THE SPEEDY CYCLERS. - Interest in the Indoor Tournament. - The Affair Promises to Be a Big Event. - Edwards, Ziegler, Coulter and the Big Ones to Race - Club Gossip. - San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Feb 1895
This is part of a series of articles describing the construction of a track, designed by Frank D. Elwell, at the Mechanics' Pavilion near City Hall, in San Francisco, and a significant bicycle racing tournament on that track, with a big bicycle show for the public in the same pavilion. All the local clubs, and visiting professionals were in town for this indoor, winter tournament. Some of the visiting "crackerjacks" raced for local clubs. There were strict rules against professionals in that era, and I wonder what sorts of arrangements were made for these visiting "amateurs" to become club members. The text in this newspaper article is tiny and messy, I've done my best to transcribe it, and fixed a few obvious errors. I'm creating pages for the clubs, frequently-mentioned people and places, see links to find out more about these people.
THE SPEEDY CYCLERS.
Interest in the Indoor Tournament.
The Affair Promises to Be a Big Event.
Edwards, Ziegler, Coulter and the Big Ones to Race - Club Gossip.
San Francisco can rightfully claim its title of being a sport-loving city and a firm supporter of amusements. Tonight the wheelmen will held an illuminated parade on wheels, starting from Van Ness and Golden Gate avenues at 8 o'clock. The line of march is down Van Ness to Market, to Kearny, to California, thence by counter-march to Market, to Golden Gate Avenue, where the parade will disband.
The Pacific Coast bicycle indoor tournament management proposes to give five evenings of most exhilarating bicycle racing at the Mechanics' Pavilion, which will commence on Monday evening next and run until Friday evening. On the afternoon of Washington's birthday a grand special matinee will also be given. During the daytime the cycle shows which surround the track wherein the racing takes place will be open for inspection by the public, and to the man, woman or child who has seent bicycles in the street as they silently glide by but have had no closer inspection, these gayly draped booths with their many startling novelties will indeed prove interesting. All makes of wheels from the smallest and lightest to the tall giraffe wheel will be on exhibition. Wheels weighing seven and eight pounds, which are built to ride, will enlighten some of the amateurs, who have only been allowed to navigate the heavy trucks kept by the bicycle renter for the man who is making the first attempt to master the art of pedaling.
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| Mechanics' Pavilion, Larkin & Hayes Sts. |
Every champion on the coast is entered in one or more of the events, and the riding of each will unquestionably be faster than ever before witnessed at a bicycle race meet. The battle of giants royal will take place on the opening night then the mile invitation race is called. When it is stated that in this one race the spectators will see Wilbur J. Edwards, the man who has ridden his mile in 1:34 1-3, the fastest time ever made on wheel by any one in the world, and Otto Ziegler Jr., rightfully termed the "Little Demon," come together, not to mention the others, every one of whom is a star, it is apparent that the treat of a lifetime is assured. This race was arranged solely for the purpose of matching the best men, and the entries are all men of well-known racing quality. Harbottle, Coulter, Wells, Foster and Terrill are names familiar to every one, and besides these there are Haley, Delmas, Davis, Cushing, Ulbrecht, Smith, Lacey and Osen, who will each contest for the valuable trophies offered.
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| SOME OF THE CRACK BICYCLE RIDERS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. |
An exciting race from a club member's standpoint will be the race of ten miles, open only to one man from each club, for a $200 loving cup. The race will necessitate the riders circling the track ninety times before the race is finished, and as the clubs will be there in a strong body to root for their respective clubmates the excitement is sure to run high.
The clubs which will be represented in this race are the Bay City Wheelmen, Olympic Club Wheelmen, Reliance Athletic Club, Young Men's Christian Association Cycling Club, Acme Club Wheelmen, Garden City Cyclers, San Jose Road Club, California Cycling Club and Imperial Cycling Club.
Besides the cup there is a special prize to the winner of the race for his own personal use, as the cup is to be the property of be club that this racer represents.
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H. Smith, G. C. C. C. L. Davis G. C. C. T. Delmas G. C. C. PROMINENT ASPIRANTS FOR FRESH BICYCLE LAURELS. |
All the men who will compete in these races are amateurs, as the management has decided to bar the professionals. These men represent class A and B riders, meaning that a class A rider can ride for a prize not to exceed $50 in value, and a class B man can win a prize not to exceed $150 in value. The handicaps will be announced on the evening preceding the race in which the different men are entered.
The different style of wheels to be seen at the cycle show will consist of single wheels, tandems, triplets and quadruplets. The first two named machines the general public has seen frequently upon the streets, but the triplets and quadruplets have been viewed but by a few. Wheels built especially for children, indestructible yet light, and ladies' machines with the drop frame for riding in skirts of the crossbar for riding in bloomers will be exhibited. The dealers recognize the fact that the women are gradually outnumbering the male contingent in this health-giving sport, and have prepared a great variety of designs likely to create a favorable impression.
