CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 59

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

FIXTURE. January 1 and 2.— Otago Caledonian Society's Annual Games. (Secretaries of ijjorts bodies holding bicycle races at -(heir meetings are requested to forward copies of programme to '• Demon.") BY J)EMO>. Three bicycle races are open for competition on the first day of the Otago Caledonian games, to i*3 .hekl at New Year, and four on the second day. The eventa are as follovft: — First day: Half-! mile, £2 15*. £1 15s, £1; One Mile, £3 iOe, £1 15s, £1; Tuo Miles, £4 10s, £2, £1. Second day: One Mile, £2 ICb, £1 10s, £1; Two Mile.:., £4, £2, £1; One Mile, £2 10s, £1 10s, £1; One-mile Consolation, | £2, £l 10^, 10b. Entries (each 2s 6d) close : on Saturday, December 19. Mr S'ttton, Waihingi, drove do:vn | to Dunedia in. his nejv 20 h.p. Rover car last week. This car is painted and upholstered in red, with usual Rover finish. Mr A. H. Le Cren has purchased from Messrs Cooke, Howiison and "Co. a ' 16 h.p. Buick car. I A two-cylinder Rover car,, opened in Wellin/?tori la«t week, has created an J exceptionally favourable impression in motoring circles. It is to the order of a j Wanpdnui ifentleman. It is reported to be as silent as almost any four-cylinii3r car. Messrs Cooke. Howiison, and Co. are taking- rlcliverv a new 16 h.p. Buick next week. The south road is in a very bad state at piv«ent. Tho ioose stones are an abomination to c-veryone except the Continental, Dunlop, and Michelin Companies. No tyiva iiill atand these roads.. The rain tlm week should prove of great benefit to the south road—in fact all the roads on -which it fell. Mr Davies, Oamaru, was in Dunedin in his 15 h.p. Humber last Sunday. This car ought to be able to do this, trip now without a. driver. Mr Cooke drove through from Ohristchurch la^t week in an 8 h.p. Rover car. He had a non-stop run, excepting ono puncture. Mr Stacey, a visitor from Melbourne, is at present on a holiday tour of New Zealand, which he is accomplishing by the excellent medium of a motor car —a 14-20 Clement Bayard. Mr Stacey, who is aocompanied by his wife, arrived at the Biuff last week, and has since "<kxn-e" the Lakes. He leaves Dunedin for Cbristohurch to-day. Mr Percy Haltenetein, of Obr.istohoiroa, wae in town last week in his new 18-20 Renault. Mr Hallenetein went north again on Tuesday. The 50 miles roacf race -under th« aiispicee of tho ChristohuTch Cycling Club an-cf tho Ohristohuroh Retail CycLe Traders' Association is to bo decided on Saturday. Tbe course wiH be to Lce»ton and back

to Christ church. I understand a young 1 Dunedin rider in Holmes will be a competitor in the race. No outside pacing i« to be permitted. , The Dunlop Rubber Company i* considering the practicability' of organising a oyclo despatch relay race from Adelaide to Sydney, a distance of about 1122 miles. The idea would be to enlist' tbe support of *t)he Coram|om.w«alth military authorities, the despatch to be car1 Tied from capital to capital in 20 to 25 miles' stages, each section, .to .be negotiated by two cyclists. The principal difficulty would be in crossing the 90 Miles Desert on the South Australian section of the ride. TBis, however, is not insurmountable. If such a ride is found practicable it will probably be held .next Easter, when the weather is fairly cool and the ■ advaufcag-e of a full moon obtainable. The ride would continue day a/ nd night, wee or fine, and would not call for_any undue or strenuous effort from oycliste, buc rather depend cm the proper connvecbing of tho chain of riders and careful organisation. It will be remembered that a somewhat similar despatch ride was got off « few years ago from Invercargill to Gharistohuirch, and proved most successful. -It is considered unlikely that the steel-studded type of tyre will much longer be permitted- on English roads, and m&k&n " are turning their attention to the production of rubber non-skid treads. Cyclists in Great Britain compla-in greatly of the inconsiderate driving by motorists, and in view of this the National Cyclists' Union has invitea the motoring organisations to meet its representatives 'at a conference during the winter to consider the possibility of joint action with j regard to the alleged reckless driving. ; Frank Kramer has wen the professional sprint championship of America eight times in succession. This year't event was decided