CYCLING AND MOTORING NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 95, 12 June 1911, Page 2

CYCLING AND MOTORING NOTES.

Victo: ian motor cyclists; will shortly have tho fastest lacing (rack in Australasia to t ace on, foi a sum of over L‘6i)() is being' spent on ic-mod-clling and rc-sm faring tho fine asphalt track at the .Melbourne Friendlv Societies’ Ground. It is. esiimaled ■'at., the new track will cany a speed ot well over 76 mill's an hour, so that next spring- then* should be some splendid racing. As soon ;is the warm weather comes around, it is the intention of some of our crack motor cyclists to endeavour to os-: ill dish a set of A ust i aiasian motor locoids, and with our line climate there is no reason why some very fast figures should not he recorded. The principal motor cycling world’s records are held in America by ). 11. Do Rosier, his best figures being—flying mile, in 41 1-5 secs; five miles, in fimin. 2D 1-5 sees. : ten miles, in 7mm. 1 4-5 sees.; 25 miles in 17min. 44 6-5 secs. ;50 miles, in 65min. ,41

4-5 sees. ; and 83. miles 135yds in tlie hour. If tho new track comes up to expectations there should, with tho fine motor cyclists in our midst be no reason why those figures shoulc not ho closely approached. It is very probable that De Rosier will himself be seen on tho new track, for according to his present arrangements he intends visiting Australia on his way back to America, after his forthcoming European racing season.

An endeavour is to bo made to re suscitate amateur cycle racing, roac and track, in Victoria. The move monk lias received the support of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association, and tho new club will be run under the aegis of that Association, in Now South Wales and Queensland amateurism is on the increase, and in the former,' .{pinld the Union has a strong, live, active membership of over 2000 cyclists, There is "need of such’ a body in Victoria, and it thoroughly deserves the support ol amateur cyclists. The subscription to the new club has been fixed at tho nominal figure of 5s a year, with als registration fee. A good programme of load, and track events will bo organised during the forthcoming season, the track races being held or. the Melbourne Friendly Societies’ Grounds, which have now been taker over by the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association. The first loan race will probably be held in August next. The first of tho big European road races of the season—-the Raris-Ron haix—was recently decided in France This event, always has an interest for Australasian road riders, bias much as. it held over practically the same distance as the Dunlop Co.’s great Australian race from Warrnam bool to Melbourne, viz., 165 miles The French event is a scratch race that annually attracts the finest longdistance road riders of Europe, bul so far the times established in this event have never approached the fast times recorded over the famous Warrnambool course. This year’s Raris-Ronbaix was won by Laph.e—a previous winner of the event—ii 81ns. 29min. lOsec., a time that is considered very ordinary .for the War rnambcol course, which has beei negotiated by a number of Anstralas ian riders under 8 hours, the fastest time, I. R. Munro’s, being This. 12

min. olsec. F. H. Grubb, one of England's finest long distance road riders, and .holder of. the World’s 100-miles oul and Home Road Record, he having ridden the “century” in competition in the wonderful time of 4hrs. oOmin. -19 4-5 sec., gives some gooc advice to,, yougg. cyclists., .desirous, o! becoming first-class road riders.' First of all a good machine is necessary, preferably one of big reputation. with a small saddle frame, 2‘iiin. equal wheels (28in. are better on run roads), comfortable racing saddle, handlebars of good width, with diop ped ends, giving two or more positions for tlie hands. A brake lit considers a necessity, for not onh does one make riding safer, but i!

also cares considerable lime and energy in negotiating coiners, dangerous hill so that tiie slight weight o' a front rim brake is well worth car lying. The question of tyres is an important one, for the best, of racing tyres are a necessity. To those who must study rigid economy, he advises a pair of light narrow section steel rims, fitted with IjJ-in. tyres v.it!, a non-slipping thread similar to the latest Dunlop road racing cover, am light ihnei luhos. This makes : fairly fast combination and gives sat infliction. Grubb himself favours tyros with a failly thick wearing tread and light walls, for lie doe: not believe in too light a cover and its consequent risk of puncture. The rider should study hjs build and pow er in choosing his gear, but, howeve;strong, he should cultivate quick, clean pedalling. Seventy-five is n good gear for training spins, foi which heavy wheels and tyres should be used, and about eighty is quit; high enough for racing. He should learn to judge his speed while training and racing, find out his weakest points and take steps' to strengthen them. He should also learn the routes lie is likely to race over. Training should commence early in the season, distance rather than speed being he desired objoe. Then v. her the racing draws near, shorten yom .pias and tiaycl faster. .Map out some short, ciieular spins, say 1 weals to. thirty miles in length, and race round at full speed, and conic straight in and nib yourself down with a dry soft, towel. Two oi three spins like this eacfi week if om is racing will often keep one lit. and well, and will not have the slowin'; fleets of long-distance plugging. The ■lothing lor training should consist if pure woollen sweaters, thick knick ,;s and stockings, and cycling shoe: with soft fops and a stiong sole roaching hack to the heel and pro renting the shoe buckling under pressure. Leather blocks should Ik nailed on to the sole so that (ho had plate of the pedal can drop in bin lot between. Great care must. b< •taken whilst training not to stone .'bout and take cold, for a chill will •nave a disastrous effect on the sea mil’s work. It is a good rule not t' ■ top for anyone when training, to; when one is pet spiring freely, am stops fo talk, a cold is caught ini mediately. Make a point of riding with taster men and learn to do yom chare of pacing the rest. Tlieie is nothing' bettor than two or three rid ers taking turn and turn about p.ic iug each other, for they all tiavol ai lop speed and do not take so mud out of themselves, as they aic iaki.q shelter in turns. Massage is a vt;. important item in training. A gnoi plan is for two tiders to rub end other down, one to go out for a fas. spin and the othei to wait bis rrliivn when lie should have a bed and dm towels ready. Then the ruler should lie under heavy blankets Tor a few minules,' no as to induce a copious p a spiiaiiau, when (be massed) mould uncover him caicfullv, seeinp tlc-it be is <.iit of all draughts, aac mb him from head to foot with ; dec soft lowd. Then carefully in loin llm fu t upwards wilh the bar dim ill l-.mg steady choker., and win] dm : j».• i. 1 1“ muscles between t-.V humb and lingers. The aims am id 1 ms should he rubbed in th ( • ■-vg. hi t* fvu.i> live haram

