Cycling AND Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 2669, 10 May 1905, Page 55

Cycling AND Motor Notes

ANSWER TO OORRESPONDETSTT. Inventor, Oore. — It is not safe to attach the ordinary motor to a bicycle of ordinary construction. A special frame of much heavier make is required for this purpose, though it niay bs built on the same lines. A If horse-power motor should have a 2iin bore and 3in stroke, and 2J horse-power motor, a 2Jin bore and 3in stioke.

BY DEMON.

Mr O. Seelye, who has been connected with the Dunedin Cycling Club for a number of years past, and who has taken an active part in the club's management, leaves this week for Invercargill, where he is starting business on his own account. I am sure I am only voicing the general opinion of his many friends when I wish "Cass" every success in his new sphere of labour. Mr D. Strang had the misfortune to get a very nasty spill from his motor bicyck at Allanton on Sunday, landing en his face, and sustaining a very badly-bruised eye. To add to his misfortunes, Strang had only gone about a mile on his homeward journey after his accident when his accumulator gave out, and, as a result, had to push his machine home to uunedin from near Allanton. However, Strang views the accident in his usual philosophic manner, and his motoring ardour is in no way damped by his unpleasant experience. Perhaps, however, it would; be as well if he were to take the advice given by me in previous notes, and carry a spare accumulator with him in future.

A rather complicated state of affairs has now ensued with regard to the Enficld Challenge Cup,- which wag competed for at the Christchurch Cycling Club's meeting, on Good Friday. It will be remembered that George Sutherland won the race on that occasion, which constituted his thii'd win in the event, and by virtue of his three wins the cup should have become Sutherland's property. However, it was ruled that, by the conditions under which the race was run on Good Friday. Sutherland should have left the track before entering the last lap for home, and as a consequence Sutherland waa disqualified and the race awarded to Randrup, who finished second. The trophy in question was placed in Sutherland's tobacconist shop before the meeting, as an advertisement for the sports, and th 3 club has now 7 applied for its return, but Sutherland, who considers he won it fairly, declines to part with the trophy, and has taken it to his home for safe keeping. He likewise appealed to the North Canterbury Centre of the League of New _ Zealand Wheelmen regarding the Christchurch Cycling Club's decision, and the matter came up at the centre's meetinjj on Friday nighfc.

Sutherland contended that the race was run by the competitors as directed by the officials, and claimed the race. Other competitors wrote stating that the directions given were that two men were to drop out after the first lap, and thr-se were to finish. The centre decided that the action of the Christchurch Cycling and Motor Club was unconstitutional, and that the club he instructed to award the race to Sutherland. The position, therefore, stands as follows : — Sutherland won the race (and has the Challenge Cup in his possession) ; the Christchurch Club awarded it to the second man, Randrup ; and the North Canterbirry Cenlro re-awards it to Sutherland. Of course it remains now to be seen what the Christchurch Club and Randrup will do. And there the matter stands at present. J. Chalmers, the well-known New Zealand rider, who raced without success at the recent Dunedin Cycling Club's sports, met with a severe accident while training Oil Lancaster Park on the eve of Good Friday, While sprinting, his chain, broke, and he was hurled with such force as to smash the pickets and rails of the fence circling the track. Chalmers was picked up unconscious, and for nearly a week his condition was critical. He is now, however, recovering, and is able to walk about again , with the aid of a stick. j Iver Lawson brought, trouble on himi self by cutting in on Rutt in the last lap > of the First-class Handicap at the recent Melbourne Druids' meeting, and ras disqualified for the race, which also put him out of the final of the Druids' Wheel Race. Later in the day he suffered a heavy fall while sprinting with Ellegaard. The pair were rounding the last turn to the finish of the Three Miles' Scratch Race, when Lawson, who was rounding the Dane, fell. The back wheel skidded outwards up the bank, tearing it off the rim. Just prior to I the tumble his inside pedal struck the tracfic, I But, recovering, he began to come round his opponent as the straight was being approached. But the inclination caused by the tremendous pace was just beyond the capacity of the banking, and it failed to. hold him. ~-^. Menus Bedell, who finished behind Kramer and Fenn in the points championship of America, met "Emile Friol, the champion of France, at fha Velodrome d'Hivcr in the first of a series of matches between European and American riders. Friol was easily defeated by Frank Kramer at New York last December, so the pr-es-ent match promised to bp somewhat close. It proved cihervise, however, for Friol won as he liked. In the first match the two indulged in pure sprinting' tactics and Fvio! won by threo lengths. Bedell's manager than instructed him to put in a quarter of a mile sorint, but this had no bettor result, for Friol simply hung on until 100 yards from the winning line, and then eot home a couple of lengths in front of Bedell. _ It is nowadays decidedly the exception to sco a cyclist riding with too Ions: a reach (says the Australian writer "Tangent), but this happy state of affairs was not a.lways in evidence. Novices, for some peculiar reason or other, seemed entirely unable to determine the height at which the saddle should be placed in order to secure comfort sind easy cycling. To any who may have any doubt as to their reach being, correct, the following advice may not be out of plaoe. Place the pedal so that it is at a point nearest the ground, and thus furthest from the saddle. Mount the machine and drop the leg down. If your reach is correct you should be able to easily touch the pedal with the heel of the foot. Another sure sign is if you can get the _toe of the foot quite comfortably and easily underneath the pedal. If you cannot do either of these, you may be sure that, although you may be able to ride in. comparative comfort, you will not cfc> so to the fullest advantage. An easy reach is necessary for comfortable cycling, and if the advice given is followed the great advantage a comfortable reach is will at once be appreciated. In legard to the foregoing there can be seen at the present time in Dunedin plenty of ridsei's who ride with too long a reach, and the advice .given by the trriter