at Vailsburg, when h« defeated Fogler by a length. | The only important record of the i " hour " series which was not altered this . year was M. Berfhet'e unpaced ride ol .25 miles 1568 yards. Tho other record* are: Motor-paced, 61 miles 973 yards, by A. E. Wills;, amateur motor-paced, 51 mihjfi 748 yards, by O. Lapize; professional human-paced, 30 miles 1699 yarde, 'by M. Brocco ; and the amateur human- | paced, 30 miles 1170 yards, by W. J. Petw As regards the effects of motoa I traffic on the roads, it is stated that fast cars have, whal may be described as a j grinding effect on itihe surface, in th« 6ense that tyres -tear -up small particles ; and this abrasion increases with the speed, sudden starting, and braking. On turning this destruction is increased by fch« action of centrifugal force, added to th« tangential effect due to tho tyres. Th« destructive effect of the tyres may be reduccdi by employing isupple breads, or where non-ekide are employed xhe rivets should be rounded off, and protrude from the tread as little ac possible. The Automobile Association of England ie taking practical measures to overcome the prejudice against the motor car. According to the Field, the association in the early summer formed a committee fop the purpose of dealing with oases of inconsiderate driving Their cyclist patrol* were specially organised with a view to observing the driving of cars on. the principal roads and rcportinfr those that were improperly driven. Out of 200 cases since | reported it ivas found that 159 required investigation, which took the form of a retquest to the owner of the car for an explanation. In 88 of thee© cases the owners have reprimanded their drivers and thanked the association for calling their attention to the matter ; in five "oaees the driver was discharged; and in only four | fiaa the offence been repeated. Where no I reply hes been, received lo the inquiry 'a • second and stronger letter has been .wiritten. Only about 17 per cent, of the total number reported belonged to members of the association. Incidentally, the com1 mittee has found that trouble has arisen in many cases throug-h want of proper attention to recognised rules and ctw=tom» of the ioaA

b After raking part in the annual six days' race at Madison Square Garden, New York, which was to commence on December 7, in which he will t'j&g- as team mate with Iver Lawson, A. J. Clarke (the Australian champion), now one of the three fastest sprinters in tho world, is to cross over to Paris and take pairfc in the indoor rac-rf meetings -which commence there in Janua.ry. Macfarlar.d and othsr Americans will alco make the trip. Henri Mayer, who has just returned to Paris after an American tear, where he met Clarke and Kramer in competition, stated to a Pari- ! sian newspaper representative -that Clarke ! 1-9 t-hs fastest rider m the -world, but lacks headwork. flayer tmhe-sitaringly says trurt " next year Clarke will be world's sprint champion." During the period from 1901 to 1907 3559 motor" vehicles have been imported into Australia. Of this number 1175 went to New South Wales, 1436 t© Victora, 152 to QueOTisland, 496 to South Australia, 224 to. West Australia, amd 96 to Tasmania. The totar value of the vehicles was £697.036, and the dufv amounted to £144,191. Motor cyclts imi ported during- the nine months ending September 30, 1908. were valued at £12,198. the duty being £3469. Bodies for motor ears, lorries, and waggons, £27.743. wkh , duty amounting to £9443; and cha&ses for motor cars, lorries, and waggons, . £191,800, the ddry-.fceintr. £4617. I In dealing with the question as to the j capacity of rubber tyres atand in hot J climates, Motor Traction states : "That there is immediate business waiting for any tyre> j manufacturer who will guarantee a reasonI able mileage for his solid tyres in hot . countries we know for a fact." TRIFLING WITH DEATH. The . world's hour cycle record-holder — A. E. Wills — in an interview recently said : " No doubt my best ride is that at Munich, ■when I juat missed riding 100 kilometres (62& miles) in the bcurT' On the Continent the most coveted of all records is the hour. There are many reasons why this should be soj but the chief one to a professional rider 13 that in the event of his being successful he can obtain big appearance money, and get plenty of engagements. The hour record is not easy, as motor-pacing makes it very risky, and