upwards towards i !io heart. M assay;, makes the iiiuccles soil and pliaMo and enables one to lido last and I ok* without (lamp ail'ccting them. Tin s.nhjec-1 of diet is worthy of caivfu considci a I ion, I’m •:i I<> a man shook not win rv himself i,u-i- what he cal. and (dinks, he should lake care n cat only what agrees with him, am Imm v, idea In- can gel fim h.-sl r>suits. lint ilns is a quest ion ihai tlic reader must answer lor liimseli' Mo must use liis own judgment, am decide for liinisi i!' whal is best lot him. Tii' man who caielnlly select:ids lood w ill always, he in a del P i eonditicn than (he one win* eats aay(hiny; and cvi ;y( iiing. Mi' course, nmopnm; and alcoholic dunks slioid.l he avoided, or at the worst, used very moderately; tor moderation in nil tilings is too koyuoto of success in training. So Lain well, live well, race well, and in all things try to deserve success, and get it, hi a 2-l-houis’ motor ear track race recently held in America some line pciToi mnnc-03 were recorded although S. E. Edge’s wondci lid allday drive of IdSt’ miles 1810 yards on the Drooklands track (Eng.) was not eclipsed. The winning car—a Fiat—covered 1491 miles, the second —a Cadillac—some 1448 miles. The average speed of the winning car was about 62.) miles per hour for the full day, as against Edge’s 05 f T miles per hour. the fiuthest distance yet driven on the road in a day is 777 miles, standing to the credit of Messrs 11. L. Stevens and 11. IT James, who in 1907 drove a Dunlopshod Danacq that distance in a day on \ iciot ian roads. The following pc.i ticulars of a ' remarkable motor racing accident that occurred i-eccnt.lv at Urooklands motor racing track, London, are culled trom the “Daily Mail” “Rushing past the winning post at Brooklands yesterday afternoon at a speed of ninety miles an hour, a racing motor car failed to slow down and swerve to the loft, as it should have done, with the result that it tore up the side of the banking, leapt -sheer into the air at the top of the track and crashed out cl sight of the horrified spectators among some trees. Xobodv imagined that the chiyer, Mr S. U ilkinson—an experienced racing motorist—could possibly be alive riiosc who, with Major Lindsay' ulot d, the Clei kbi the Course, were (irst on the scone, saw an altogether extraordinary sight. The great car after leaving the edge of the track’ and literally sprung up into the air. then its momentum, at the excessive -peed at which it was travelling, had lausecl it to hurl itself sheer away roin the track, and upwards, in a nighty leap which actually enabled

it to span a deep chasm forty feet Hide. In its iearlnl rush . through the air, it had precipitated itself through! the blanches of a tree, breaking them in all directions at a neigh(. of at least thirty feet from the ground. It was this pell-mell ial( through the branches of a tree which prevented the driver-from being discovered—-as the searchers had feav--d—a mangled, lifeless form amid the ruins ol his machine. What actuilly happened was that the man, still dinging to the wheel of his car as it shot madly across the chasm, had ■ieen caught hy one of the branches Jl the tree—which broke with the force of the impact—and jerked from lis di iviug seat. The car, like some f,real projectile, tore on; he parted company with it in the air and fell iniong some undergrowth at the foot if the tree, and at least fifty, feet away from tlie point where he had leapt over the edge of the track. Mr Wilkinson was found lying half hidden among the bushes, unconscious, md with a bruised and'bleeding face He was taken.to the Weybridgo Cottage Hospital." Here an hour or so liter bis admission it was stated that ae was in a very critical condition, laving sustained a. fracture of the Hull and other injuries. The motor - ar continued its mad career through the air for another 20ft. beyond the place where its driver had struck the earth. Then it had evidently hit the ground sideways, ploughing a deep hole in the soil; then it had oiled over and over with the last force of its momentum, smashing its wheels and crushing its metal body into what was practically an unrecognisable mass.”