Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3035, 15 May 1912, Page 56

Cycling and Motor Notes

BY DKIION.

. Second hand motor cars would appear to be a drug on the market, so far as Dunedin is concerned, at anyrate. On the 9th, at Messrs Harris and Co.'s auction rooms, an up-to-date 30 h. p. five-seated Bees-ton-Humber motor car, fitted with practically new outer covers, a new hood, new set of giars, electric side lights and acetylene head light, and all the other multifarious accessories whioh go to make up a comfortable machine, was bought under the hammer, to be soW without reserve. There

was only a small number of people present, however, and bids were not numerous, the car being ultimately knocked down for the : ridiculously low price of £9O to Mr 0. I Alexander, tramways manager. The cheapness of the car is farther shown.by the fact J.hat it costs as much as £75 to purchase a new motor cycle. The car again changed hands during the afternoon at a substantial advance on the price given by Mr Alexander.

—— If evidence were needed that the persistent increase in the price of petrol is unjustified bv any market circumstances, it can be found in the statistics of import (says English Field). In February, 1911, wo imported 3,764,250 gallons of petrol. This February we imported 4,023,300 gallons, yet the price is now 50 per cent, to 70 per cent, higher than it was at the oorresnonding period of 1911. Road-riders in general and "Warrnambool " contestant** in particular will regret to hear of the death of W, E. Knaggs, who won the Warrnambool-Melbourne Road Race in 1909. Brain fever was the cause of death. The late W. E. Knaggs, who was 35 years of age, saw service in the South African war, and was a good allround athlete; but it was as a long distance road-racing cyclist that he first came into

public prominence. In the " Warrnambool " which he won lie put up a sterling performance by riding the 165 miles in tho very fast time of 7hr 32min 19sec, demand for its electric taxi-cabs, the Electromobile Company, of London, has inaugurated what it styles " theatre party service." For the moderate sum of 15s the company agrees to take, four persons to dinner, to the theatre afterwards, to supper after the theatre, and finally home. —— Considerable interest is being taken bv road-racing cyclists throughout the world in the forthcoming International Bicycle Road Race, to b» held on Sunday, July 7. in connection with this year's Olympic Games. The event is to be held over a 190-mile course around Lake- Malar, near Stockholm, Sweden. Teams from England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, United States, and several Continental countries will take part in the event, which promises to provide the most interesting contest in connection with this year's Olympic Carnival. Tliis will be the first occasion on which a cycling road race has been held at this classic gathering. The only Australasian competitor who may be riding at the meeting is tho New South Wales rider, E. W. Schneider; but even if he rides, the chances of success are very remote with one rider pitted against crack international teams. England alone will send a team of eight first-class riders. The contest is to be an unpaced one, partly individual and partly amongst teams. To the individual winners gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded the first three men home, whilst diplomas will be presented to all riders finishing within 25 per cent, of the fastest time established. In the team competition the four riders making the best times from each nation competing will be considered as forming a team, and the aggregate times of various teams will decide the winners. Road-riders will be interested to learn that the evenl starts at 2 in the morning, when it will be quite light in Sweden. is the title of an interesting article by the