you carry your life in. your hands as long as you keep going owing to the : very high rate of speed. My motor pacer — Btertm — and I were a<* Munich for a fortnight before we had the right weather, but when the afternoon ame at about 5 o'clock we sent for the timekeeper, and started on what waa to be the event of my life. I almost' shudder when 1 think of my experience in that -hour. I was like a ! man mesmerised, toy actions being auto- ' matie. The vibration and rapid pedalling seemed to take all the life out of me. But ' t the worst pant of the- ride was not known j until I had finished. Previous to the start- i ing Bertin warned me that if I s aw a white ■ strip appear on the tread of his back tyre I was to let hfin know at once, so that | he could stop the engine. The white strip was the canvas lining of the outer cover, and its appearance would be the sign that the rubber had worn through. To keep j going would almost surely mean a burst • tyre, and at over 60 miles an hour^probably death to both of us. Well, we continued round and found at the enormous pace, and at three, miles to go I saw the white, strip. I felt somehow that we would last out, and I did not let Bertin know, but I prepared to throw myself off the bicycle when the burst came. It didn't come, and we finished all right, getting the hour and , the 100 kilometre records. But when Berfcin saw nhat back tyre he said enough 1 to cure me of not doing as he instructed me I in future." i _____ ! A WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE. Alpine climbers and travellers are familiar with Mount Prarion, that prominent neighbour of Mont Blanc. This , formidable peak of the High Savoy has been climbed on a small car with a one-cylinder motor of 100 mm. bore. The g.radient ranges from 1 in 12 to 1 in. 4, and in some portions they are even as 6teep as 1 in 2£. * Whereas 1 in 10 ia a fairly easy hill for a good car 1 in 5 is about as steep as is met with in Great Britain, and as much a$ the/ majority ! of even the best car 3 can climb. What, | then, must a gradient of 1 in 2£ be like, oven when the surface _is that of an ordinary road? In climbing Mont Prarion 'the first part of the journey is over a rough zig-zag mule track, on which the use of wheeled vehicles with animal traction is impracticable. Ther track often skirts the edges of "high precipices and turns at such acute angles that the car had to be backed more than once in most dangerous and difficult positions before the corner was negotiated. - Owing to the loose nature of ■the surface the car often slipped backwards and sideways, and there was no litle risk of it falling over the precipices. Tnis track is -.uceeeded by the rough side of the mournain. The surface consists of stones, ruta cut by watercourses often, 12in to 15in deep, hidden on the lower parts by tangled growth and "hppery grass. This is inter-aper-'ij with larch and fir trees, alternating with rocks that lock as though a touch would send them crashing down the mountain sub. Tiie climb commences from the parish church of St. Gervais (height, 2600 ft], ar.d the distance of the pavilion on i tli3 top of the mountain (height 6945 ft) is 6700 metres (+i miles). Only once before has this mountain been successfully attacked on a motor car, and then it was a high- ' powered one, with four cylinders of 120' mm. bore, and the time occupied was 2hr ' 50min. Although the conditions of the surface were all against the car, as heavy rains had fallen on several days the single cylinder De Dion Bouton beat thus time by no le--5 tihan 48m :r>. a-rooinph^hing the climb in 2hr 2min. The feat was duly attested by Maitre Paul Fischer, officer of 1-e Tribunal Civil de Bonneville. THE GRAND PRIX MOTOR RACE QF 1909. Arrangements for conducting next year's big motoring event — the Grand Prix — tHe world's premier motor race, have already been taken in hand by the Au-tomobile Club of France. The knowledge gained in the last event, carried 1 off by a Mercedes car, together with the recent successful British contest for the tourist trophy, won by a Dunlop-ahcd Hutton car (Eng.), has already born© fruit, and even at this early 6tage it 13 certain a considerable reduction in the bore of the competing oars will be enforced in the next contest for the Grand Prix. It is understood that Germany, which last year proposed a maximum bore of 135mrn., g_U 3 oar favoured a. reduction to 12Qimn.

