WOMEN IN MOTOR CYCLE TEST

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1933, Page 4

WOMEN IN MOTOR CYCLE TEST

CHEWING-GUM USED FOR REPAIR. LLANDRINDOD'WELLS. Sept. 2D. Two of I he finest, performances in the second day’s run of the International Six Hays’ Motor-Cycle Trial were put up by two of the three British women riders left in the contest. Quite early in the day Miss Chris Herbert, on a Cotton, had the misfortune. to split, the petrol tank' of her machine, and with the fuel trickling . in. in :i. continual stream on (lie engine she decided to carry on. Every twenty miles she had to refuel, and. I hen go on at break-neck speed to make up lost time, faced with the possibility that the machine might at any moment burst into dames. Determinedly she battled on, her clothing becoming saturated with petrol as sh.e jolted ov<-r Hie lough i oa.d. Repeatedly she had to Mop in order to try to plug the hole-, but all she had with her were a few- pj<-ees of clmwing gum and a small piece of soap, and each time Hie gears were changed the filling would fall out and the petrol resume flowing. Despite the- tremendous odds against ' her Miss Herbert succeeded in finish- ' L

'[ing the day’s run of nearly 200 miles over some of the worst roads iu the f Black Monutuiim. • MEN RIDERS OUTCLASSED. Miss Edith Foley, riding a Royal Enfield, was fhe other woman comi petitor lo put, up a. meritorious per- . forma lice. 't he day’s run included the gruelling descent of Dinas Rock, with its loose stone and earth surface —almost like the bed of a dried-up river—which includes two hairpin bends, a left and a tight, on a gradient of one in three and a-lialf in the steepest part. Hundreds of spectators had gathered there in expectation of (brills, and I hey were not disappointed. Riders fell frequently as they bumped and jolted over the uneven surface. Some- skidded' broadside for yards, cleverly regaining control as they approached the first hairpin, when failure to do so might have plunged them into Hie ravine 500 feet below. 11. was left, to Miss Koley to make a desceii!.. of Hie hill al quite a. fast speed, with her Icct on the footrests all Hie time, " hilc many of Hie men competitors were continually using their feet to maintain balance. Him continued to ride magnificently all day. and again showed her skill when, turning a. bend, she found the tend blocked about ten yards ahead H'.y three riders who had crashed. Swerving her machine into a ditch

s|she managed to pass them without c mishap. At the end of the day, on examining her machine. Miss Foley found that her trout fork spindle was cracked. She hopes to be able to repair it and 1 continue- to-morrow. (1. E. Rowley (8.5. A. one of the - British trophy team, had an exciting experience when one of his plug leads short-circuited. As he shot over the ’ mountain road h elooked like a human ; firework with the shower of sparks ’ that came from a red-hot wire. He i stopped and rectified the trouble, which he found to be the cause of the poor ignition which had been handicapping him earlier. W. R. Wood (Veloeoito). who was ■ among those who crashed yesterday on a. mountain road, and fainted after completing the course, was to-day advised by Hie doctor that he was not tit to ride. Of the 123 starters, 114 completed Hie 198 miles course, while 102 riders have as yet lost no marks.