Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 59

Cycling and Motor Notes

BY DEMON.

Secretaries of sports bodies putting bicycle ©Tents on their sports programmes are requested to forward copy of programme to '* Demon."

The stakes (£25 a side) have been deposited for the cycle race between J. Arnst and, A. Birch from Timaru to Christchurch, which will be ridden on February 10. There have been some peculiar happenings in connection with .cycle racing on Southland tracks this season (says Southland Times), and the societies concerned have been asking for interference by the Southland Centre of the N.Z.A.U., consequently the matter will come up for consideration at a meeting of the local union, executive on Friday evening next. Bicycle races are under the jurisdiction of the New Zealand League of Wheelmen. The secretary (Mr E. Nordon) reported to a recent meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association that while in Wellington he had interviewed the Prime Minister regarding the association’s proposed Easter trial run to the Mount Cook Hermitage, and had ahK> written to the Hon. T. Mackenzie on the matter, with the result that the Tourist Department had offered to provide beds for 45 persons and food for 60 at the Hermitage, and to make inquiries regarding the hire of Defence Department tents, if additional acoommoda-

tion was required. It was considered doubtful, however, if the tents would be available at Easier, as they were then in use at the annual Volunteer encampvrienfcs. The secretary was instructed to obtain full details of the accommodation which would be available. New South Wales, who retired a couple of seasons ago, states his intention of racing again. Brook will make his reappearance at the Druids' Gala, to be held on the Agricultural Ground on January 26. When he retired Brook vr'ac showing splendid form, and having done, a good deal of roadriding, he anticipates no trouble in regaining his old-time form. Brook's reappear ance will bo welcomed in cycling circles, for he is a good all-round rider. Dr A. Paterson, who has just returned to Chistehurch from a visit to America, states that the motor car has a marvellouc grip on the people there. In several of the large cities processions of care may be seen all day long. In some cases a minimum speed of 15 miles an hour is imposed in order to prevent the blocking of the traffic. The cars vary greatly in regard to both size and cost, hut the most popular type seems to be one which cost? about £l2O, and which can be made to attain a fairly good speed. Showing that the law in Melbourne, so far as fast motor driving is concerned, is no respecter of persons, Walter Jeffs, chauffeur to Mr Justice Hodges, was recently charged at the Prahan Court. Constable Rose, South Yarra, said that at 7.35 p.m. on December 5 he was at South Yarra Railway Station, and saw the> defendant driving a car .along Toorak road. The car cut out the distance from Darling street to Punt road (468yds) in 34see, which was at the rate of 27 miles an hour. The other occupants of the car were Mr Justice Hodges and Mrs Hodges. Mr Justice Hodges gave evidence that the car at no point of the journey (which was two and a-half miles) travelled at ?, greater speed than 15 miles an hour. It certainly never attained 20 miles. He had never seen the Toorak rcrd so destitute of traffic as upon this occasion. Witness's watch was absolutely correct on the occasion, and by it the car reached its destination (a considerable distance) at just over 7.35. The bench found that tho .car -was travelling "furiously," and defendant was fined £5. Upon the application of Mr Justice Hodges the fine was increased to £5 ss, in order to allow of an appeal. Stay of proceedings for three weeks was granted. Recently reference was made to a motor device for attaching to the ordinary bicycle, and which takes the form of an auxiliary wheel attached to the side, not at the rear, of the back wheel. It consists of a cycle-type wheel of 20in in diameter, fitted with a 2in motor cycle tyre, a neat little horizontal two-stroke engine, carburetter, magneto, etc. There are no valves in the engine The explosive charge lis drawn ifaito and the exhaust products expelled from the engine by the alternate covering and uncovering of the nooessary port* solely by the piston. The engine develops 1| h.p. The motor wheel is easily attached to the bicycle, and