(about 4.5 inches), while the Italian, Belgian, and English delegates also favoured a large rochict on. There is thus likely to be a kocn struggle foi the French delegates are insisting en 140 mm. With a s^in bore and a lower minimum weight the speed average will certainly be over 70 miles an hour on such a course at that at Anjou, ■which has been eelected for the next event, and may even reach the record of 74.3 miles*a.n hour, established on fhe Bologna course tyro months baok. It remains to 1» seen whether the lower weight of the cars will be ent>ugh to give then sufficient immunity from tyre rouble to prevent falsification of the results. iIOTOR CYCLING. " J The motor-cycling tourist trophy took place on September 22, in the Isle of Man. The course Vvas a circle of nearly 16 miles, which had to be traversed 10 times, making in all a distance of 158 miles 220 yards. Two -elates of machines competed, 15 being ' single-cylinder and 21 inulti-cylinder. They were despatched in pairs — one of each dieacription — at 305 ec iirtervals, and an interesting race, which was devoid of mishap, ended in a triumph for the singlecylinders, two of which made the best time. Mr J. Marshall, on a Triumph, came in first in 4hr 4min 50 l-56ee, and Mr 0.- R. Collier, on a Matchless, second, in 4hr 7min 6 4-sseCj while ihe first of the "doubles," i Mr EL. Reed, on a Dot, took Vhr 15min 58 2-ssec. A FLIGHT WITH WRIGHT. Mr Franlr Hedges Buller, of London, a well-known member of the Aero Club, ha<i a fly in Mr Wilbur Wright's aeroplane at Le Mans, near Paris, recently, and this is what he has to cay on the- experience and the future prospects of' aeroplanes : — " Like a bird in a oage, yes ! I have flown ! To look back seems like a, dream, but I have seen Mr Wilbur Wright fly for over an hour by day and by night. I have aleo seen 16 passengers, including two ladies, make af^flight with him. One asks what • it feels like to fly ; the answer is there is no sensation whatever, it is as if man, hadalways flown. To give an idea, it is gliding over sparkling water where you can see the bottom. A perfect feeling of security and stability ; turning the oorners • and .tipping the wings are like skating on the outside edge. Wright feels his levers • and looks at his planes, as a skipper looks ' at his sails to see if they are full. The ■ great problem of the navigation of the air, which is now solved, must proceed. Future battles will be fought in the air, and a new aerial force different from the army and navy, will be formed. Lighthouses on land will be erected by the Trinity Board to mark the way at night. Lamps on aeroplanes or flyers will •be used ; with smaller planes speed will be terrific, 200 miles an hour. Twenty-one miles across the Channel means a few minutes ; the wi^nds at sea blow steadier than on land. Aeroplanes can be made to float on the water and raise themselves. No reason, if now they can carry equul to three passengers, an aeroplane should not carry more .vith larper planes and engines. The North Polo, tropical forests of Central Africa, Australia, . and the Sahara Desert will be new fields for the explorer to glide over. In less thain 10 years the cost of a machine will be £100. May the Brothers Orville and Wil- \ bur Wright live for many year 3to continue < and improve their great invention of the age. the heavi-sir-than-a<ir flying machine. ■, My log is 120 free balloon ascents, one in . a dirgible airship, tlie Yille do Paris, and K ( on© in the Wright aeroplane." I