found the article linked below. It's worth a read. - MF

Bay City Wheelman 17 Aug 1886 17 Aug 1886, Tue San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com

The Wheel. 

The Bay City Wheelmen had a club run to Haywards Sanday, leaving the city on the 9:15 o'clock boat, creek route. After a short run through Oakland they started for Haywards, reaching there about 12 o'clock. A fine dimer awaited the boys at the Hayward Hotel, which it is unnecessary to say they did justice to. This was the most numerously attended run of the season, having nearly forty men in line. They made a fine appearance as they rode through Oakland, attracting considerable attention. The residents of that silent town Haywards were also somewhat surprised at the large gathering of wheelmen. Leaving Haywards about 2:30 o'clock the 5 o'clock boat was easily made. The following wheelmen were guests of the club: W. C. Heavener and H. J. Toll of the Capital City Wheelmen, Sacramento; J. A. Hasley of the Kansas City Wheelmen; Harry Houseworth and B. C. Auster Jr. of the San Francisco Bicycle Club; D. W. Donnelly of the San Mateo Wheelmen; unattached - Fred Teller, Walter Teller, E. Ehrenfort, C. A. Biederman, Mr. Sheldon and T. Richardson. Of the club members the following were present: P. Haslett. Dan O'Callaghan, R. Tittle, C. C. Moore, E. Fahrback, F. D. Elwell, S. F. Booth Jr., L. Cole, R. A. Smyth, R. M. Welch, Harry C. Cummins, F. E. James, T. Thornberg, William Meeker, W. Whitson, R. Russ, C. E. Adcock, C. J. Shuster, R. W. Turner, F. E. Browning, S. Parsons, James Cox and G. W. Gilmore. Fred Russ Cook and Ed Mohrig of the Bay City Wheelmen have gone to Los Angeles for a week or so.

Recently Meeker, Fahrbach, Cole, Haslett, Mohrig, Elwell and Cummins of the Bay City Wheelmen rode to Haywards. It is needless to say that various stops were made in the vicinity of the fruit orchards. Elwell tried to show Mohrig a new road to Haywards. The result was that they walked several miles over a newly plowed field. Hereafter Mohrig will ride the county road and leave new roads alone.

The Bay City Wheelmen propose to give a hop in the near future.

E. B. Fox has joined the Bay City Wheelmen.

Many of the new riders are anxious to show their speed on the track. It is hoped that some of it will be seen in September. The following description of trick riding on a bicycle by W. S. Maltby in Sydney, N. S. W., will be of interest to aspiring wheelmen here. The account is from the Sydney Herald:

Shortly after 4 o'clock Professor Maltby entered the hall with a 48-inch Rudd machine, and after a few preliminary graceful curves he began to exhibit bis capabilities. Standing with one foot on the back step he drove the bicycle up and down the hall with the other foot, and then by placing his hands on the treadles, be next stretched himself at full length on the seat while the bicycle was in motion, and then supporting himself only by his hands drove the bicycle along his body being down at the side of the large wheel, close to one of the treadles. He also brought the machine to a standstill while seated upon it, dropped handkerchief on the floor and picked it up without moving the machine and without touching the ground. After several other difficult feats he stood erect with one foot on the seat and another on one of the handles of the bicycle as it ran down the hall. Another curious performance was to ride around the hall keeping the little wheel six inches from the ground, by bending forward. He then spun round on one wheel like a teetotum. He then took the small wheel off, and allowed the handles to lie on the ground to steady the large wheel. Jumping cleverly on to the standing wheel he picked up the handles and rode about with the greatest ease, standing erect in the trendles for the purpose. A most difficult feat followed. He detached the handles, leaving simply the large wheel and the treadles, and once more he rode about the hall standing up on the treadles. Finally, a wooden wheel without treadles and just resting room at each side of the axle for the feet was brought in, and Professor Maltby rode this about the hall, propelling it with feet and hands. This concluded the cleverest exhibition of trick bicycle riding that has ever been witnessed in the colonies. The performance took place in the presence of a large number of bicyclists, by whom the various feats were heartily applauded.