CYCLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 57

CYCLING.

MOTES BY DEMON. The Cycle Roads Bill, the objects of which have been fully explained in this column, was up before the Houee of Representatives for the second reading on Thursday last. From a report of the discussion of the bill, given below, it will be seen that there was no direct opposition to it, but certain taiembers were of opinion that the bill before coming into force should be modified to gome extent. It may be said that the bill has been favourably received by the House, and the second reading was carried on the voices. The committal is fixed for Wednesday of this week.

The Otago Cycling Club's annual report is not yet out. Congratulations to Mr W. Crow, an old member of the Dunedin Cycling Club, on his appointment to the Hansard staff. Mr Crow has not been much ir Dunedin of late yeare, but still retains an interest in his old club, and though his coming years may still keep him away from Dunodin, I am cei-tain that* he "will nofc easily foi-eel the eailiei- and stormier days of the D.C.C., when he and a few otheis still ro the fore were active members.

At the usual weekly meeting of the Council of the Auckland Cycle Roads League, held on the 15ih inst.. ordinary routine business was transacted. " The council ate actively assisting tlie passing of the Cycle Roads Bill" through the House of Representatives. • ■ ' The National Touring Association af Victoria continues to make rapid headway, and the membership roll now ,niiHibsrs 200. An official periodical, to be known, as "The Tourist," is to be published monthly. Five hundred volunteer cyclists sailed from England for South Africa by the s.s. Canada last month. Lord Kitchener is a great believer in the efficiency of the .cycle for use on the South African veldt, and he backed up his opinion by putting a big force of soldier cyclists into the field to right and checkmate the wily Boers. Mr Wilford expressed the conviction that Mr G. W. Russell did not know what he vas talking about when lie was speaking on the Cycle Boards Bill, and "I don't think ho ride? a bike," added the member for Wellington Suburbs. "I'll race you to the Hutt," retorted Mr Russell. "Ah," said Mr Wilford, "he mokes that challenge because he knows I can't hold him responsible for what he say? in this House, but if he will repeat it outside and put up £5 for some charity I will accept it quickly and readily." The idea of a scorch from Wellington to the Hutt between the two lion, members tickled the House muchly.

The cyclists' arbour day did not come off as was anticipated at Melbourne. Owing to a difficulty that exists between the Lands department and the City Council, the necessaiy authority to plant trees was not given. The parade of cyclists was a success, fully 300 turning out, and at the close of the proceedings taking up a cc'lecrion in aid of the Women's Hospital. The lrtu^hal of the parade, in speaking of their di< appointment in not being able to mark the occasion as a "cyclists' arbour ilay," hoped in the neat future, when matters between the two bodies were moie settled, to hold another parade, and then carry out their original programme of planting trees. The Dunlop Tyre Company definitely announce that the WarrnarabooJ to Melbourne road race will be held this year, and henceforth be known as the Dunlop Road Race. October 12" is mentioned as the probable date of this 165-mile road race. The prizes, donated by K>\eraJ cycling firms and some cycling enthusiasts, are exceptionally good ones

The return match between Jacquehn and "Major" Tayior, held on May 27 at tbe Pare dcs Prince* Yeledrome, Paris, resulted in a victory tor the latter, as was freely prophesied. On the first occasion the weather was cold, and Tayloi suffered theiefrom, and acknowledged the Frenchman to be the better man on that day. The negro, in the second trial, had no difficulty in defeating his opponent in both heats, the weather being warm, which evidently Muted Taylor. The last 200 metres of the firt-t heat were covered m 13 4-ssec, and of the second heat in 12 4-5-ec. Now that each has a match to 'ins credit, a deciding contest would prove interesting enough, and it is possible that it may be bi ought off, 'but in the United States.

The coming racing sermon in Australia should be a particularly brisk one, if the numbers and quality of the foreign contingent mean an}*thmg. Amongw 'those mentioned as being likely \Kitors are J» Prince (piomoter). Taylor, M'i'ailand,, Lawson, Xl'Leod — all horn America.

The Dunlop Company are in receipt of the following cable menage from their English representative, under date London, July 3:- — "Robl beat hour world's cycle record at Leipzig, riding 40 mile? 1250 yds in 60mm." The previous hour record was, held by the ciaek American pace-followei W. Mtin«on, who laM: October rode 40 miles 327 yds in the hour at UroeWton, U.S.A. When Rtinf-on succeeded in establishing his fine record last yeai Ameiiean and European experts proclaimed the American's* performance .i remarkable one, and predicted that it would .^tand foi n considerable period, but (he finality of rhi« much-coveted record is e'iidently some distance ahead. Robl, who has puweec'ed iv vrc-ting this world's record fiom Amonca, is a Herman paced ridei of lepute, but lip i'a^, ne\er figvied on the world's tecoid -sheet until his Leipzig ride. Robl would mo-t h'rclv be paced by motoi tandem". The Australian record for the hour is hcUl In 1 \Y. i'lariin, who lode 31 mile* 1425 yds on the Adelaide O\al last March.

