CYCLING AND MOTORING NOTES

Northern Advocate, 25 June 1920, Page 4

CYCLING AND MOTORING NOTES

Nothing in the mechanical world has equalled the automobile in the rapidity of its development. We accept the marvellous efficiency of the motor car as a matter of fact, ana

too often forget that as an example of swift development from crude beginnings to a perfected machine, the modern motor car stands unrivalieu. It is less than 20 years ago that we accepted the "horseless carriage" as an accomplished fact, but in these days no one ever pictured the luxurious limousine car, with its possible speed of 60 m.p.h., and its ability, if need be, to cover anything up to 300 miles in a day without a thought being given to the possibility of a mis hap. The amazing thing is that MM. Panhard and Levassor, two French engineers, evolved 25 years ago, a vehicle which comprised almost all of the essential features of the standard motor car to-day, though 10 years previous Gottlieb Daimler conceived the idea of building a light combustion engine for propelling a

tricycle,

The engine evolved by the two Frenchmen was mounted in front of the vehicle, under a bonnet, with its starting handle in front. There was a spring actuated friction clutch, disengaged by a pedal for changing gear, which. was effected by sliding into mesh pairs of spur-wheels mounted on paralleled shafts which gave three forward speeds and a reverse. There was a pedal-operated footbrake and a second brake applied Iby a hand lever. The cooling water was circulated by-a pump; and all of these features are standard practiceto-day. Although we accept them as a matter of course, we should try and realise that enormous thought and initiative must have" been expended upon the problem of 'conceiving-prac-tical methods:of applying the power of the,Daimler engine f to the propulsion of the road-vehicle, and' of inventing and designating suitable mechanism to accomplish those ends. The early motors ran efficiently only at one speed, and at approximately full load, for they were fitted with carburetters having no automatic regulation.

In the countyr of Los Angeles (Cal.) 14,000 buggies and 5,500 waggons were manufactured in 1i896. A few years later the first automobile appeared, arid the business thereafter, has declined to such an extent that not more than a hundred- buggiessold in California. One prominent •building' firni sold 8,000,000. worth of horse-drawn vehicles .in W&6l, but : 'ceased nuanufacturi ag them in 1905 and concentrated their production facilities on automobiles which they had gradually developed as their waggon trade decreased. Most of the waggon builders, however, installed motor departments and are now reaping the benefit by manufacturing van and truck bodies for standard chasses.

Motor lorries shipped by American manufacturers to Norway have been refused admission into that country because they, were not in conformity with the new wheel and tyre.specification. Norway is the first country in the world to propose national, legislation enacting that motor lorries "up to two tons capacity be equipped with pneumatic tyres so -as to -prevent damage to the roads and to cut down the excessive of highway repairs due to the use of solid tyre 3. The act is to become operative this month,

R. Spears, the Australian racing cyclist, who has been following the sport in America and on the Continent for some years, put up a very fine record in the last season's racing in Europe. He won 27 races, finished second in four, and third in four. Oscar Egg, the Swiss, who one time as the best unpaced rider, was second on the list, having developed a sprint. His score was 23 wins, twelve seconds, five thirds, and two fourths. Marcel Dupuy, the Frenchman, ran third with twenty wins, 13 seconds, 4 thirds, and one fourth.

At the last meeting in Paris of the International iCycdists' Union, the world's governing cycling body, Denmark, put in a claim for this year's world's championships, Denmark claiming that the international meeting of 1914, at 'Copenhagen, was unfinished on account of the war. The union, however, awarded the world's championships to Belgium, and promised Denmark the titular meet for 1921. The 19120 European championships were allotted to France, while Italy is to get them next year.