MOTOR CYCLE TRIALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 3 January 1924, Page 8

MOTOR CYCLE TRIALS.

TE KUITI AND BACK

A .3REAT EXPERIENCE

The severest motor cycle trial held in this part of the' country was concluded yesterday. As one official of the HaAvera Club put it, "the machines and riders were put to the greatest test they could be without asking them to do the impossible.'' Fifteen competitors left the Hawera Post Office on Tuesday and fourteen finished at the Post Office yesterday, having covered the full journey to Te Kuiti and back. The one competitor who did not finish had to give up the task at Mokau, he having attempted the journey without goggles, and having trouble with his eyes in consequence.

Taumatamarai Hill had not been seen in such a state before —it was simply a nightmare, and was so bad that the officials changed the return route to the new Awakino "Valley road, although this was found to be terribly rough in places. One of the riders, T. Edwards, had a narrow escape, he going over the bank twice between Stony Creek and Te Kuiti. On one of these occasions he went down some twenty feet and was rescued twenty minutes later by another competitor, D. Gabbie, who found him pinned beneath his heavy machine and quite helpless. J. Blake had hard luck, he having negotiated the worst part of the road and then having the misfortune to knock a hole in his crank cnse. He had to be towed some thirty miles, but he then effected temporary repairs and finished at Hawera about four hours late.

At Mahoenui W. J. Claringbold broke the bolts supporting his front wheel spring, and after a delay of four hours he later broke his front springs at Mokau. He arrived back at Hawera at 8.30 p.m. M. Katene, another late finisher, was held up with punctures. Altogether the trial may be described as a great experience for the cyclists. In places they had to. fill in watercourses with tree trunks in order to get across, and time and again they were dragging their machines out of great mud holes before they sank too deep. In one place three of the side chair outfits rode together, so that when one machine sank into a hole there were six men to lift it out.

Of course all the riders did not leave Te Kuiti at the same time, but the order pf their arrival in Hawera was as follows: E. Mcßeth i.S p.m., T. Edwards 4.13 p.m., J. Crockett 4.23 p.m., H. R. Rowe 4.26 p.m., L. Warm 4.27 p.m., H. Mills 4.28 p.m., D. Gabbie 4.30 p.m., R. Foord 4.33 p.m., H. Rowe 4.34 p.m., L. Coleman 4.38 p.m., H. Lightband 4.39 p.m. M. Katene, W. J. Claringbold and J. Blake all finished between three and four hours late.

L. Coleman, an Eltham man, who is a member of the Hawera Club, put up a wonderful performance on a 2\ h.p. Velocette. The actual result, however, will not be known until all the cheeking cards are in.