CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 55

CYCLING NOTES.

i — — Like most people, cyclist have feelings, and the free comments indulged in on Saturday week by a few cyclist-anglers who had ridden from town to Tomahawk really seemed justified. The road afc the back of Tahuna Park, usually good for cycling, has recently been metalled at the instance of the Drainage Board, and with a want of forethought the road has been profusely metalled to Jie full width, leaving nary a strip for ths luckless cyclist to ride over. A little consideration shown vhen spreading the metal on roads is always appreciated by the cyclist, and though no thanks may reach the ears of those who do the m&talling, yet the thanks are there and worth securing. Cyclists generally are warned to use the Anderson's Bay road when visiting Tomahawk, as the Tahuna Park road is, for the most part, unridable in its present state.

No less than 64C nominations have been received for the Westral Race meeting to be held in Coolgardie before Ohristmas. This constitutes a record entry for Australasia. The record for one event falls to the Coolgardie Handicap, which has an entry of 140 rideis. The chief event of the meeting, the Westral Handicap, has an entry of 133 riders, which entry just eclipses the Austral Wheel Race entry record. A comparison between the two big "Victorian cycle racing events — the Dunlon Road Race, from Warrnambool ,o Melbourne, and the Austral Wheel Race — is interesting. The classic long-distance road event, which entails a hard ride over 165 miles of road for a £30 heque and £5 5s gold medal, drew an acceptanc this year of 152 .riders. The two miles track race, worth £400 to the winners, has attracted an acceptance of 126 riders. From these figures it is evident that the honour a/id giory of road-racing is more attractive to the majority of cyclists than he glamour of the racing track with its rich prizes. The law ease in connection with the last Sydney Thousand is again attracting attention. It will be remembered that the promoters of the race paid the money into court, in order that it may be- there settled as to whether O'Brien or Corbett has the right to it. The case has not yet neen adjusted, and, pending the settlement, the question of lifting Macfarland's disqualification (or otherwise) must remain in abeyance.

The Ea-st Melbourne Bicycle Club concluded its two days' meeting on Saturday, November 26, when the weather was hot and unpleasant, and the attendance small. The feature of th& gathering was the return to form of Iver Lawson, who had on the previous" Saturday ridden disappointingly. The American crack made four appearances — in two heats and two finals, — airi won each time. Larson's successes included the Scratch Mile, for the Stuart Ribbon, which the American won eaoiiy from Pye and! Farley. Lawson was invested with the club riband by Mr Frank Stuart, M.1.A., and the winner was heartily cheered as he rode around the track. The following are the results of the events decided :—-Stuart: — -Stuart Scratch Mile — Ivor Lawson, 1; E. A. Pye. 2; J. Farley, 3; time, 2min 11 l-ssee. Half-mile Scratch — Iver Lawson, 1: G. Farley, 2; E. A. Pye, 3; time, lmin 4- 2-ssec. First and Second Class Handicap (half mile)— J. Filsell, 15yds, 1; W. Houston, 55yds, 2; W. .M'Donald, 15yds, 3; time, 57 2-sscc. Third and Fourth Class Mile Hai'dicap— H. J, Symonds, 15yds, 1 ; H. Lindgren, 50yds. 2; C. J. Vincent, 40yds, 3 ; time, 2min 14 4-ssec.

. The famous Austral Wheel Race carnival opened at the new Melbourne Exhibition track on Saturday. 3rd inst. The big two-mile handicap has drawn over 120 acceptors, including the three crack visitors Ellegaard l (Denmark), Rutt (Germany), Lawson (TI.S.A.), who are alone on the mark of honour. Several heats of the Austral, which is worth £400 first, £75 second, and £25 third, were to be decided on the open-

ing day. In connection with this big meetin" it is interesting to note that the huge sum of £14,595 has been iistributed by the Melbourne Bicycle Club in prize money since the inception of the Austral Wheel Race in 18S6. For the firs* time in the history of this famous handicap, the event will be aried out on an up-to-date racing track, and the decision of the big race promises to provide excellent racing, provided the new track is in good' trim. The meeting wili bs spread over five days— viz., December 3, 7, 10, 14, and 17. The final of the Austral will be held on Saturday night, December 17. The racing tyres now used by a number of the cracks are of the finest description, and the greatest care must be taken of them lest they suffer damage. D. J. Walker, who recently returned from a trip to the Old World, tells "Fortis," of the Australasian, chat there are attendants on the race tracks whose duty it is <x> sweep the path rep&atedly. In Australia, he declares,

the tracks arc not at all looked after, and the punctures and other accidents which happened to many of the tyres at the East Melbourne Bicycle Club's meeting seem to bear out his statement. It would not be a difficult matter to keep the racing paths reasonably clean.

