CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 55

CYCLING NOTES.

I* The Roxburgh Cycling Club holds a race meeting on Monday, January 2, when the following cycle races will be run: — Half-mile Handicap, Roxburgh Wheel Race (two "miles), Ladies' Bicycle Race, Cycling Club Handicap (two miles), Spectators' Halfmile Handicap, Officials* Half-mile Handicap, Bicycle Ticket Race (half-mile), Threemile Carnival Handicap. Entries close with Mr John Tamblyn, hon. secretary to the club, on Monday, 26th inst. Two bicycles races were run off at the Pioneer Amateur Bicycle and Athletic Club's spring meeting, held at Chri=tchruch last Saturday afternoon. The One-mile Handicap was won by W. J. Garrett from scratch in 2min 39 2-ssec; while A. R. Falconer, on the 50yds mark, won the Twomile Roadster Handicap in smin 43sec. The prize-money for the cycle meeting to be held at Ccolgardie, West Australia, on Boxing Day . tots tip to £600. Th© principal event will be the Westral Wheel Race, worth £300. The Amateur championship meeting I of the Queensland Cyclists' Union was held on Saturday, 19th ult., under very hot weather conditions. The Australasian Mile Championship' was decided, and it resulted m favour of P. S. Berry, with H. H. Thompson second, and W. Todhunter third. Time, 3min 32 2-ssee. Berry won by 20yds. The Five-mile Championship of Australasia was also won by P. S. Berry, with' A. V. Turn«r second, and H. H. Thompson third. ', Berry won by three lengths, in 12min 44sec. : — The Victorian cycling season was opened on the^ 20th ult., when the East Melbourne Cycling Club held a sports meeting at the St.' Kilda Cricket Ground. The | star attraction was Ivor Lawson, who ap- ■ peared in Australia for the first time since his .successful tour on the Continent. The ' American was apparentlj not quite fit, but not far from it. In the third heat of the Half-mile Scratch Race ne jumped to the- • front 30yds from home, and looked like ! a winner, but Farley came with a terrible , rush on the outside and won by a few inches. : M'Donald won the fourth heat, but waa { disqualified for interfering with Gordon, ' who was awarded the race. G. R. Morgan { won the final by a few inches from Farley, j with Gordon third. Filsell also started. | The St. Kilda Plate (three miles) was also [ won by Morgan, Scheps being 6in away j second, and Farley third. The Wheel Race j (two miles) resulted as follows:— L. O. ' Meyer, 260 yds, 1; F. Lucas, 280yds^ 2; J. \ Griffen, 250 yds, 3; and the Second and j Third-class Handicap (half a mile)— C. A. Best, 40yds, 1; WT Horston, 25iyds, 2; ' R. Souter, 50yds, 3. Walne had a great i reception when he appeared on the ground | for the first time since his accident in f Adelaide last season. The attendance was ! not very large, owing to the fact that | rain was threatening all day. j Since the Dunlop Tyre Company put ' its vulcanised cycle tyres on the Australian \ market it had been an acknowledged fact ; that the hard-wearing- tyres easily out-lasted the 12 months' guarantee issued with them by the manufacturers. The Dunlop Tyre Company has now decided to extend th© , guarantee on all roadster Dunlop tyres to " L 5 months, instead of 12, thus giving "cyclists j the benefit of _ the extra term of guarantee, i The riding of the various racing men i it the recent Sydney carnival affords a > : jood opportunity for criticism, espeoially ; ' in the cases of the two visiting champions, 1 Ellegaard and Rutt, who showed up in- . iifferently since their arrival. Both ths Dane and the German came here (says • 'Cyclist" in the Weekly Times) with world- i ivide reputations, th« former being known ' ■ is the triple champion of the world, while ' < Elutt was classed as the conqueror of Law- ' ;on and champion of Germany. Neither J scored a single prize throughout the entire i sarnival. Of the Australian riders, Pye ' md Morgan showed the most consistent J orm, the former in the earlier part of ■ i he meeting proving himself head and ehoul- ' i lers above the other riders. Morgan's rid- i ng in som© of the earliest events was more i >r less disappointing, but towards the close \ >f the 'carnival he excelled himself in th© ' i hort-distanc© events. Of the New South ' ( Vales ridors, Megson, by defeating Walker, i bowed a glimpse of his old form, and if h(s ' f >nly improves a little more in his riding he r ml give Lawson and the other visitors many : '. severe tussle. Walne, of Queensland, t pas expected to do a lot, but