Has Beens
The Santa Monica Cycle Path, linking Los Angeles to the sea, opened in 1900. Generally speaking, racing on the path, such as during the late great Los Angeles to Santa Monica Road Race, was verboten. It was specifically written into the rules of the race. Never-the-less, on the 15th of April a match race was to take place along the path between a pair of Los Angeles old-timers (old being relative). Both men began their racing "careers" during the era of the high-wheelers which, if you are going to define eras of cycling, was pretty old, even in 1900.
Writers, journalists, reporters often had unique ways of turning a phrase back then, all the while keeping exaggeration well within the bounds of realism. You see it today, though usually in specialty publications whose readers would "get the joke," rather than in more general publications (like newspapers) where such turns might be misconstrued. Anyway, Fay Stephenson and Tracy Hall who, "at present... come under the class [of riders] known as "has beens" were to race from the city to the sea. "Many seasons ago Stephenson held the Southern California record for 100 miles, while Hall rightfully posed as an all-around artist on the wheel. During the past season at the Velodrome both men have been actively engaged in pulling off the various meets. It was during the progress of the professional 16-hour race that the boys, as they sat patiently scoring the endless laps, first began to recount their past performances, and what they could do in the future were they to again mount their silent steeds... The winner, upon his arrival at Santa Monica will be awarded a large-sized, perishable trophy."
Today, mountain biking does have its Clydesdale class, but I think cycling, in general, could benefit from additional such descriptive classes. The Has Beens - I know what you're thinking, but I ain't there yet.
Writers, journalists, reporters often had unique ways of turning a phrase back then, all the while keeping exaggeration well within the bounds of realism. You see it today, though usually in specialty publications whose readers would "get the joke," rather than in more general publications (like newspapers) where such turns might be misconstrued. Anyway, Fay Stephenson and Tracy Hall who, "at present... come under the class [of riders] known as "has beens" were to race from the city to the sea. "Many seasons ago Stephenson held the Southern California record for 100 miles, while Hall rightfully posed as an all-around artist on the wheel. During the past season at the Velodrome both men have been actively engaged in pulling off the various meets. It was during the progress of the professional 16-hour race that the boys, as they sat patiently scoring the endless laps, first began to recount their past performances, and what they could do in the future were they to again mount their silent steeds... The winner, upon his arrival at Santa Monica will be awarded a large-sized, perishable trophy."
Today, mountain biking does have its Clydesdale class, but I think cycling, in general, could benefit from additional such descriptive classes. The Has Beens - I know what you're thinking, but I ain't there yet.
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