is adapted: for both ladies and. genSe* .; men's machines. It will not satisfy tboei who lust for speed. Its .initial eosfc v moderate; its upkeep works out at th* rate of about. Qd for 100 miles; it- caa be fitted to any bicycle without previous altera*, tion; it places no rdditional Strain uponf the machine; and when fitted—a\'fnatter oft a few minutes—it enables the jridfer ti freewheel comfortably at a speed of IS aniks an hour on the level—loss, if deske* —and. should j-bolish forever the- terror*] of head winds and hill-climbs. If fcba devi.ee fulfils all that is claimed for it tha problem of the motor-assisted bicycle* U nearly solved. i Many motorists to-day were cue* cyclists, some of them ardent in the* pastime. Yet, few, indeed, after possessing!;, a car, ever reverted) to their old lcvei*' Ono- of these., however, was Mr S. IV Edge, the motorist, who has driven further, than any other in the limits of a singia day. More than once he has spoken written of the beneficial effects of wheel-* ing when combined with motoring. He made great use of the bicycle in lus training preparatory to undertaking his all-day drive, when he averaged very nearly 65 miles fcn? every hour of the 24. He found, and' fit-ill finds, mental relaxation in cycling, together with a fair modicum of exerciss— * an easy and natural movement. \ The fate of the race for the Grand Prix (at any rate as resrards the coming _ year) was decided on November 30. _!*!.. had been announced by the Club of France that unless the entries} numbered at least 45 the event would- not be held. When the list closed it contained only 12 entries. Consequently there will be no contest for the trophy in 1910. Travel in o oar is ars entirely differ-.-•ut thing from driving behind the fastest horses; it is. indeed, more analogous to. railway travelling, and it i» certain thaf the slowest-going train would travel empbK :f the would-be passengers were offered-e,<--com mediation such as is provided on many automobiles. Bub there was abundant proof . at the Olympia Show that a quiet revolu-; tion is in progress in this matter. It is not onlv a question of protection, but akot of comfort. ~ The driver of a motor has a much greater strain put upon him physically and mentally than any driver of ai horse carriage, and hence it is absolutely. ( necessarv that he should be perfectly at _ his ease. The journeys made in automobile* are for longer than any that- would b 4 cossible by ordinary carriage, and there* fore the passengers require mo p o consider** tion. The great essentala for comfortf able travelling are the correct height of seats, their springing, and the angle at which they are placed. English files report that the phenomenal success of the Olympia show was * surprise alike to the public and the trade* In the evenina-s the crowd wes so thicK that manv of the railings round the stands were broken down. In points of real interest, as distinguished from freaks fad®, the show was the most prolific held* A prominent writer 3ays: "Just as every body was concluding that the motor car was nearing finality in- design a host of new and practical ideas are cropping up. The succession of the Daimler slide-valve cn.arine has evoked a. number of new motors, both two and fo'ir cycle, to achieve similar results. Of these I regard the Cooper four-cylinder two-stroke, with its pu-ton unlet valves, as one of the most promi'Sinsr, and I shall be able to report the result of searching personal road testa next month There, was always n crowd at the Daimler stand, intentlv watching the clever illuminated working diagrams of the Knight motor on the four s»<df>3 of a handsome square clerq tower. Interest, too, was shown in the new 33 h.n. eix-cylinder model and the 15 h.p. four-cvlirder, both of which should make delightful cars." has entirely <--one out of favour, and where the tri-oar" has never been- ponular, there has often ocen expressed a desire for a motor-car to carry ono person only. The persons calling' for its u=e are commercial travellers, doctor**, rood surveyors, and other professional and business men who have to .travel alone and without much' lugsravc. The first vehicle of thi tvpo has just bean put en the market under the title of the Zebra. .It is remarkable by, reason of ils small dimensions, but is very conventional in design. An engineer for a time connected with the Un-ic factory is responsible for the design, and has