quoted above is recognised as being a- sure remedy for the evils caused by riding with too long a reach, cyclists of the weaker sex especially erring in this respect. The advantage gained by riding with the pedals at the correct distance from the saddle is ■\ery great, and riders have only to acquire the happy medium in /this respect to appreciate such advantage. Owing to the lateness of their departure from Australia, neither Lawson nor MacFarland will be able to compete in this season's world's championships, but Lawson is determined to challenge the winner as soon as he arrives in Paris, and has had a few ivook I preparation there. According to home files Major Taylor is expected to defeat all this year's aspirants for championship honours. It is said that Taylor speaks French fluently. A road race is proiected by a number of sportsmen in Sale". They propose to hold in February next a meeting, at which £500 prize money is to be offered. Of this amount £250 is to be allotted! to a road race from Sale to Prospect, a distance of 27 miles. The proposition ia to charge £5 entrance fee. and to allow the amount to be paid in instalments, £1 on entry, and the rest in graduated sums up to the acceptance date. The patronage of the Victorian League of Wheelmen h nought, and the application is m. ~ laideration. The league in such, oa=os insists for the protection of riders that the prizo money shall be guaranteed. If ths promoters comply with the condition as, to guaran T ee, doubtless the sanction of the league will be guaranteed. A distance of 27 miles for such a race, however, seems rather short, an 1 it must almost inevitably develop into a whirling scramble with the large entrr that may be expected 1 for such s. prize. It has been decided to lay a telephono line right along the circuit of the proposed course of this year's Gordon Bennett Cup Race, which will be run in. France towards the end of July. While I did not see on the Henley road Sunday a great number of cycle riders, the motor cyclist was much in evidence, and these latter flashed by one at a. great rate of speed. The south road was in • splendid order, and "Demon" . only wished that ho was mounted on a 10 h.p. 4-eylinder motor car to go for a. bit of a turn, say 90 miles an hour or so, instead of labouring Lard to do 10 miles on his never-bolt push bike. 1 am sorry to have to report the indisposition of Host M'Kegg, of the White House, Henley, who is confined to bed with rheumatism. ''Amos' is now a keen motorist, and I trust his recovery will be as speedy as he says his neat little motor is. W. Tisdalc was riding a Torpedo Clement-Garrard, which was doing splendid work, "but unfortunately he broke the exhaust valve of his engine, and. not having a spare one, had to resort to pedalling till Mr J. F. M. Fraser took him in tow and brought him home, though it would: not have been much of a hrdship to have pedalled all the way, as this motor seems to be a very light one. Mr Fraser's machine also went well. Mr W. Gordon's new twin ClementGarrard seemed' to be going the strongest of the whole lot, and even with a pushcyclist in tow romped along and made fun. of all the hills. Thk, machine is made up "from the Clement-Garrard motor sets by Messrs Cooke, Howlisoa and Co., as is also Mr Tisdale's Torpedo Clement, and both these machires are a credit to them. Mr Hunter Weston leaves. I believe, this month for a short visit to the Old Country. He purposes retaining his Cacliilao in the meantime, but may bring 1 out another car if he sees anything that he fancies very much. Mr M'Donald's 15 h.p. 4-cylinder Darracq seems to be a more suitable car for Canterbury than does Mr Rhpdes's Daimler, the little Darracq having several times, I believe, had to go and pull the big Daimber over the rivers. Perhaps Mr Rhodes will use his influence to get these rivars bridged, for they are a great source of trouble to motorists as they are. Fourteen motor carriages and eighfc motor cycles started from Adelaide on Friday morning, 21st April, on a reliability run of 120 miles to "Victor Harbour andi back. The trial was promoted by the Automobile Club of South Australia. Of the fourteen cars eleven completed the distance satisfactorily, only one of these being 5 points^out in a total of 500. Five of the eight motor cycles gained the maximum number of points and another lost 15 points only. The test was continued on Saturday. The distance travelled was 108 miles, to Mannum and back. The total distance for the two days of the contest was 228 miles. Seven cars did the whole distance in schedule time, as follows : — 6 horse power Do Dion, G. yon del Dippe owner and driver. 7 ihorse power Oldsmobile, R. A. Duncan ownei and driver. 8 horse power Butler De Dion, C. W. Wittber owner and driver. 8 horse power Rover, V. Lewis owner, £. P. O'Grady driver. 8 horse power De Dioa, Dr P. Crank owner, A. Allison driver. 12 horse power Lewis, Y. Lewis owner, M. Aunger driver. 15 horse power Darracq, E. S. Ryniill owner and drivel. It has been decided to carry out another and more decisive test for ~ the cars left in the contest at a later date. None of the eight motor cyclists who originally set out secured the full number of points, but Messrs G. B. Woodman (3 h.p. Minerva) and JN. Netter (2? h.p. Lewis) — who with N. K. Birks (3 h.p. Rover motor cycle) secured the maximum number of points (500) on the first, dav — scored 999 points out of the possible 1000. The former lost one minute in getting to Mannum, and must be credited with a plucky performance. He met with a severe fall on the Saturday, which resulted in the petrol pipe becoming loose, and caused a serious leak on the homeward journey. However, he managed to makp pood the damage sufficiently to allow 'him to complete the course with only one minute lost. Mr Netter had a grievance with his machine's belt on Anstey's Hill, and arrived at Mannum only 58seo behind time. The rigid rules would not allow of that fraction of a minute being made up, but Mr Nettec will have the satisfaction of a run-off withN Mr Woodman, for the gold badge offered! by the club in the -lycle section. Mr R. A. Duncan has lodged a protesb against the De Dion: car driven by Mr Dippe on the ground that it did not carry throughout the journey the requisite number of passengers as provided by the rules. Mr Duncan etates in b^ written protest

