MOTOR AND CYCLE NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8681, 14 March 1914, Page 15

MOTOR AND CYCLE NOTES

The Dunlop Rubber Co. are m receipt of word from Paris that toe Australian team of road riders who went to France to compete in this season’s important long-distance road, races arrived in good shape after a pleasant trip. Through tho influence of Mr C. A. Proctor, one time secretary of the Australian Dunlop Co., and now in charge of all the Dunlop interests on the Continent, the team has been engaged for tho season on satisfactory terms by the ClementGladiator Company, one of the largest cycle concerns in France. This means that Messrs D. Kirkham, I. R. Munro, C. Snell, C. Pieroey, F. Keefe, and G. Bell will have behind them the fine pacing organisation of the Clement-Gladiator Company, who have for many years maintained one of the largest and most successful racing teams in. Europe. Without the hacking and,support of one of the mg French firms, the outsider has very little chance against the cracks who have organised and systematic pacing and feeding arrangements to assist them. In this respect the_ Australian team start off with everything in their favour. They have gone into strict training, and some of them expect to take part in the P-aris-Rou-baix race (161 2-3 miles), which takes place about the end of March, whilst later the pick of the team will compete in the classic Bordeaux-Paris event, and the great - Tour de France, the longest,- severest, and richest road event held in the world, the distance being 3400 miles, covered in fifteen stages, with a spell every alternate day. The cash prizes amount to £1440, besides rich bonuses from tho trade. This great contest is clown for decision from Juno 23th to July 26th. Now that our crack road men have got a Chance of showing what they can do when pitted against the world’s best, it is to be hoped that the climatic conditions Will not interfere with their striking form. When they arrived in Paris the city was under snow, with- the thermometer down to six degrees below zero. The doings of the Australasians in Europe willj be watched with great interest' .by many thousands of road riders in this country. W. J. Bailey, the English crack, who has been the champion amateur sprinter of the world for many years, has now turned professional. As an amateur he 'accomplished everything possible time after time, all the important international events being at his mercy whenever he cared to mount, and no other amateur sprinter of any nationality has had Such a run of success in recent years. Bailey will race against the world’s best, i neluding F. Kramer (America), in Paris, at an early date. , The records recently accomplished, in Baris by M. Berthet, on a bicycle with a blunt-nosed torpedo body, .should interest motor-cyclists who go; in for competition work. . If this addition to toe ordinary pedal cycle so far reduced wind resistance as to enable records to be beaten, it should prove still more effective to a motorcycle, where the pace is much greater, for the efficiency of such a contrivance naturally varies with the speed. This development -might also interest the : ordinary . tourist, especially if a side-car is used, for if it is effective for speed work, it would have the additional advantage of providing the rider with protection from the weather and road mud. In had weather the -m-otor-cycMst’s lot is certainly not a happy one. He has to especially clothe himself for tho ordeal, but the protection thus afforded is quite inadequate, and" he arrives at his destination in a filthy condition. An English motorist, named L. Barwell, has put up a Unique performance. During the past nine years he has never entered a train, but has motored 139,000 miles during that time. Mr Bar well started motoring in 1903, when ho purchased his firstoar, and since that year he has covered 154,885 miles. One car he has had for 10J- years, and it is still running, after having travelled 85,202 miles. •

It is estimated by the well-known English motoring authority, Mr Henry Sturmey, that £14,000,000 is being spent annually throughout the world on motor tyres alone. .These figures are based on the latest published’ statistics. i