It was a tradition to try to be the first bicyclist to ride a century in the new year. I don't know why it was significant, but it obviously made the paper. Perhaps it was that new year; new chances, new luck, new records kind of feeling. It held some prestige. California in January can be wet and muddy. Roads in 1895 were primarily dirt, primarily used by horse and foot traffic, and as we can see below, riding in those conditions can be hard and messy. This article also describes the launch of the San Francisco Bicycle Track Association, which was to manage the bicycle track at Central Park, a shared resource among member clubs. - MF
CYCLING UP TO DATE
Two Local Riders Make the First Century of the Year.
John S. Eagan [Egan] and George J. Panario of the Imperial Cycling Club are the first wheelmen in Northern California, if not for the whole West, to ride 100 miles in one day.
The two young road riders left the corner of Octavia and Page streets at 7 o'clock last Sunday morning and rode through the Mission to the San Bruno road, which they found so muddy that they had to walk nearly all the way to Sierra Point, carrying their wheels on their shoulders.
From Sierra Point the road was pretty rideable, and the flume across the marsh was a great help, though broken glass at two points made dismounts necessary. Beyond to Uncle Tom's Cabin the road was passable, but from there on to San Mateo much walking was necessary. Then the road was fine to Redwood City.
Beyond Redwood City two miles of fresh gravel made bicycle-riding impossible. Good riding again developed to Mountain View. From there to Santa Clara there was only about a mile of walking. Messrs. Egan and Panario got lost at Santa Clara and went part way to Los Gatos before being directed back to the Alameda and into San Jose, which was reached at 2 o'clock. Dinner and an hour's rest was indulged in at San Jose. At about 4 o'clock the return trip was begun. A stop for supper was made at Niles and Oakland was reached at about 9 o'clock, thus doing the century inside of the fourteen-hour limit of the Century Cycling Club of America.
The California Cycling Club elected two members at their meeting Monday night, thus leaving but twelve vacancies to complete the limit of their membership. Several applications were also received. Messrs. Christ, Earl and Scovern of the Olympic Club Wheelmen were present and made short speeches. The Californias had a long discussion on club colors and adopted for racing colors orange and olive green.
The committees from the Bay City Wheelmen, California Cycling Club, Imperial Cycling Club and the Olympic Club Wheelmen talked track again last night at the clubhouse of the B. C. W.
Central Park bicycle track, which was built by the Bay City Wheelmen, was turned over to the confederation of clubs, which organized under the name of the San Francisco Bicycle Track Association. The others of the association are: President, F. H. Kerrigan, B. C. W.; Vice-President. E. C. Douglass, I. C. C.; Secretary, S. G. Scovern, O. C. W.; Treasurer, J. W. Mullen. O. C. W. Captain Simms of the Y. M. C. A. Cycling Club was present and spoke for his club, The S. F. B. T. A. meets again February 13th. The bicycle track will be ready to train on by Friday.
The five-mile handicap road race of the Imperial Cycling Club will start from High street, Fruitvale, Sunday at 1 o'clock and finish at San Leandro There will be about thirty starters.
GATES.
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