Prom thoir Berlin representative the Dunlop Tyre Cnmp.uiv lecehecl a rab'o «wm. d.irp'd .hilv 3, 1901, to the effect that Robl, the 1 icier that tccured the world's hour rtccul, ft* already aunouueed, had worn

the World's Professional Championship for 100 kilometres (62J, miles). No time is given, but this e\ ent is a paced one, and Robl, although figuring in minor events in the past, has never until this season exhibited such speed as now ranks, him as one of the cracks of the day. This championship was run in Paris last year, when the French flyer, Constant Huret, was the victor. Referring to the extraordinary speed developed by the leading motors in the Pans to Berlin road race, the "Mors" car, as ridden by the winner, Fournier, is the same motor that, a few weeks prior to the big event, and in a trial spin, covered 282 miles in the mere trifle of 20 minutes — a rate of 86 miles per hour ! A smile of incredibility may readily be forgiven here; still, we must remember the result in actual competition—743 miles, at an average pace of 46 miles per hour, over give-and-take roads. Naturally, the trial course would be as good and as level a stretch ac could be found, which, however, does not detract from the actual performance. The French Touring Club intend* -to propose that an international cyclists' language should be invented, to which the name "Esperanto" may Ibe given. It would, no doubt, be advantageous, and facilitate the intercourse of cyclists from all parts of the world, and be a boon to the trade, in that it would be easy to advertise goods without studying the niceties of foreign languages. The idea is right enough, but the worst of universal language* is that nobody speaksthem.

The Auckland Cycle Roads League gave a smoke concert to members ot Parliament prior to leaving far Wellington, being apparently of ipinion that the reyal road to the affections -of a member oi Parliament was by way of his stomach. If the Cycle Boards -Bill does not pass after that, then tliere is no dependence upon human nature. There were a number of members of the Legislature present, and both tho*e of the Upper and Lower Hou°es promised ■ their .support. A nunibei of the members of the City Council Vr«'e- alS2._ guests. If the City Council WOllld only keep its own pAths clean, it, would do very well. Mr J. H. WitUefortl expressed the hope, in proposing the toast of " The Auckland Cycle Roads League," that the next great event that would bring those present together would be the opening up of a cycle track from Auckland to Rotorua, and felt that if they could get, the Piemier interested in the matter of cycle paths they would soon get good roads opened up to them throughout the colony .Seeing that the safety bicycle has yet to be built which would stand the Premier, it is too much to ask that he should feel interested in cycle paths and take into consideration the opportunities whieh_ would be given to tourists to see the Wonderland of New Zealand, and the benefit of that influx. a^ it m&ant money left behind.

The Automobile Club of America has determined to place substantial signpo.-ts on the leading highways of that country. They will be of iron and practically indestructible, and will point out clearly the best roads between the principal points. The u«e of separators or ball-cages in bearings is to prevent the friction of the balls against each other, because of the movement o-f the surfaces' of contact in op- J posite directions. This i* said to be detrimental ; hence, a perforated shell is placed in che bearing, by which it is thought to prevent the friction and keep the balls evenly distributed m the case, and so properly apportion the weight and strain upon each. It is not used hi many wheels now, though common enough in 1884, the Premier Cycle Company being the chief exponent of its advantages in their double hollow-forked ("D.H.F.") ordinary machine. There are a couple of firms in the United States that still consider it worth fighting over, and are settling the matter in the courts, much to the satisfaction of the lawyers. Many people who have nfed them say thai their presence in the bearings prevents, that rattling of the balls as they fall after reaching the top of their revolutions. This result may also be obtained "by using a semi-liquid lubricant o 'the consistency of vaseline, with the additional advantage that it prevent? the ingre°s of any -foieign matter — a more important consideration than the friction or rattling in the bearings. Automobile* and the speed at which they may travel seem to be ghing the English county councillors considerable trouble' of mind. The association of thesa councils, at its annual meeting la«t May. at Westminster, di«cus=ed the speed of motors. Twelve representatives were in favour of reducing the legal pace limit from 12 to 10 miles per hour, which, however, was opposed by 13. Seventeen councils favoured the labelling of cars with a distinguishing number. Aftei all. they as much as admitted that th>y did not understand the matteT. for the subject was allowed to drop after a short discussion.