Well-known English cycling journalist, Mr F. T. Bidlake. In it ho" refers to the failing many present-day cyclists have of neglecting the art of ankling. After pointing out that cyclists who do not pedal properly ignore the fact that the human engine has a valuable and beautifully-controlled hinge, missing in all steam engines—namely, the | ankle, he condemns the "wooden leg" action, rightly taking the view that the accomplished " ankler " will easily acomplish journeys which would tire a stronger man who less skilfully applies his superior force. The position he recommends for the foot is that it should be placed so that the centre barrel of the pixh'l is athwart the widest portion of the shoe: the ball of the foot, which carries the load when walking, should take the thrust when pedalling, suoh thrust being most advantageously applied over the centre of the pedal. Another failing he lays stress on is that of over-estimating strength and using an unduly high gear. This may seem very pleasant in the early stages of an easy ride, but is a baffling and disabling defect when fatigue sets in. Here, in Mr Bidlake's opinion, is where the advantage of the variable gear device asserts itself, in affording a useful means of escape from the evils of a single excessive gear, provided the rider cultivates the use of it, and does not expect fallacious results from it. In the case, however, of a rider whose machine is not fitted with a variable gear device, he thinks that far more enjoyment is to be had by the average cyclist for all-round purposes from a gear of 68in or uiereabouts. than from the high eighties or nineties. He oonsidors it wiser to under-gear than over-srear, as the one error at worst only "winds " a man, while the error of over-gearing fatigues the average rider completely, and may lead to exhaustion and overstrain. ——The results of the Tasmanian reliability trials between Ilobart and Launces-. ton at Easier have been made known. The test was a very severe one, only one oar and one chassis with a test body securing full points for reliability. The most notable i>erfornianoes were put up by the winning lieiliot, which, in addition to having the smallest, engine in its elass, carried the heaviest load, and ran with clockwork regularity throughout. Motorists on tour, especially if travelling in the back country or on the overland routes, find extraordinary variation in the price of petrol (says the Australasian). It has ranged from la 3d to 4s a gallon—the hitter figure, however, being charged by a chemist many years ago, who invariably retailed -it in small quantities and charged the purchaser by the gallon at the same rate us he dispensed it by the ounce. Along the route to Sydney prices ranged from Is 6d a gallon in the city 6s per tin of four gallons—upwards to 7s, Bs, 10s, and even lis 6d per tin, according to cost of carriage from the nearest railway. There seems to be no help for such a wide variation, unless, indeed, the oil companies established depots along the most frequented routes, at stages of. say, 100 miles aj>art. Having driven the 'car away into the interior, the motorist must needs pay the price demanded, for without the spirit ho is helpless. Mechanical transport service in military operations is being exhaustively exploited in almost ali civilised countries, and the results of trials have exceeded tho most optimistic expectations. In Great Britain especially are the military authorities much impressed with the motor vehicle, and recently the Army Council informed general officers commanding that a number of motor cyeU« will shortly be issued among the Army Service Corps mechanical transport companies (or use primarily in connection with the supervision and control of mechanical transport service. Despite the fact that the A.C.U. will not receive the support of the numerous trade expert riders in this year's T.T. races, it appears that the amateur element will insure '•the entry necessary to maintain the locus standi of these events. The detailed regulations have not yet been issued beyond tho engine dimensions of 350 c.c. for the junior raoe and 500 o.c. for the seniow race (any type of engine in both cases), and the dates of tho contest--viz., June 28 and July 1 respectively. Up

to the present 30 provisional entries have been received for the senior and 14 for the junior. We (Field) commend the steps now being taken by the Auto Cycle Union to encourage makers of motor bicycles Lo produce efficient silencers and to fit machines with such appliances as will oausc less noi.se without appreciably reducing engine power. The A.C.U. proposes to conduct experiments to determine the maximum of dound which the engine may fairly be allowed to produce without annoyance. The silencers entered will -be compared with the standard silencer, as it may be termed. A water-cooled engine of 500 c.c. will bo taken, fitted with a fan brake and run at 750 to 1000 revolutions per minute, and to this the various silencers will be fitted. In addition, it is proposed to invite entries of complete motor bicyoles with silencers embodied. News from France indicates great activity in the adoption of other than poppct-valved engines. The ClementBayard firm is reported to have adopted the Knight doubles sleeve type. Bucht't is putting the Dubois-Rousseau on the market. Unic has the Reno-Bois. and M. Girardot is stated to be preparing another variation for the 1913 market. All these, in addition to the Panhard, Knijrht, C.L.Q, Rolland Piluin, and Darracq-Hanriot.' Physical Laboratory at Twickenham is being equipped for £hc investigation of road-making and mending problems can bo seen in the fact that one machine constructed to test the experimental road surface for wear, running steel wheels at 10 miles per hour, and rubber-tyred ones at 25, will in the course of 24 hours disintegrate the surface to an extent represent ing one year of ordinary heavy road traffic MR SUDDEN'S WORLD-WIDE TOUR. During the remarkable world-wide" toiir undertaken by Mr C. Glidden, the Ameri-. can millionaire motorist, he covered 46.528 miles in different countries, including 6775 i-mlos on the railway lines of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The greatest mileage in any country was in the United Stales, 7977 miles; France coming next, 5495; then Tndia., '345; England, 3976; and Australia, 2109. The car merely crossed the frontier of Annam, in South-Fastern Asia, and the smallest mileage recorded was in Swat, Africa. 21 miles. The 1000 miles were exceeded in Australia, Canada, Ceylon, England, France, Germany, Ireland. Italy. Ind"a. Japan, Java, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United State*. The journey occupied nearly eight years of travel. Mrs Glidden accompanying her husband throughout. The car was transported and unpacked on 26 steamers: and the globe was encircled twice, crossiri" the Arctic Circle in Sweden, and reachin.r the most southerly road in the world in New Zealand (the Bluff). Altogether Mr a.nd Mrs Glidden motored 377 days during their long tour.