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| ROBERT A. SMYTH, OFFICIAL HANDICAPPER. |
The maximum limit of men to ride on the track is tabulated as follows:
Scratch races - Three men to ride in a quarter-mile race; four men to ride in a half-mile race; five men to ride in a one-mile race; eight men to ride in a ten-mile race.
Handicap races - Five men to ride in a half-mile race; seven men to ride in one-mile race; ten men to ride in a two-mile race.
Owing to the size of the track, it is not practicable to allow a handicap of more than 175 yards in any race, by reason of the fact that a greater handicap would permit the man handicapped to lap the scratch man. The finishing point of all races will be on the Hayes street side of the Pavilion. The prizes offered foot up fully $3000, which means that the races will be correspondingly fast.
Each of the cycling clubs have been assigned a special evening for visiting the tournament in a body, and sections will be reserved for them on these distinct evenings. The nights as arranged are as follows: Monday, Bay City Wheelmen; Tuesday, Imperial Cycling Club; Wednesday, Olympic Club Wheelmen: Thursday, Oakland county, including Acme Cub Wheelman, Reliance Athletic Club Wheelmen, Oakland Cycling Club; Friday evening, San Jose and Santa Clara counties, including Garden City Cyclers and San Jose Road Club.
[Most of the clubs listed below, in initialized form are represented above, but some aren't. Here's the list, as far as I can tell:
A. C. W. = Acme Club Wheelmen
B. C. W. = Bay City Wheelmen
C. C. C. = California Cycling Club
C. R. C. = Crescent Road Club
G. C. C. = Garden City Cyclers
I. C. C. = Imperial Cycling Club
L. A. A. C. / L. A. C. C. = Los Angeles Athletic Club
L. A. W. = Los Angeles Wheelmen
O. C. W. = Olympic Club Wheelmen
P. A. W. = Palo Alto Wheelmen
P. V. W. = Pajaro Valley Wheelmen
R. A. C. = Reliance Athletic Club
S. F. Y. M. C. A. = San Francisco Young Men's Christian Association
S. J. R. C. = San Jose Road Club
O. Y. M. C. A. C. C. / Y. M. C. A. C. C. = (Oakland) Young Men's Christian Association Cycling Club
- MF]
Herewith are the entries for the various heats in the different events for each day:
February 18th - One mile novice race. first heat - F. Fuller, O. C. W., J. Mahoney, Y. M. C. A. C. C.; E. Malgrin, P. V. W.; P. Metcalf, I. C. C.; E. Langer, unattached.
Second heat - G. Fuller, O. C. W.; E. Mauls, P. V. W.; J. Lichtenstein, C. R. C.; E. C. Barley, I. C. C.
Third heat - F. M. Byrne, I. C. C.; A. J. Buzard, C. R. C.; A Guenther, unattached; W. T. Blakeley, R. A. C.
Fourth heat - F. L. Day, B. C. W.; C. W. Conger, I. C. C.; C. Mayer; C. C. C.; E. W. Decker, A. C. W.
Fifth heat - V. A. Benson. S. J. R. C.: J. Jaegeling, I. C. C.: H. H. Goddard, B. C. W.; M. Joost, unattached.
One mile, class B, invitation: First heat - W. Edwards, G. C. C.; C. C. Harbottle, R. A. C.; W. H. Haley, O. C. W.; T. Delmas, G. C. C.
Fourth [First, I think - MF] heat - O. Ziegler, S. J. R. C.; F. Lacey, L. A. W.; O. Osen, G. C. C.
Second heat - C. R. Coulter, O. C. W.; C. L. Davis, G. C. C; C. S. Wells, B. C. W.; R. Cushing, G. C. C.
Third heat - W. F. Foster, O. C. W.; E. Ulbrecht, B. C. W.; H. Smith, G. C. C.; W. A. Terrill, B. C. W.
Ten-mile club race - G. A. Nissen, B. C. W.; A. N. Jones, G. C. C.; E. Malgrin, P. V. W.; J. H. Dieckman, R. A. C.; F. M. Byrne, I. C. C.; E. Chapman, O. C. W.; F. McFarland, S. J. R. C.; M. F. Rose, A. C. W.; A. Theison, C. C. C.; C. H. Williams, S. F. Y. M. C. A.
FEBRUARY 19TH - One-quarter mile, class B, scratch, first heat - O. Ziegler, Jr.; S. J. R. C.; H. Smith, G. G. C.; W. Haley, A. C. W.; C. L. Davis, G. C. C.
Second heat - W. J. Edwards, G. C. C.; E. Ulbrecht, B. C. W.; F. Lacey, L. A. W.; C. C. Harbottle, R. A. C.
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