Cycling & Motor News.

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 817, 25 February 1916, Page 29

Cycling & Motor News.

E. G. Baker, the American recordbreaking cyclist, at present in Australia, put up a remarkable performance at his second attempt to establish new figures for the all-day motor cycle world's record. Not satisfied with his miles in 24 hours, he set out to do 1100 miles, and only for machine troubles he would have easily succeeded, for when he had to abandon his ride, owing to a leaky petrol tank he had been 21hr 32min on the road, for a tally of 1027 miles. This is easily a new world's record, and a remarkable performance on the part of man and machine. They have adopted a novel means of dealing with motor cyclists who exceed the speed limit in Los Angeles (California). Instead of fining or imprisoning the rider, the authorities impound the machine, giving it 60 days, or such a term as the magistrate thinks fit. When one comes to reason the thing out it seems a better means of curtailing scorching than fining the rider and letting him have his machine to repeat the offence. If the same practice were adopted here in the case of motorcyclists, who make themselves a nuisance in the streets with their noisy unsilenced machines, it would not be long before a wonderful improvement would be effected in this direction. There may be some excuse for exceeding the speed limit, but there is none for riding a motor cycle that is a twin brother to a machine gun. There is a new luxury in the way of an ailment, ix> which only those who only drive automobiles are eligible. It is known as "the chauffeur's knee." The outward sign of the complaint is a slight limp; internally it is brought to notice by pains in the knee, caused by operation of the pedals of the autrnobile. The first indication of a latent soreness in the knee most commonly comes when the automobilist is walking upstairs. "The chauffeur's knee' has already advanced to the dignity of authoritative description in a medical journal. Dr. Gustav ¥. Boehme writes about this new complaint in "The New York Medical Journal." A number of medicos were consulted by taxi-drivers for a pain in knees. This gave rise to classification of the complaint and its designation as "chauffeur's knee." There are said to have been 13,000 "Fords" sold in Australasia up to the

end of August, 1915. With a view of meeting the demand for a special tyre for these popular runabouts, the Dunlop Rubber Co. have marketed a special low-priced "Ford" cover at £4 each. The new tyre has been in such demand, that supplies ran out in a fortnight, and now the Australian Company is working day and night to cope with orders for the nevr Dunlop "Ford" specialty.