Conference noted::bicycle

    ouch...

    	I heard yesterday on the radio that the first organized
    	century ever was on 6 Sept., 1882. The organizing club
    	was out of Boston or Worcester. The time was something
    	like 16 hours and 52 minutes. Musta been on one of those
    	bikes with the big front wheel and little rear wheel.

   Those bikes are called "ordinaries"... there are still a few
   people restoring and riding them.  It must have taken a bit
   of skill to learn to ride one of those - they look akin to riding
   a unicycle.

   - Jim

    Well, it mighta bin one one a' those wi' a small front wheel and a
    big back wheel.  They were made by the Eagle Bicycle Company in
    Connecticut.
    
    Actually it could have been any of those antiques.  But a real expert
    on the subject works over in ZK3 and I bet the DEC bike club could
    get him to give a really interesting presentation and bring in some of
    his collection, too.  I know he gives test rides, too.  He has done
    several centuries on his fixed gear bicycles, one of which is an Eagle
    racing bike which weighs around 21 lbs.
    
    (As far as I know he does not read this notes file.)
    
    ed

There is a Guy in the Charles River Wheelmen who restores antique 
bikes.  Bob Sawyer has also done a number of CRW centuries on a 
High Wheeler, it's a sight to behold (Bob's about 67).

The CRW Fall Century (25, 50, 62, 75, 100) is this coming Sunday, 
September 16.  It will start at Wellesley, MA High School.  The 100 
is at 7:30 with shorter rides starting later.

It's much cheaper than that TFCE.

	~Mike

    If you look in Greg LeMond's book (the one written by him and a
    writer after his first TdF win), there is a long description of
    early bike races.  The book mentions that 6 day marathon races
    were a common and very popular sport in the Northeast early this
    century.  The admission price was *higher* the last 3 days of
    such an event because there was a greater chance of seeing a rider
    crash due to fatigue...

    I think those 6 day races were quite different from the modern 6 days
    but never having seen either an old fashioned one or a current one, I
    don't know.
    
    ed

excellent book which details the early daze of bike racing is called
"Hearts of Lions". Forget the author, but I wrote a review in 
CYCLE_RACING. Had a lot of really interesting stuff about early racing, 
racers, etc. Actually, it's not all that early, as it continues up until 
perhaps 5 years ago. It's a real interesting read....
                                                 ken

Modern day 6's are to the originals what the current TdF is to the originals,
and the main difference is that in the old days 6 days meant 6 days.  One member
of the (usually) 2-man team was expected to be on the track all the time.  This
lead to the popular press carrying pictures of riders with upturned bars and
padded saddles riding round no-hands reading newspapers.

I'm sure you guys know that the 'madison' style of racing originated in the 6
day racing in Madison Square Gardens.  It's probably true that there were more
crashes in the latter stages of the events but as is the case today there were
also more valuable primes given then.

The argument for the present format says that you will get more exciting racing
when the riders are not completely shattered all the time.  It also gives TV a
greater chance of scheduling its showing, because they know when something is
going to happen.  In the old days there were some evil guys who decided to
start a jam at 4 in the morning just to gain a few laps while the other
competitors were doodling round and their partner was asleep.

For the real afficionado however, the old formula gave the chance to get into
the velodrome in the early hours (probably for free) and get a good close up
at their heroes, chat with them, get their autographs etc....  As for crashes,
I went to Ghent for my first 6-day, got to the top of the seating and looked
over just in time to see Tom Simpson do a complete somersault still attached to
his bike!!  Post-Simpson vs Sercu-Merckx was a pretty good 6 day with Severyns-
Van Looy and Lykke-Van Steenbergen supporting (I think).

    I've never seen a 6-day (old style or new).  I have been told that the
    arenas are smoke-filled.  Do you agree?
    
    ed

    
    Note, by the way, that 6-day races (Sechstagerennen) - new style,
    I presume - are still held in winter at the Olympiastadion in Munich.
    
    -john

There always used to be a programme of the coming winter season of 6-day
races in Cycling, I assume it still happens.  Belgium and Germany are probably
the real hot-beds, but Holland, Spain, France and Italy have them.  For a short
period there was even one at Wembley (UK) but that was probably when Tony
Gowland was the main UK trackie - I seem to remember a youthful Tony Doyle
appearing as well.  The problem is that the roadies are the stars the public
want to see so they usually get paired with an experienced trackie who (for a
small consideration) will shield them from the worst and make them look like
aces.

As for the smoke, I remember Ghent has having a track of 10 laps to the mile,
and the visibility about 50 metres.  It is said that many of the previous stars
smoked regularly to accustom themselves to the atmosphere.  A good '6' is the
best bike entertainment you will ever see, I don't really consider biking to be
an armchair sport, more a participant's sport - it's too boring otherwise.  A
foot-stamping, beer-swilling, whistling Belgian crowd has to be experienced !!
I recommend a visit.........

Well according to the sports results section in today's Grauniad, today is
the fourth day of the Dortmund six-day - I didn't recognise any of the names.
Someone in the cycling club is organising a trip to the Ghent six in November.
Maybe I should go?


Rod

I've been to Ghent, Antwerp, Amsterdam and London.  Ghent was by far the best..