produced a vehicle' that -is certainly of pleasing appearance. The motor is a single-cylinder, of 5 h.p., mounted on a pressed-steel frame, and carried under a bonnet of very ample dimensions. Valves are mechanically operated, and the only ignition is by high-tension .magneto. Petrol and oil tanks arc on the dash-board. A disc clutch connects the engine to a sliding gear set, and final drive is by propeller shaft to rear live axfe. Instead of the steering column being on the right, it is in the centre, with the brake and the change-speed levers in the usual position. The total weight of the little car is 6601 b Its speed on the level is Jl miles an hour, and its price complete £IOO. _^._H[i (e front-wheel'brake is being looked upon more favourably now that it is seen to be quite practicable. It must have struck many that the braking shoulo be done on all wheels, instead of throwing all the strain on the roar wheels. There is, however, a movement in another direction—that of dispensing with the countershaft brake, and having a double set of brakes on the rear wheels—the idea being to relieve the transmission of severe braking strains. The approved method appears to" be that of arranging contracting bands or shoes on the exterior of the usual internal brake drum, this brake being controlled by the pedal instead of by handThere can be no doubt that, mechanically, it is quite correct to take all braking strains off the transmission. It is probable that eventually the pedal will be made.to actuate front and rear wheels simultv neously, leaving the extra rear-wheel brakes in reserve to be actuated by side lever. The following, tip (writes "C. H" in the Auto-car) may be useful to readers who have an engine difficult to start in paid weather. Mine fa a two-cylinder engine, having an automatic air-valve of the mushroom type, controlled by a spring, projecting horizontally .from the inductionpipe nearly on a level with the top of the jot. I find it necessary foi; starting in cold weather to open the throttle wide much wider fahan the engine requires for running on when once started. The consequence, however, is that this valve immediately comes into operation, thereby allowing cold air to enter and preventing the engine running. I have accordingly cut a small block cf wood of such a size (say about lin long) as to make a tight fit into the neck of the valve (along the spring), the effect being absolutelv to prevent it moving. 1 ana that when this is done, and the carburetter well flooded, the engine will usually start almost at once, even in the coldest weather, whereas formerly I have sometimes worked away at the starting handle for 20 minute or more without success. ' As soon as the engine has run for a few. seconds the throttle can be partially closed, the ignition advanced, and the block, removed. Ihc engine will run perfectly normal. At Brooklarids on November 25 0. C Godfrey accomplished a remarkable record ride for a motor-bicycle of only 3i hp. Mounted on his' Tourist Trophy Rex, he covered 50 ' miles in 49rmn 59 2-ssec. and in one hour'rod© 59 miles 1350 yards both of these .being records for tthe aingle-cyjlindeir class. ,:;-.;The previous records were 50 miles . in.," 53min 58 4-ssec by Lee Evans on an Indian, and in one hour 59 miles 485 yards by, Bowen on a Bat. Godfrey would have ,continued for other records, but at 35/ laps the bracks supporting the magneto was- damaged. The world's record for three hours has also been beaten by H. Martin an a two-cylin-der Jap. He first got. inside record at 119 miles, and in the,, three , hours he covered 165 miles 930 j-ar.ds ti - , ;; The Royal Automobile,, Club compiled a statement of the,numbers of motorvehicles registered and liqe-iuses to drive ■issued in the United Kingdom at the end of September last, which shows a total of j 83,773 of every description, as compared with 154,415 in the same date in 1908. In London 43,000 motor-vehicles' were registered, of which 4074 wore for, commercial purposes. Many other towns : each have hundreds cf mechanically-propelled vehicles for trade purposes, and the.., numbers in this cla-"3 "ve rapidly growing. Chester, for 'instance, has' 647 and Southampton 626. -.,- , Althouch the Budget,,has ... been rejected by the House .0f... Lords,, eays the Motor-car Journal, it does not .mean that the petrol tax will cease. ,It, is still being collected, and the only apparent redress is by means of an action in the courts-—a costly proceeding. ~-.-. To-day popular motoring is to an extent exemplified by the taxi-cabs which are running about London and other big cities throughout the world. Many a man who has used one of these, vehicles must have thought what a fine thing it would be were he the actual owner of.sucb. a machine; and it will be -the same bora. The' keynote of the taxi-cab's popularity during the past two years is ii;s efficiency. . Under the heading- "Australia's Stupendous Race," the Bicycling- World, of New York, says that "beyond doubt, the thirteenth annual Dunlop Road Rac o . . . was not only the greatest road-race ever held in the Antipodes; but was as stupendous as any contest over held in any other part of the worjd." The English paper Cycling, from which I quoted regarding the race a fortnight ago, makes further comments in the issue just to hand. It states that two of its readers have sent letters, "explaining, in a measure, the phenomenal times recorded. One of these has a friend in Australia who informs him that the Warrnambool-to-Melbourne course is mostly downhill, and that the riders were assisted by a gale.. It .would take them a fortnight (a mere figure of speech, I presume) to make the journey in the opposite direction." Even .allowing for any trifling exaggeration, it would seem that both the paper and its correspondents (from all parts) are hazy in the matter of Victorian geography; they do not seem to know that both Melbourne and Warrnambool arc practically at sea level, and, therefore, the course cannot, possibly be "mostly downhill" in either .direction. The wonderful times recorded were the result of a combination of circumstances —physical -fitness, fair to good roads, proper food supply by the promoters during the .race, and a favourable wind. As against' this the first 50 miles was in parts wet and-'slushy, particularly to as far as Terang, 30 miles'. —— Germany is the first country, to begin the subsidising of automobiles for use in war timo, and in trade circles it is considered a high tribute of a -nation to the value of the motor-car for, purposes. The German Government: is now paying subsidies to owners of cars of cer-

