STL All Sports

In September, 1883, G. M. Hendrie of Springfield, Mass., later famous as an automobile and motorcycle builder, engaged in a road race with W. G. Rowe. It was advertised as "for the championship." Since that was perhaps the first contest of record in the United States, Hendrie, by winning, became the top-notch rider.

The next event of importance developed in 1884, when Thomas Stevens, using, of course, the high-wheeler, decided to "ride around the world." He returned after two years, announcing he had ridden "everywhere there was land."

In 1885, J. K. Starley of England created a bike with the front wheel not much larger than the rear. This provided easy riding, and made exceptional speed possible. It set the fashion for today's bicycle. Starley's original machines had hard rubber tires. In 1888, J. B. Dunlop, then a veterinary surgeon in Belfast, invented the pneumatic tires and the bicycle became tremendously popular thereafter. Through the 90's it furnished the chief outdoor diversion of Canadians, British and Americans.

The bicycle, equipped with the pneumatic tires, brought the sport of racing into increasing favor. There were road contests at different points, all over the United States. Since each race had a standard finish line, gentlemen with promotional instincts placed chairs at the finish lines and rented them. Later they erected small stands and sold seats. Still later, when customers demanded a prolonged view of races rather than just a sight of the finish, the promoters rented arenas, built saucer-like tracks, moved the sport indoors, and thus began the fabulous era of bike racing, the amateurs getting trophies, the pros taking cash and the promoters getting richer and richer.

The amateurs, however, rode indoors only in the winter. They preferred road racing to circling a saucer. The early-day amateur bike riders, training for some race, usually used the sidewalk, rather then the rutty roads. Such riders became known as "scorchers." When they ran down pedestrians, injuring many, killing some, town and city authorities passed laws, many still on the books, making it a crime for anyone to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk or along any pathway used by pedestrians.

The popularity of indoor professional sprints caused promoters to devise ways and means of separating the bike loving public from more of its cash. The result was the six-day race-a continuous performance-the first of which was the International, run in the old Madison Square Garden (New York) in 1891, the riders using the high-wheelers. From that year until 1899 the six-day race was a singles affair. Riders had to go it alone, pumping as long as they could, resting for a while, then resuming, for a grand total of 142 hours.

"Plugger Bill" Martin was the first winner, riding an old style bike to victory in 1891 and Charles Ashinger, also riding a high-wheeler, won in 1892.

In 1893, Albert Shock decided to experiment with the new style bike-the "safety"-such as is in vogue today. He won easily, and that was the end of the "bone-shaker" in bike racing annals, the "safety" coming into universal use.

The record under the one man plan-known as "go-as-you-please"-was 2,093.4 miles, made in 1898 by Charlie Miller, in Madison Square Garden. In that race the pace set by Miller practically wrecked the men who tried to follow him. Many of his rivals ended up in the hospital suffering exhaustion. This created condemnation of the sport. The promoters, sensing that something radical must be done to perpetuate six-day racing, introduced two-man teams the following year-1899-in New York.

The race was at 142 hours from 1899 to 1915, inclusive. In 1916 it was 143 hours and in 1917 was lengthened to 144 hours. Prior to 1920 there was only one annual race in New York. In 1920 it was decided to stage a contest in March and December, a custom which continued for many years.

From 1899 until 1916, when teams would finish with the same number of miles and laps, a man from each tied team would ride in a onemile sprint. The team would be acclaimed winner whose representative won that sprint. In 1916 teams received points for winning various sprints during the week. If two or more teams completed the ride with exactly the same miles and laps, then the one having gained the highest number of sprint points became the winner. No ties resulted.

For many years six-day racing was confined to New York. Its popularity there influenced promoters in other cities to stage such races. They were successes, both in the United States and in Canada. These races followed each other so closely during the season that the circuit riders rarely had a week's rest at any time. But they did not complain. All this meant steady work for them.

In the heyday of the sport, riders with the biggest "crowd appeal" made from $10,000 to $15,000 a year. They worked on a flat guarantee from the promoter or a percentage of the receipts. The less spectacular cleared from $5,000 o $7,500, and shared with the stars in the distribution of prize money put up by spectators for winners of specified sprints.

Interest in the professional end of the sport in this country began to sag in the 1930's, and when the attendance at the six-day race in New York in 1939 took a sharp dip, the contests were abandoned in the present Madison Square Garden and were renewed there in the fall of 1961. However, grinds were held in various New York armories with moderate success.

On the amateur front, though, the popularity of bicycle racing continues at a high level, thanks to the efforts of the United States Cycling Federation. The group, organized in 1920, is affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body of the sport, has an allied membership in the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States and is a charter member of the United States Olympic Committee. State or sectional championships are annually followed by contests for the United States title.