khab in negotiating Palmer Hill, both on the outward and homeward journey, one of the passengers of the car alighted. The rules state that at least two persons, averaging 10 stone, must be carried throughout.

At one of the recent motor shows in liOndon the Daimler people booked no less than 55 orders for care, including one from H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. His Highaaese said when ordering, "They have never given me any trouble." The agregate value of the orders received was over ■£4-0,000.

— —A motor body in New York, the 'Atlantic Coast Motor Speedway Association, Las a big project on in the shape of a speed track at JBarnegat Bay, near New York. Over 2000 acres of land have been bought, fiituated on a large plateau in the midst of a, huge pine forest, and here a heart-shaped motor track will be laid out, five miles in circumference. There will be two straightaway^ rune along each side of one mile, and ,-within - this large track will be constructed a -smaller one, two miles in circumference, circular -in shape. The width of the tracks -■will be 4-Oyds. A huge grand stand, club house, inn, garages, and repair shops, etc., ,will also be constructed, while, in view of the rapid advance into popular use of the motor-boat, there will be a racecourse marked out in the bay, a» well as a boatehed and clubhouse erected.

T Messrs W. J. Proctor and H. B. James, of the Dunlop Tyre- Company, were 'to" . leave Melbourne last month on what is iprobably the longest "straight-out" motor run yet attempted in Australia. The trip •will extend over some 2000 miles, which it is proposed to cover under a fortnight. The Toute, weather permitting', will be over the recent motor~ course from Melbourne to Sydney, and will then probably extend over another 1000 miles of New South Wales roads. The abject of the trip is not a speed one, but with a view of severely testing some special automobile motor tyres that the Dunlop Company propose placing pi the Australasian market.

-= At the Olympia automobile show recintly held in London, one of the items -took, the form of a* tyre-fifcting: competition, the contestants having to detach a motor cover, remove innei tube, replace a new one, and refit cover and inflate tyre. The contest drew a big entry of tyre-fitting- exiperts, the majority of whom completed 1 the "operation under ten minutes. Almost incredible time was put up by the winner, J. lYoung, an employee of the Wolseley Company, Birmingham, who carried out the dejtaching, refitting, and inflating in the record " [time of smin 48 2-seec. At the annual meeting of the {English Automobile Olub it was announced I;hat it had been decided to give gold medals, ■to the drivers in the Selection Trials and the Gordon Bennett race of 190*, and bronze anedals to their-mechanics, and a special gold : medal to Mt S. W. E3ge for his victory "fin the "cup race of 1902; and a silver medal jjtq- Mr Cecil Edge, who acted as his me.eteanic on -that occasion. In its budget 'sfor 1905 the Automobile , Club has made provision for an outlay in revenue account of nearly £15,000. Interesting items to be Moted are^—^uns, tours, and trials, £500; Gordon Bennett "race, 1965, £250; signposting of aTiondon to Paris route, £100. . — — A sensational motor car accident 'happened in Malop street, Geelong, laet month. Soon after 11 o'clock a motor car, - owned