Notwithstanding tlu many meetings held to consider the advisability ol the two great English cycle shows amalgamating, and making one representative exhibition, the entry blanks for both the Stanley and the National shows are out, and at in unusually early date The secretaries of both association* hay. started to canvass for applications for space, and in other v. ays to in sure the MX-ees* of their re^uective venture* The presence of two shows entails oreat ;\- pen&e to exhibitors if they desire to be represented at both displays, and several, rathei than exhibit only at one, lme übstained altogether.

It is somewhat curious that the free wheel did not. until the present year, take on in France, more to because it is by no means a novelty in that country, except in its application to the every-dtiy machine, for the free-wheel ?lutch was a necessary equipment of the motor % ycle long before the bicycle manufacturer* took it up so enthusiastically. The French are adopting it readily now, many bin-ing free-wheel machines so ut to be able tc fit a motoi attachment subsequently. Thus will cheui it is the connecting link between the ordinary wheel and the motor cycle.

Tn the u^e of acetylene lamps care must be taken in keeping the burner clean, a= sometimes the orifice becomes -hoked by carbon collecting and hardening. It is alway* ad\i&ible tc let the lamp burn out, or to remove the •arbide-holdei. In all cases the burnei should be cleaned by a pump e\ cry time before it is used.

Cycles are at a discount at Santiago, Chili. The be>>l road foi wheeling, the Promenade Alameda, has beei closed to cyclists, and no other streets are available upon which machine? may be used. The paw nshops are full of bicycles, and agents will at any price to cleai stock?.

— - The American Polar expedition now being organised by Mr E. B. Baldwin w ill include, among other things, a motor car, by

which it is- hoped to reach the North Pol by wheeling across the great ice jjlains beyond Franz Josef Land. Fournier, who had at first pronounced his run to have been quite without memorable incident, concerning the memorable road race from Paris to Bordeaux, has now recalled two noteworthy occurrences from which happily no harm resulted. The first was the fall of his stoker, who, seated according to -custom on the floor of the car, with his feet on the step, was suddenly hurled out by centrifugal force at a sharp bend in the road, but picked himself up quite unhurt, to the relief of the alarmed Fournier, who had stopped, and, jumping in, was whirled orf again. The story of the second incident, as told by a Bordeaux correspondent, may be seasoned, it our readers like, with a grain of salt. The tale is that some 50 miles from the goal a flight of wildfowl, fleeing before the car in alarm, was overtaken. On arriving at Bordeaux several of the birds were discovered ensconced in the radiators, on the front of the machine, in a state of quite undeistandable terror, but otherwise safe and sound. CYCLE BOARDS BILL. Mr FOWLDS moved the second reading of the Cycle Boards Bill, which is intended to enable cycli&ts to tax themselves for the purpose of making and maintaining cycle tracks for their convenience. He urged that cycle roads formed by the board at outlying districts would be useful for footpaths for settlers in winter time, and would give cyclists better opportunities to see the coun_try a-nd would generally be a beginning of an era of better roads. Cyclists in all parts of the colony had petitioned in favour of tlie measure, which was pei missive and would only be brought into operation by all the cyclists in a district being practically unanimous.

The Hon. Sii J. G. WARD complimented Mr Fowlds on having introduced a bill which if passed would do an incalculable amount of good to a large number- of people throughout the country. He would cordially a»si«l him in pawing the bill. Mr O. W. RCSSEJVL, thoug-ht board* would be likely to expend the money near towns, and the interests of country cyclists would be neglected. The districts proposed were too large, and the taxation proposed would cause more dissatisfaction than did the dog tax among Maoris.

Mr PALMER hoped the bill would be made a good workable measure for cyclists, but he *>aw no reason why cyclists more than any other section of the community should be taxed to 'provide good roads for themselves.

Mr R. THOMPSON failed to see wfcy cyclists in outlying districts .should bo taxed to provide cycle tracks for residents in large centres. Mr MEREDITH said the bill required considerable modification in committee.

The Hon. J. M'CJOWAN supported the principle of the bill, and would vote for the second reading, but thought an amendment desirable in the direction of providing that the money collected in a particular district should be expended in that district.

Me=srs BOLLARD, WILFORD, PIRANI. and WITHEFORD supported the bill, and Mr FLATMAN opposed it in its present form.

Mr FOWLDS. in reply, said he would accept reasonable amendmen<ts in commit--tee. He thought a central board would take care that country districts received a fair share of expenditure,- but he was prepared to accept- -an- -amendment in committee to> provide that -any- district could upon petition be excluded from the ]Drovisions of the act if it was not being justly treated by the Central Board.

The second reading was agreed to on the voices.