Wheel. - W. M. Meeker and S. H. Knapp Jr ride to a little place called Cupertino - San Francisco Chronicle, 01 Apr 1889

Wheel. 01 Apr 1889, Mon San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com

Wheel. 

[Official organ, L. A. W.] 

Edwin Mohrig, San Francisco, chief consul; J. Phil Percival, Los Angeles, vice-consul; Alexander S. Ireland, San Francisco, secretary-treasurer: Representatives—George H. Frost, Pasadena; Charles C. Moore, Stockton; Dr. Thomas L. Hill, Dr. L. N. Sandford, San Francisco. Dr. J. M. Curragh, San Francisco, representative San Francisco Bicycle Club; Representatives Bay City Wheelmen – J. J. Bliss and Charles C. Moore, San Francisco. J. W. A. Off, Los Angeles representative Los Angeles Wheelmen.

Sunday morning, March 23d, dawned bright and clear, but the heavy rains which had fallen during the week frightened most of the wheelmen from the road and drove them to the park. A few, however, more daring than the rest, took the chances of finding plenty of mud and ventured out into the country, and well were they rewarded.

It is safe to say that the roads between here and San Jose, on either side of the bay, were never in better condition.

W. M. Meeker and S. H. Knapp Jr. of the Bay City Wheelmen enjoyed a ride in the foothills back of Mountain View over a road part of which was entirely new to wheelmen. After wheeling from San Mateo to the first-named place they took the road leading toward the hills and followed it for about six miles, to a little place called Cupertino, from where they rode to Saratoga and Congress Springs, and then to Los Gatos, finishing at San Jose, where they took the train for home. They rode forty-eight miles, and pronounce the trip one of the prettiest within a day's reach.

There has been some adverse comment about wheelmen taking the train home after a day's ride in the country. The writer of a recent article in a morning paper rather egotistically told of a trip of two riders who, in coming home from Searsville, got caught in the dark. and rather than take a train home walked and pushed their wheels a great part of the distance from San Bruno to San Francisco. He then claimed the glory (?) for these two riders of being the only ones who bad ever made the entire trip awheel.

Another party of wheelmen had previously made the trip to Searsville, but had started from San Mateo, and returning there just before dark. After having enjoyed a most pleasant, comfortable ride and visited all the places of interest on the route, they took the train home. Now, it is generally understood that wheelmen ride for pleasure; that they take these trips into the country to visit places of interest; to see what is to be seen, and at the same time to get a proper amount of healthful exercise. The question arises, on which of the two trips thrown into contrast by the aforementioned writer were these objects the more nearly attained? The roads in the immediate vicinity of town have been so often traversed by wheelmen that they become positively monotonous, so that it is often preferable to take a train to a certain point and from there begin to ride. A much larger field is thereby thrown open to the bicyclist, and he may visit many places of interest which he could not reach on the wheel alone without making his ride a hardship.

Lieutenant Cox of the Bay City Wheelmen rode to Wrights on Saturday afternoon, the 22d ult., and returned Sunday.

["Wrights, California (also known as Wrights Station) is a ghost town in unincorporated west Santa Clara County, California." - Wrights, California - MF]

F. W. Pierson and R. M. Thompson wheeled around the bay, going down from Oakland. They took the road leading from Milpitas, through Alviso to Mountain View, and returned via Redwood, San Mateo and Ocean View, making a trip of about eighty-seven miles.

There will be a regular meeting of the Bay City Wheelmen this evening, when members may obtain invitations for the hop to be given on April 26th.

The North Pacific Coast Railroad Company's line was well patronized by the wheeling fraternity yesterday, as from thirty to forty merry 'cyclers took to their silent steel steeds and spurted to Camp Taylor. The Columbia-square Division of the Bay City Wheelmen, instead of swelling the ranks of the Grey Coats, Bay City Wheelmen, who had their club run to Belmont, represented the club at Lagunites with a detachment of eight.

The merry division wheeled to their destination, arriving there short of 11 o'clock, with a mishap to one of the wheels, which unfortunately made the wrecked wheelman take the train.

After a general swim in the beautiful Lagunitas creek the return trip was called. Some incidents, such as headers, were the features until Tamalpais was reached.

The roads are quite favorable, but nothing very attractive. The cyclers on this trip were: E. C. Richter, Burt Morkenson, W. B. Wegener, H. Litzerson, M. Garratt, H. Hasslinger, A. H. Russ, Robert R. Russ, Bay City Wheelmen.     

San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties.
From The Cyclers' Guide and Road Book of California Containing Map of California in relief with principal Roads, Seven Sectional Maps showing all available Roads for Cyclers from Chico to San Diego, and a Map of Golden Gate Park. 1896.