by Mr Edgar J. Moore, licensee "of the Royal Hotel, Collins ' street, Meltoourne, crashed into a cab driven by a man named H. Ferguson. The two vehicles ■were locked together, and were carried over the footpath by the force of the impact. There were five riders in the car, and all were thrown out violently, but fortunately non c were very badly injured. -_ : It is advisable for the newly-fledged motorist .to practise on the brake, and learn to estimate both distance and the speed of the car accurately before using it in crowded thoroughfares. A good guide to tyre inflation when no pressure gauge is fitted to the pump is 'to^ take two of the spokes of the wheel, 'one in each hand, and stoutly shake the car, noticing whether the wheel moves to fend from the operator while the part of the Jfcyre on the ground remains stationary. If fcny of this side roll is apparent the tyre is not sufficiently inflated. Old hands, as well as novices, should fiot forget that the greatest care is required •Sn the handling of petrol, and that if the ivigil is for a moment relaxed serious results are likely to follow. ibreeds contempt," and through the constant ."handling of petrol, its inflammability and 'destructive powers, if not "entirely over- ■ 'looked, soon come to be lightly regarded, and the early precautions ■necessary for safety are not, maintained. It may, therefore, not be out of place to call attention to the fact 1 that the fluid which has the power to jpropel motor ears has also the power to destroy them, and to do damage of a. serious nature if -it is not properly handled. '- A very interesting letter lies before Jne from Mr Charles Jarrott (says a writer in the English journal, The Motor), who tells me - that he has entered a motor bicycle and rider for the International AutoCycle Cup Race. He has selected a J.A.P. motor cycle of high horse-power, and Mr Hodgkinson, who rode a machine ■ j)i this make in last year's event, will conduct it through. Mr Jarrott has no Vjecuniary interests in tne machine, and so tie is, in this connection, an amateur (that Js, non-trade) owner just as is Mr Lionel de Rothschild, who has entered a car for the Gordon Bennett race, or any other sportsman who enters a horse for the Derby. J. must say that I am thoroughly delighted that Mr Jarrott has taken this step. I Jcnow, too, of another wealthy enthusiast who has -virtually made up his mind to do exactly as Mr Jarrott has done. The ■only difficulty is finding the machine, and if any firm is prepared to accept an order for a high-powered racer I should be able 16 at one© bring the buyer and seller together. Mr Jarrott says he has made up •Ms mind to go on entering a machine until England wins the Cup, and it is only a matfcer of time and experience for this to take place. He feels that his entry will increase his interest in the event, and he is anxious that in going over to a foreign country we should make some sort of a show. Mr Jarrott' s own experience can,I feei sure, be turned to good account before and on the day of the race, if he can be induced to become one of the Auto-CYcle Club's representatives on the course. The club will endeavour to locate at different points on the route a dozen or more such representatives, who, with their knowledge of Continental racing and the language, can. asskt the English riders in all cases of trouhJ^u