he is now only . second-rater, compared with his former * iding. One of the most promising riders f the meeting was M'Mahon, who showed c >oth brilliancy and judgment in all his E aces. Houston, of Queensland, was another ? mg-marker, who displayed considerable * peed and tact, and the same may be said f Bear B ark, the New South Wales rider r I9 m '? ne °* the most improved limit * len. In© oarnival was most successful in * lany ways, especially in unearthing -several \ cry promising young champions, who ar© * ertam to develop into first-class performers t oon - 1< Diavolo (Mr Barber) performed his r amous i eat of doping the loop at the d ydney Cricket Ground recently. " Starting r com a jjlatform at a height of 50fJ Diayolo ' t

seated on his machine,^ rides dowji a narrov staging 100 ft in length, and enters .the loo] at a great speed, spins around the insidi of the circle,- looking .somewhat like a fl; on a ceiling-, and is shot out on -the. opposite side. - The- whole journey occupied s£.«ec and the momentum carried the bicycle an< iijs rider nearly halfway across the inne circle of the" cricket ground after the cxi from the loop. Diavolo was greeted "wit! rounds of applause' as he rode around" tin track after . his daring and successful ' feat Before his daring descent was attempted hi also earned, frequent manifestations o appreciation by his clever exhibition o trick cycling. He is without doubt i master craftsman in this respect, and somi portions of his exhibition were decidedlj new. He concluded his tricks,- which wen performed on a raised platform, undei brilliant limelight, by waltzing round or the back wheel of a bicycle which he hac previously dismembered and pieced- togethei again. Frank L. Krairier, the American champion, achieved a fine performance ai the Vaifeburg track in October, and narrowly missed securing the world's record for a mile handioap of lmin 49sec, established by Floyd Macfstrland, "the handicap king," when that rider won the Mosman Handicap from scratch on the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 12 last. Kramer did. the .distance in lmin 49 2-ssec, only two-fifths of a second outside Macfarland's record. Kramer's is much the better performance, however, for he had a 4Gyds gap to bridge before he picked up th© nearest of the field (Root and ■ the Bedell brothers). Notwithstanding the fact that the 40yds trio paced - alternately. Kramer had them in a lap — a i wonderful ride — and the American ohamoion eveatu- . ally won easily. In this instance Kramer ■ was absolutely without assistance, and his performance is easily the best on record. Kramer is a wonderfully fine all-round rider. He began racing in 1897, and two seasons later won the first N.C.A. Amateur Cham- . pionship, which gives him. the unique honour of being champion of his class for six different years. , The only year he ; failed to come ' out on toD was in ISOO, • his first year as a professional, when he finished the season second. to Major Taylor. , In 1901 Kramer won the championship with ■ a score of 80 points to 66 for Major ; Taylor, and 50 for Ivor Lawson.. In 1802 . Kramer won the championship with 122 pomt« to 52 by Major Taylor and 33 ' for Ivor Lawson. That year Kramer scored • 18 firsts, throe seconds, and one third. In 1903 Kramer beat Ivor Lawson (assisted ; by Macfarland) by 12 points for the cham- . pionship. Fenn "assisted" Kramer this , year. Kramer gave Macfarland 30yds start ; ma mile last season in the United States, which will convey a fair idea of his ability as a rider. Walthour, the world's champion long-distance rider, rode his last race- for the present European season at the Buffalo Velodro-ne on October 9, and he defeated Tom Lmton and Eugene Bruni, after allowing them a couple of laps start, in a 30 kilometre race. ,4, 4 At Dresden on October 9, Champion (America), Tommy Hall (England), liobl (Germany)' and Simar (France), met in a 100 kilometre paced race. Champion won easily and Robl was second. , ~~ The &rand Prix Cycliste Municipal, decided on 100 kilometres of road between I Champigny and Provins, was won by Pottier, the unp.aeed rider, in 4hr 17min 0 3-sseo Passarieu was a quarter of a wheel away second. J TT~iT^ n Ord 1 r has been issued b y the High Court of Grant County, West Virginia, the finest touring county of the State, prohibiting the running of automobiles on any of the roads traversing the county owing to injury to person and property sustained by citizens of