'tain types. ', They, must -not be .sold, and cannot' be removed from the country except by permission. , If they are taken over entirely by the Government the owner is further indemnified by the War Office for the less of his vehicle. Further, the cars must be turned ever to the military authorities absolutely at a moment's notice. .— — Without" doubt this season has been the quietest, ?o far as regards path-racing, that I ("Fortis," in the Australasian) can remember, and that is since cycling was a sport. Until recent years, by the Pine the Austral meeting was lield, the racing season used to be in full swing. This fixture war always the gauge of the condition of the sport, and evidently still is. The standard was lowered when outside attractions were incorporated, and the' public /accepted the aport at the IUYB.C.'s valuation. Events have proved my contention of two or three years ago, that cycle racing has been exploited and overdone; it now requires absolute rest for a few years. Percy Mutton, the amateur champion of Australasia, will leave shortly on a racing tour abroad, and will represent Australia in the one-mile amateur championship of the world, to be run at Berlin in July. Mutton will also ride in the British Empire amateur championships. In Australia Mutton is in a class by himself, and at his best would probably hold his own against the amateurs of Europe. He is a very fine sprinter. Mutton is undertaking the trip at his own expense. Mutton is particularly anxious to meet Bailey, the. Englishman, who is the fastest amateur in Europe to-day. With Clarke in the professional mile and Mutton in the amateur mile, both world's sprint championships for 1910 stand a big chance of coming to the Commonwealth. The Canterbury Automobile Association is considering the question of adopting an official badge to be affixed to the cars of members, and designs are being obtained," and wili be submitted at a coming meeting or the committee.' Motorists who frequent Tuapeka County will do well to make 'themselves acquainted with the new by-laws just promulgated. There are numerous provisions intended for safety, and on several roads motoring is prohibited altogether. These are: the road from the Beaumont to the Menzion Burn, on the east side of the Molyneux River; the road frem a point about two miles below the Beaumont bridge, and following the west side of the _ Molyneux River to the Rongahere punt; that portion of the Main road from Tuapeka Flat to Tuapeka Mouth which extends from Labes's bridge to the top of Bruce's Hill, Waitahuna West. The sections which are forbidden to motors will be indicated by signs. The Otago Rowing Club's senior four— Messrs J. F. M'Gratb, J. R. Kerr, E. A. Stevens, A. C. Paterson, and Leslie Calbraith (cox), —accompanied by Mr M. H. Priest (captain) and Mr S. Sandes (deputy captain), left by the Ulimaroa to compete at the New Zealand championship regatta at Picijon on the 24th of this month. :?..; .- -..