A feature of the Austral this year will be the night-racing, and it is expected that the publio will find the evenings so convenient foi attendance "that the experience of Sydney will be repeated there. In Sydney the night meetings have drawn vast crowds of people," and' the brilliant lighting of track and grounds has considerably enhanced the attractiveness of racing. The trustees of the Exhibition,, in consultation with the executive of the M.B.C. andi other competent authorities, have altogether icmodelled' the lighting; arrangements of the track. Powerful electric are lights have been thickly placed aroun the arena, and at the first trial the result was proved a conspicuous success, the track being one blaze of brilliancy, all the shadows previously existing having been overcome. — — The Home papers, soon aft©\ the departure of Ellegaard and Rutt for Australia, were full of notices about the German cham-

pion, in which he was described as a "deserter of his country." The facts have just come to light, and 1 it appears that Rutt ought to have joined the German army under the Compulsory Military Act in September last, but in view of his great racing prospects he asked for an extra period "of exemption, which was refused. Thereupon Rutt s father wrote to the German Emperor himself, who postponed the military services_of the champion for a year. In the ordinary course of events the professional should be now with his regiment. Had Rutt s appeal not been granted, the crack sprinter could never have returned to the fatherland without the risk of imprisonment and a humiliating form of service in the army.

— — The Mead Cycle Company, of Liverpool, London, Coventry, and Birmingham who claim to be the originators of "shopping by post, ' have found this system to fit in with tha requirements of their clients and at the same time to save th& latter money by dispensing with the intermediary services of the merchant, the dealer, and the retailer. The system works very well indeed. The Mead Cycle Company has been in business over 15 years, and its trade has grown at a great rate. -Ninety per cent, of cycling accidents are due to brake failures. More than HO per cent, of brake failure are due to cheap shoddy brakes, and yet for the sake of a few shillings cyclists will curtail their pleasure and risk their safety by patronising these flimsy fitments. A poor machine with a good brake is better value than a good machine ,vith a bad brake. No oyelist, if he has the money, grudges a sovereign or two extra to get a good machine made by a company of repute ; but there are plenty of cyclists who grudge the few shillings which represent the difference in price between the high-class brake and the shoddy article. There is an old proverb about a "ha'porth of tar." Just as good tar freely applied ie essential to the welfare of a ship, so is a good brake, rightly adjusted, vital to the safety of a bicycle. Kramei has won the American championship for the sixth time, which is a record. Fifteen events constituted the championship, and Kramer secured 13 firsts. The ohamnionship of America is decided by a series of "circuit" races, for which points arc given according to the order of finish. Kramer's- score this year was 69 points, his nearest opponent being Fenn, who registered only 26 points. Kramer is only 24 yearsof age, his birthday having been celebrated last month. It is possible, if indeed not already decided upon, that Kramer will visit the Commonwealth for next season's carnivals. The Australian system of riding ought to suit the champion, as he is said to be equally at home in sprint and hard-fought-oufc contests.

In a neat little booklet issued by the American branch' of the Continental Tyre Co. there is a fund of information regarding motor tyres. _ It ie this portion of the automobile that is, perhaps, the most expensive item in its tipkeep, and therefore any knowledge as to how tyres may be better cared for, l-epa-ired if damaged, or more effectively used will bo helpful indeed. In touching upon tyre defects and how to treat them, ' the writer of the booklet places himself in the position of a driver who has met with a tyre accident, and he considers four points — how it happened, can it be summarily repaired on the spot to enable him to proceed to a more convenient place, can the damage be properly repaired by the driver himself, and, if so, in what way, or , must the tyre be sent to the factory, and