th© county. _ A competitor in the Vanderbilt Cup Kace, recently run at Long Island,, had a narrow escape from death. He missed by I about 2ft a tram that was leaving a depot the engine driver backing off the course just m time. --Much comment has been caused in English cycling circles owing to the sweep- ' mg reduction made by the firm of Humber i Limited in their 1905 prices for Humber i cycles. These world-famed machines have ! always been the highest-priced ones on the ! market. The reduction all round is equal ( to about 25 per cent. An. automobile, containing nine per- i sons, six of whom were women, while ' speeding on an elevated' roadway in t3ie upper part of New York, jumped on to the railway running beneath. It was night md a fast train due at the moment struck tli© car as it reached the track. Four of Svsssr wMe killed ' aud three eeri'n^T^t G tl many a societ y has been oimed for the prevention of dust on the oads, having as its objects : "Improvements Ll° ad -T kmg ' "??««•»**>* the road' suraoe with a special, preparation, and imDrovements m .the design of car bodie- " 7 Ahe superstition of the number 13 mtered into the Vanderbilt Cup Race. Th© lumber was purposely omitted in the allotment of numbers to the cars competing in his speedy motor race. . Particulars are. to hand by the Ameicanniail of the first international race for ho yanderbilt Cup, which was recently i«ld in long Island, and the bare result of rtu?h. was cabled to New Zealand. Eighteen ears competed — five representing he States, the remainder comprising the eading racing motorists of Europe. Am-e* ica was outclassed in the experience of [river and overmatched in tho power and lumber of oars, but, despite this, gained \ hird aud fourth places with low-powered

jjj motors; in fact, the third place was secured „, by a 24-h.p. touring car. The race itself was an exceedingly clcse one, only lmm S 28see dividing the first two drivers — George ' Heath and Albert Clement — a marvellous \ result considering that the course was over 7 I some 284- mile^s. Tho winner's average speed was 52 miles an hour. The fastest travelling during the race was accomplished by Tesfce, who covered the first lap (40^ rmles) | at the rate of 71 rr.il-es an hour. Before * the race was half over tyre and engine troubles robbed most of the competitors of any chance they had of carrying off the Cup. At this stage the race locked to be a runaway foi Heath, who was leading by f 35min, but tyre troubles reduced the lead, and at the finish lie only "got home" by the smallest margin yet seen in an international motor race. The winner, U. Heath, is an American, who resides in 3 Europe. He drove a 90-h.p. Panhard (the ' same car in which he recently won the Ardennes circuit — Belgium), and covered the 284 miles in shr 26min 45sec. Albert Cle- ■ menfc, jun., who finished second in shr ■ [ 28min 13sec, drove a 90-h.p. Clement Bayard. The third c:>r was a 24-h p. Popev Toiedo, driven by H. H. Lytle. Unforp tunately, the race was not carried out withe out a fatal accident, which was the result; y of foolhardiness. A contestant named G. c Arents was driving a 60-h.p. Mercedes. He :, punctured bjth fro v ifc wheel tyres, and perd siEted in continuing with flattened tyres, r result bein? that both las front wheels t collapsed, upsetting th car, Killing clie ft mechanician, C. Meusel, and seriously mjiue ing the driver. The arrangements "for the : - race were splendi lly earned out. The © lace circuit was sprinkled with crude petroi leum at a cost of £1000, to pi event, the dust r nuisance. I Not since- the boom year of 1897 has c the Enfield Cycle Company, England, shown ' such a prosperous profit as was disclosed ° by the las> financial balance sheet oi the 1 company. j "I* is officially given out that the r 1,042,173 miles of roads in France cost £74 2s Id per mile. These figures apply j to 1902. The French roads are not to be |. excelled, and the expenditure given above r would demand of something that comes an t easy first ir good reads. r From many quarters comes the, cry > for spring frames, or, at least, spring forks, , for motor-cycles. The great pace acquired 1 on the rough surface of the average roacl- , way renders some anti-vibratory equipment i imperative. A good spring fork, neat, and -, without complication, .should prove a strong ■ selling point in suck a machine. The one feature, however, that must be studied is lateral rigidity, and this applies with equal force to the spring