FRANCE ASTONISHED Al ENGLAND'S PROGRESS.

It may not be too late to refer to a matter that arises out of the recent Olympia Show, especially as the subject is the awakening of France to yet another unwelcome fact. France was never more surprised when she found that her word was not law in connection with the Gordon Bennett Cup race, the law, in fact, being laid down by "perfidious Albion" and other countries for whom she had previously had supreme contempt. Now another disheartening blow has been received, and received not at the hands of some enthusiast, but from a man as biassed in favour of the French automobile as the Marquis de Dion. Hitherto the French makers have considered their position in the automobile industry as unassailable. They build the finest cars (said they); they enjoy tho highest prices obtainable for big cars; they could afford to ignore the small car, and as they turned out large quantities they could always compete with foreign makers and so prevent any diversion of the vast business which flowed into France. But the Marquis de Dion and other level-headed men came over and saw~ the recent show at Olympia, and what they saw there has compelled them to go back and warn their compatriots that, quite unexpectedly, the turning point has been reached. The British industry, in fact, has progressed marvellously since the French had. last deigned to give a glance in its direction. The French have rested in a sense of false security, and now- have awakened to the fact that not only has England crept up to her, but is contesting her place. The French have, to a man, chosen to ignore the small car, those who embarked upon its manufacture having become inevitably attracted to the more luxurious vehicle, with the result that the output of the latter in France is now very large — in excess of the demand, in fact, so that the foreign markets are essential. In England. America, and Germany, however, the problem of the small car has been seriously tackled, particularly in England, and now it is seen" that the latter country has gone some distance in the endeavour to monopolise the business in the moderatepriced car. And as the English people gain confidence in the English makers, it becomes obvious that England must also secure a very profitable share of the trade in big cars. So France can see that the door is rapidly being closed against the entry of her products into England, whilst at the same time the latter is becoming, because of her great wealth, because of her vast middle class, and because of the practical sense and utilitarian nature of her people, the greatest consumer of automobile products. America and Germany, which have taken some of France's surplus output, are hastening towards the point where they will bfe able to dispense with the foreign article, and thus France Is viewing with dismay the rapid dwindling of her foreign market. Then, again, France now realises for the first time the wonderful possibilities in front of the industrial branch of automobilism. The display of motor omnibuses, waggons, and small business cars at Olympia astonished the Continental visitors, who saw that England had taken this branch into her own hands and had already developed it so far that she had secured an absolutely commanding lead. The Continental makers saw that they had neglected public transport, a branch which is certain, in time, to become even more profitable than the business in purely pleasure vehicles, and they have now begun to look mpre closely into the purely practical aspect of the new movement. In making these remarks we wish to emphasise the fact that they are not English opinions at all, but the opinions of those who have been, from the commencement, at the very forefront of the French automobile movement. They give us ample food for thought, and whilst they serve as a serious warning to the French makers, they also serve as an incentive to British manufacturers to go ahead "with greater vigour and with greater determination than ever. — The Motor.

CYCLING ROAD RACE. CHHISTCHTJHCH, May 4,

The annual Swift Cycle Road Race Handicap was held this afternoon, the course being from Riccarton to West Milton and back, a, ■distance of 25 miles. The race was won by J. Dempsey (lOmin). Tune, 70min lsec. H. E. MeErtens (2min) put up the fastest time, @3min 9sec.