MOTOR U»ll TRAFFIC 1 . NECESSITY FOR REGULATIONS. AUCKLAND, May 10. Evidence of interest regarding the regulation of motor-car traffic was given by Mr Lindsay, traffic inspector for the city of Auckland, at the inquest touching the death of Mrs Prowse, -who was run down by a motor car at Remuera on March 8. Mr Lindsay stated that there was a regulation requiring the driver of a passenger car to hold a license for that .purpose, and' the number of the car also had to be registered. This only applied to such cars as were in U3e in the city. He did net know whether there was any such regulation in. existence in Remuera. He considered that it was urgently necessary for the Government to frame regulations dealing; with the matter. The motor regulation Act, 1908, made no provision in the case of privately owned cars, and the owners of such cars had no restrictions placed on them. All such drivers should be registered. There was a great danger in driving a motor car, and all persons who drove them should in the interests of the public have something to show that they were competent to drive. The drivers of licensed cars did not have to pass an examination, but they had to get a certificate signed by an expert. He had reason to believe that a number of private cars were being driven which did not have efficient brake gear, but he was unable to do anything in the matter. On some licensed cars, however, he. had condemned the brakes and ordered efficient ones to be insta'led. The Coroner stated that he vyould forward Mr Lindsay's recommendation to the Minister who had charge of such affairs. SHORTAGE OF PETROL.' EXPLANATION BY THE VACUUM OIL COMPANY. The following letter, which explains itself, has been forwarded to the press by Mr H. Hamilton, New Zealand manager of, tho Vacuum Oil Company : ' : Various reports already published regarding shortage in petrol supplies,are apt to nvslead, and are undoubtedly the causa of the run upon petrol that has taken place. Tho actual position is—that there is enough petrol in Now Zealand to-day to keep evoryengino running until about the 10th or the 15th of Jurwr. The quantities to arrive per the s.s. Ilohe'nfels would extend the time until about June 25, and if no scare had been started there would have been no inconvenience to any motorist or any industrial user, because in the winter season the demand is less, and no doubt supplies would Jiavo lasted until the next big shipment arrives. The fact of the matter is that buyers liave purchased abnormal quantities, and in many instances these are locked up, or are being offered at fancy prices , . • , , My company has not increased the price one fraction, and has made'every possible effort to prevent anyone "cornering" supplies. We have reserved sufficient to keep all fire brigades and motor postal waggons going, and wo have also endeavoured to protect industrial u6ers against shortage, such as dyers and cleaners, fishermen, taxicab owners, milking machine users, and factories where benzine engines supply the power, so that none of the workers shall be thrown out of employment. We believe this will be accomplished, even in face of the scare started by the newspapers. The difficulty of chartering ships has been very acute, and the freight rates are a.b'.ormai, and it should be remembered

that shipowners will not load their vessels ■with petrol exclusively. They will only take petrol in limited quantities along with general cargo, otherwise they cannot insure their ships. The big coal strike in Great Britain is largely responsible for the scarcity of tonnage, as all steamers or sailers available at American ports were promptly chartered at high rates for short voyages. The dearth of tonnage has affected all port* of the world—New Zealand does not stand alone in this respect. Then, again, it should be borne in mind that other oil companies have commenced business in New Zealand, and in view of anticipated competition (which we expected 12 months ago, we have very naturally beon more conservative when ordering our supplies. We trust this will clear away whatever misconception has existed, and make it perfectly plain that if those who have petrol locked up will make it available, nobody need go short or pay fancy figures for his requirements. AVIATION NOTES. THE FIRST IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, May 11. Articles have been signed at Newcastle for the first aviation contest in Australia. The aviators are Hart (Australia) and Stone (America), and the distance stipulated for is from Sydney to Parramatta and back, a total distance of 20 miles.