frame also. Large tyres are good interceptors of vibration, but-they also eat up power. One of the events at a recent motor meet m Lincolnshire, England, was what practically resolved into an obstacle race. It was, indeed, the feature of the gathering. In the course, of the race there was -,a police trap" (common on English roads), a baby sprawling on the road," and 'a, ,water iump. ' Much amusement was caused by the incidents in the contest, which called for the most careful and skilful driving. ——■Some idea, of the advance of aufom Germany, and, as it follows, -in brreat Britain also, is furnished by' the re- • turn of motor cycles exported- to England 1 by Germany du%g the first six months' 6f the year which numbered 2236 machines, as ' a f a } lo^1 o^ 01 durm S the corresponding period — -.Trouble through a ilipping belt is fomstuooa a- source, of worry to the motor cyclist, and when it does occur is always a loss of powor. How this drawback was removed by a motorist was by widening the pulleys ami belt to 2in, the engine pulley be-ng covered with a. strip of good leather riveted on. Sinoe making the change he had no recurrence of belt troubles, while arother advantage was gained' in that by being able to run with a, comparatively loose belt, the strain and loss of power that verytight belts entail was entirely eliminated. , The uniform size of wheels — 28in — . now • built ' into cycles of to-day has one great advantage over the not uncommon practice of a. decade ago of making the ' j front wheel of 30in. or at times the front tyre a smaller size than the rear one. Not

, - ably are both wheels nojv the same size, "- but' the tyres also. "The advantage lies in ' the fact that the tyres, being interchangeable, can be mad® *.o Sast very much longer ' than formerly. The back tyre carries more weight, besides being subjected to the strain and consequent wear of driving. ' Therefore, it is this tyre that wears soonest, . and which, str-angio to say, punctui^es - oftenest. I have known (says "Fortis," in „ tho Australasian) the front + yre to shiow ' plainly the mould mark after 3000 miles, when "that on the rear wheel has worn per- ='. lectly smooth, although it .must be added • " that the contour of the tyre has altered but Silfcle. When the tyres have run this length of time it is advantageous to change them / about on the wheels, when they will run _'„»s long again with very little deterioration. " t \A.s a matter of feet, pneumatics suffer more } from disuse than from use. Constant ~ BTjanipulation of the rubber preserves it. Ths result of a vehicle taxation in -- 'Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., shows that the fee __, ,was paid by £650 bicycles, 10 motor cycles, 1 -1700 one-horse waggons, 1445 one-horse " fougaies, and 125 automobile;:. Nearly 9000 -"■ " of the 10,000 vehicles estimated in use have , been licensed, the aggregate aracunt re- ' ceived being 9000dol. - . " M. Merland, a Parisian dealer in - - automobile - accessories, and formerly a .' lacing cyclist, possesses a "little terrier * J ?gassionately fond ,of -motoring {says an .", -English' exchange). She is frequently to be "-seen in her master's -motor, wearing a ; pair of motor goggles, and with '- ia "little pipe stuck in her -mouth,, seated 1 an the foremost part of the ear. "Finette" „ passes the whole day- seated in the car .^waiting for M. Merland to take her for a -■ride.; and_ when he is compelled by the __ wares of "business to remain at home she tired of waiting, and jumps into * ihe first car she sees', where she is always r .welcome. She wears a collar bearing the -- following inscription : "Finette has a passion, 'ipc~ riding in motors. 'Please bring her - back to her maeter, M. Merland, Rue Ober-_ . Jcampf." A few days aig>o_ M. Merland waa " somewhat surprised to receive a postcard from Switzerland, saying that "Finette" was very well, and would sihorily return to ". -Paris ; and a few days later the little dog - .walked into her master's shop^ somewhat fcired from her lomg trip, but with hei? love . fo>- motors in no way diminished. ——At "the Ashburton Domain on Wednesday ,a ' little girl named Violet Digby wandered on to the cycling 'tract while some cyclsts were tran- - Ing. She was ** knocked down by one of the machines, end received such . injuries to her head that she had to be removed, to the county hospital. The cyclist - escaped with a few abrasions, his machine, _ however, being considerably smashed up.