76 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



road. Paxton, urged to renewed efforts in the ultimate 

 yards bv the strains of a more or less German band, 

 which seeing the competitors approach, played "Seethe 

 Conquering Hero Comes,"* won the match to Croydon 

 by 1 min. 18 sees., but did not stop here, continuing 

 with Cuthbertson to Brighton. Although Cuthbertson 

 won his wager, and walked down in 10 hrs. 6 mins. 18 

 sees. (9 hrs. 55 mins. 34 sees, from Westminster) and 

 won several heavy sums by this performance, he did 

 not equal that of Mcintosh in 1886. The old-timer, 

 deducting a proportionate time for the difference 

 between the finishing-points, the Aquarium and the 

 " Old Ship." was still half an hour to the good. 



The next four years were exclusively cyclists' years. 

 On June 1st. 1892. S. F. Edge made a great effort to 

 regain the record that had been wrested from him by 

 C. A. Smith in 1890, and did indeed win it back, but 

 only by the fractional margin of 1 min. 3 sees., and 

 only held that advantage for three months, Edward 

 Dance, in the last of three separate attempts, succeeding 

 on September 6th in lowering Edge's time, but only 

 by 2 mins. 6 sees. Then three days later, R. C. 

 Nesbit made a " record ' for the high " ordinary " 

 bicycle, of 7 hrs. 42 mins. 50 sees., the last appearance 

 of the now extraordinary " ordinary ' on this stage. 



The course was from 1893 considerably varied, the 

 Road Record Association being of opinion that as the 

 original great object — the breaking of the coach time — 

 had been long since attained, there was no need to 

 maintain the Piccadilly end, or the Cuckfield route. 

 The course selected, therefore, became from Hyde 

 Park Corner to the Aquarium at Brighton, by way of 

 Hickstead and Bolney. On September 12th of this 

 year Edge tried for and again recaptured this keenly- 

 contested prize, this time by the respectable margin 

 of 35 mins. 13 sees., only to have it snatched away on 

 September 17th by A. E. Knight, who knocked off 

 3 mins. 19 sees. Again, in another couple of days, the 



* " There's nothing brings you round 



Like the trumpet's martial sound." — W. S. Gilbert. 



" The Pirates of Penzance." 