AVIATOR'S FINE FLIGHT. Mr Maurice Farman; brother of Mr Henry Farman, made a remarkable longdistance cross-country ilight "on the afternoon of December 9v' : Hie started from his ehed at B'uo (France) 1 /at- 2.52, and travelling by way of Traces* La VeEriere, Le Perray, Rambouillet, ; Orphin,' 'Oallardon, and Coltinville 'he landed at Chartres at 3.45, having covered forty-two miles in 53mi.n. His average height from the ground during the flight was 240 ft. The aviator's line of flight lay across the deep valley of Gallardon. The weather was cold, but bright and fine, with plenty of sunshine and very little-"wind blowing. The flight was the first of an aerial journey from Paris to Bordeaux. Mr Farman intended to fly on from Chartres to Tours, the next day from Tours to Orleans, then from Orleans to Poitiers, and thenee to Angouleme aiid Bordeaux. The flight constitutes a record for a direct non-stop cross-country> flight from one point to another. The duration record for a cress-country flight is held by M. Paulhan, who on September 13'remained in the air for lhr 36min. Much l longer flights have, of course, been made over aerodromes. The Russian police have forbidden attempts at aviation in a.nd near St. Petersburg and other large towns. Some time ago .a well-known . business man in St. Petersburg the last man in the world to be regarded as a ootontial malefactor — raised subscriptions for a rational airship fund, which he has since been compelled by the police to return, and to drop his propaganda, the police notion being that, if aeroplane's a.nd airships wm? into several use they ilight be employed by 'revolutionaries for nil sorts of dreadful purposes, to drop bom Hi or ew-VstV bottles upon the Bureau of Police. So .the order has crone forth *>h».t nnv aeroplane or airship *'°en aloft within the .prohibited orea is to be shot at on eitrbjt. ■ The police would be -.. terrible* iwr»re if it were not a national laujrhinr' sto^k. The French M- T t.plap!ra ,l '' n . has been killed wbi'p. undertaking a fliah 1 at. At the time of the ac-j----dent I ' r fls ussi.ti'- th« Bleriot mononl.a.ne w't.h s+ the Doncftstei nuvatinrf* on October % bst V>« f <n'Vt »t tb" l 'ato of 49.9 miles an how- T T« bad cireled '' three' Hroesi rowtd the Bordeaux course at ct. snood of 40 mile* an hour, and at a- ! Kei<rht of .about 75't. when a violent trust of w'nd do"bl>°d lip tih" loft win?: of the iwohine. Th ; s caused the righ*' wine to colls'fw*. p"d the mo"o----nlane ipreciovtip+etly ntoon. th» voqF of a shed, end' then foil to the <rround. Delasr.ranlge was ejected hend foremost from his wet, "'and was '''lied the i"staut Vin «f—iy>k th'P ■~P" i b. Tbr> w»< as one of the .-.most enterprising a'nd''*'uooessful of Europe*© aviators. Durttwt I Q OB lie onrried on a iserles of trials- in the d'Armi at home, under the auspices of the Italian 'Society of, Aviation, and on May 31 made the circuit of an. extensive course -marked' out as a parallelocram. On September 7, 1508. at J?ara. he ixv-omplkhed l a flior.hr lasting ?Qmiin 53sec, ""d 10 davs later b* -flayv for 30min, 27s<ec. T u ~*t -<-iD.av he made other noteworthy Will the aeroplane be a machine of

W.practical x»c? j fpt, question ..ba§ Wlen been heard, ' and it fee ently been a«r swered in the afiirrr.am >1 Latham, the French aviator. lor ~-.,, Little Urn* M Latham has been experimenting with his monoplanes at Chalons. He received an invitation tc ' shoot one day with the Marquis de Polignac, at Berru, situated at a distance of 20 mites from the aerodrome. The Marquis is greatly > uttOMftted in aerial navigation, being one of the organiser* of the Ilheims meeting, and lie had lkewise invited a nomoor of other rftects who have also done much to help forward aeronautical sport. The weather being fine except for the wind, M. Lauham quietly decided to make the journey, not in his motor car, as would have been the ordinary case, hut in his monoplane. He S 3 the camp at 10 15 a.m. and -ininediatelv attained, a height of from 300 ft to & in order to be able to find wj oasily the course he had to take The wind ho encountered' being strong, he was ucevented from reaching his, destination as soon as he expected. He. however, landed with ease quite close to the shooting box, 15 minutes late, for which he apologised, and then sat down to lunch as if vt were an everyday event. The guests were taken completely by surprise, as the idea had been kept a complete secret, except from. the Marquis, to whom M. Latham had hinted his probable intentions li everythim* was in his favour. Alter a .good day among the coverts M. Latham returned to'his machine, placed he gun, and some p-ame with which he /had b°en presented in the Vessel, and started oft* home, which he reached in smart time, having the wind with him.