Fast Digs: For the Glory of Santa Ana

 For more than one hundred years, the city of Santa Ana has been a breeding ground for cyclists in general, and for those who race, in particular. A century ago the city's young racers challenged others from Los Angeles and Long Beach for regional dominance. 

As early as 1917 the Gerwing brothers held sway on Santa Ana's streets, though their racing reputations extended far beyond, stretching from the mountains to the sea. A mere five years later, a new cluster of riders, perhaps inspired by their predecessors' successes, had moved to the fore and were equalling, or bettering the racing acumen of Robert and George Gerwing. 

Before that though, and going back into the 1800s, the city boasted two racing tracks with hard-packed surfaces, predecessors to what we know today as velodromes. Those tracks brought competitors from around the region to compete and, in 1895, enticed racing's governing body to make a stop of the National Circuit at Santa Ana (to the city's second track - the so-called Palmer Tract Track), bringing the likes of world-class racers like Tom Cooper and Eddie Bald to the city. While the city's racers were not yet quite developed enough to challenge the region's strongest riders, let alone those with national and international standing, the investment would set the stage for the next generation, who could take as inspiration the examples set by their fellow residents as they sought to extend their own ambitions. 

Those Santa Ana youth who discovered bicycle racing at the time of the Gerwing's were likely helped along by supportive businessmen such as Robert Gerwing Sr who, after arriving in the city in 1908, opened a bicycle store and repair shop at 310 W. Fourth Street. Of course there is nothing new in this, from the very beginning, shop owners and racers developed relationships that worked to the mutual benefit of each.

 Turning the wheels forward another five or six years we can find the same pattern playing out with new names. Where Long Beach had Albert "Musty" Crebs and A. E. Anakin filling the role in that city, Santa Ana had Henry Biesser. Biesser, as owner of Henry's Cycle shop, encouraged, advised, accompanied, organized races and sponsored other get-togethers, such as hot dog bakes, for the city's youth. Biesser took to his role for an entirely new group of Santa Ana riders during the early and mid-1920s, among them Chester Dysart, another pair of brothers - Parker and Edward Adams, Percy Martin and Everett Manfull. This generation of riders would gather numerous local and even state championships to them, while bringing Santa Ana's cycling reputation to new heights.

Many of the city's leading riders, from those years, are gathered in the photo above (as printed in the Santa Ana Register) while preparing for races at Los Angeles' Exposition Park. Joining the group (in dark kit at the left) is Jesse Close of Long Beach; the other riders (from left to right) are all from Santa Ana - John Gallagher, Percy Martin, Allen McMillen, Parker Adams, Willit Miller, Chester Dysart, Harold Smith, Edward Adams, Everett Manfull, Paul Baird and Robert Lingo.

These are some of the people you will read about in the Fast Digs series of books, the first volume of which was published last year (2022), with the second volume due out this year.