how can a recurrence of the same accident bo best prevented? It may be admitted (says "Fortis" in the Australasian), that the above four points cover all questions in connection with any tyre mishap with which a drivar is likely to meet. There is in connection with the publication a handy little index, and the motorist can, at a. glance, pick out thai portion which may deal with the trouble he may have experienced. In regard to the fitting and detaching of tyres (always a trying task when new), the fullest particulars are given, and illustrations supplied of almost every move of the operator. Motorists, therefore, will find this book of the greatest assistance to them, especially those to whom the automobile is new A table of the average speed for a given time per mile is also supplied. A writer in the New York Automobile Magazine tells some plain truths about the real dangers of the road. His observations on the comparative behaviour of the horse and the car are worth quoting: — "Two women, knowing nothing about the handling of horses, drive an animal which they , acknowledge takes fright at everything, along a public highway, and there is not only no law but no public sentiment against it, while an experienced man driving a perfectly controllable machine, which cannot be frightened and cannot move except he wills it, is hampered by multiple restrictions, and is regarded by the- public as a public menace. The horse, with an ancestry in training for thousands of years, is the same sill}-, unreliable, treacherous brute he was in the beginning. An automobile, unheard of 10 years ago, obeys the slightest wish of its operator, and, uulese handled . with criminal carelessness, is a source of danger to r.o one. The dangerous , thing is taken as a matter of course, me I safe thing is legislated against." ! Mr S. F. Edge, writing to the papers concerning the- recent serious and regrettable motor caj accident to his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, has something to say about the traffic. He says: "It seems to me that the accident lays very particular .stress on three most important points which must sooner or later have attention, if modern progress is to continue without unnecessary risks to the pioneers of the movement. The primary cause of the accident appears to have been no lighc on the approaching waggon, and this should bring forward the absolute necessity of every vobiale on the highway having lighted lamps after sunset. Secondly, the insistence of powerful lamps on every road carriage which moves above 10 miles an hour should be enforced by law. Thirdly, the necessity of every chaffeur who drives other people wholly or partly for a living passing serious examinations for the position, and have alt responsibilities and punishments that can so easily fall upon the captain of a ship for a slight lapse of duty or intelligence. These are all regulations which I am certain must come sooner or later, and the sooner the better for everyone in countries where roads exist and modern vehicles ply upon them. A court should be appointed, made up of State officials, representatives of the leading automobile olubs, and manufacturers' ■ representatives, to hold an inquiry into •every automobile accident, so as clearly to apportion the blame and the penalties, which are yet to be aggreed upon." French motorists are very proud of young Albert Clement, who, after a remarkable season, recently ran second to Heath in the Vanderbilt Cup Kace in New York. He is only 19 years of age, and his first try at motor-racing was in the French Gordon-Bennett trials in June last, when h» just missed qualifying by a few seconds. Afterwards he ran a close second to Heath' in the Circuit dcs Ardennes, and he has just repeated the performance by a closer margin yet in America. He is the only son of a< well-known French cycle and automobile manufacturer. -Alcohol as "a fuel creates a very objectionable smell by the exhaust gases, and ifc would not tend to popularise motor cars (says the Field) . At the London CountyCouncil's meeting recently a motion was brought forward to prohibit the entrance^ into paries under the council' control o£ motor cars which -emitted offensive odour. The motion was rejected by a large majority; but c certain amount of sympathy may be expressed with the desire to check the smell-producing characteristics of a large number of modern motor cars. It has

been noticed during the last year or two that many more cars now leave a trail of smoke behind them than used to be the case. This is, of course, due to excessive lubrication, and is a sign of ;arelessness on the part of the driver. On some cars, it is true, the arrangements for lubricating are defective, and the driver, to avoid risk of his pistons seizing, has to put large quantities of oil into the crank chamber. The result is clouds of smoke of a pungent smeJl, -which is particularly irritating to the public. Makers and drivers who have the best interests of automobilism at heart will do what they can to avoid this annoying occurrence. Motorists who desire to keep abreast %ith the times, and who wish to be- conversant with all the improvements that have been effected in the up-to-date auromobile, should seoure a copy of "The Complete Motorist," by A. B. Filson Young, which will be found to be a valuable addition to any motorist's library. The publication deals with motoring in all its phases, and contains a great number of interesting illustrations, besides much valuable information on the use,, running,- and upkeep of the motor car and tyres. The Vanderbilt Cup Race in Americaappears not to have 'been a success. The local prejudice aroused in the district traversed was very great, and led to the roads at certain places being strewn with nails, with the consequence that practically every competitor suffered from punctures. There is a -great outcry against the public roads being monopolised! for private interests, on the ground that road-racing is a menace to the automobile movement in general in pandering to tkhe speed craze. -—William Kaler, who was thrown from iusjucycle when going down the Main South' road at .Look-out Point on November 23, and who had remained in an unconscious condition ever since, died in the Hospital et a quarter-past 5 on Sunday morning.