CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10, 9 May 1912, Page 3

CYCLE AND MOTOR NOTES

CYCLE AND MOTOR SCOUTS. The appointment of Brigadier-Gen-era! Gordon, C. 8., to the position of Chief of General Staff of die Commonwealth Military Forces, will probably result iu more use being made of cyclists, motor cyclists and motorists, s>\ connection with the Australian. Military Service. In discussing some .aspects of the projected new branches of the service to fvhicn Senator Pearce, Minister of Defence, has already'given ;; tentative fpprbvM, General .Gordon said “that the excellent result:; jof, the Military Relay,Despatch Ride,, by cyclists, motor cyclists, and motor sts, was a cause of considerable satisfaction to military men, and that the military authorities appreciated its value as a demonstration ol what can he done tor military .Service by the f.-ivat body of cyclists and motorists in Australia.'”’ M ‘. ’ '• ' “'lt -was to he hoped that in the future aerial despatch carriers would be added to the participants ip. die.se tests.” ... . ... “It is a well kflowrt fact,” continued the General, “fli.Wif the neefitesityd’or miitary operatefibs' against am actual foe ever arosei ini Australia those .operations would involve .the conditions to wh’ch we endeavour to accustom our men in the annual training camps—conditions as to communication and so on which ■ are reproduced in the selection of manoeuvre areas and the restrictions placed upon the use of civil means of communication which may be had at hand. _ If we ever have to come to real fighting in Australia, the conduct of the light will necessarily ’no over country where no telegraphic or telephonic communication exists, and where the installation of even temporary telegraph stations, wired or wireless, could not bo practically carf-ied out with any satisfactory result. In these circumstances, it would appear evident that to hold in reserve a, thoroughly reliable and well-trained corps of cyclists, motor-cyclists, and motorists would prove of special value. They should bo trained as far as means will allow, not only to actually carry despatches, but also to obtain information while en route. '.I hey should be instructed further iu the preparation of concise reports as to the information gathered by them in connection with points which would be of value to commanders. “The utility cf such a corps would not be confined to country which is lacking in mechanical channels of communication, but even taking country wh'ch is well served by telephones arid both forms of telegraphic communication, the connection between one point and another may fail at any time. Interruptions may occur through accidental causes,' or tor the more serious reason that the, communications have been cut or intercepted by an enemy. Again, the special value of tile cycle and motor corps _.s evident. To re-establish communication may bo a perfectly safe and simple matter, even where an enemy has been the cause of the interruption, for the damage may have been done during a ■sudden dash, say, between two bodies of our forces working in co-operation* but some little distance apart, Tie enemy would not remain there waiting for a junction movement to crush him, but he would move away to some better position, having temporarily disorganised the co-ordinated arrangements of the two forces.' Every party to the gamy is on the move, and instead of sending out a company of engineers to restore the lines or stations, a motor-car despatch service is established between the two moving forces. ' “There is one wry important point iu connection with the establishment of such corps, as I have indicated, that ought to be mentioned. In order to gain the best resuhs from such menus of communication it is, cl course, evident that the very host mater; d must he utilised in the construction of the machines used, each in their own class, 'the result of the Du a I op Relay Despatch Race from Adelaide to Sydney proved that, at any rate, the machines which who ura d fulfilled the conditions of stability and endurance required (f them ’’ iveen gratification war. < xpressed by the General at the fine efforts put forward by the respective couriers, and thi' manner in which the parr mi pa jts carried through their task t cunte adverse weather conditions. A novel Form of anxill.rv rrotorpower for use with a bier T> is being experimented with on the road ii England. The attftchmc .t consists of a complete engine set bolted on to

; a framework extending from ilso rear wheel 'spindle, and -lipportod at its ■ further end by a 14in. cast a' v heel. ■ The stays to the back wheel provide ■ for an up-and-down motion of the castor wheel to equalise toad sh'-efs. The engine used in the attachment is a h.p. J.A.l’., and tiie drive is communicated to in? i ack w nod ol the bicycle by means of a rrd-Vr-uwered friction wheel acting on the tyre. The pressure is variable, and am ruing to the inventor, is m efficient, no slip beilig experienced on the muddiest roads. Tlio tyre mod on the nachine used was a DunS )j>, -'bn. by J % in., and the wear duo to the fra non from the rubber-covered pulley wheel is said to ie imgb.gildo. 'J he inventor has ridden the inaclune over 500 miles without a puncture or mo chaniortl trouble, and h, s climbed steep hills without ; edal assistance. The weight of the attachramt is about 501 b., and it can he detacned in ab.pit live minutes. The controls are operated by Bowden wires from the t: ndlobar in the usual manner. The outstanding advantage of the attachment is that an ordinary bicycle, however lightly built, can lx corn vi fed into a motor cycle in a very few minutes. It has this superiority over the attachment that is placed within the frame—namely, that the engine can in no way weaken the frame. Further, it is a much more quickly detached in case of failure, or if it is desired to propel the machine hy human exertion alone. Whc,ther there is any future for the auxiliary motor wheel remains to be seen. Certainly it will have to he very light, efficient, and inexpensive to attraci the average cyclist. An interesting experiment in wireless telegraphy has just been carried out by an American cyclist named J Wolff, who has been endeavouring t( develcn a system that can he used successfully on a bicycle. He succeeded in maintaining communication between ids own machine and that of an associate three and a quarter miles away. This communication Was obtained without a ground, for it was found that the rubber tyres insulated the apparatus completely from the earth. The assistant rode ahead, sending messages as he went, whilst the receiver managed to keep in constant touch with him. The messages were Hashed from a 10ft. mast affixed to the back of each machine, whilst the electric apparatus was carried on a small platform damned on to the back of the steering handle. It is the fashion for the speed cyclist to look somewhat disdainfully upon such aids to ease as the three speed gear, but to the ordinary rklei who has neither the time nor the inclinaton to attain a degree of fitness ennui to that of the racing man, variable gearing is a great boon, and it is a, remarkable tiling that it has not “caught on” more in Australasia. It may be taken as an axiom that the less efficient- a man is physically, the greater will be the valno of the changeable gear. To the expert it may be regarded in the light of a luxury, but tithe inexpert it more nearly approaches a necessity. It is irksome for the untrained rider to pedal rapidly, and the high gear enables him to avoid this, while maintaining a good pace. ■Similarly, it is toilsome-- for him to climb steep hills, and here the low gear comes to his aid, reducing Ids labour and saving much brea tides* struggling .with the law of gravity. There is neither mystery nor magic about the little box of tricks that accomplishes these purposes. It is a simple mechanical contrivance that aims at providing different methods of power appheation to suit different conditions. It adds nothing to a manV - energy, because no mechanism can. do that, but it utilises in the most economical manner such energy as he possesses. and it is. that attribute which appeals to the average rider. The man who regards cycling merely as an athletic sport may have no use for the variable gear, for there is sufficient flexibility in his trained limbs, but to the every-day cyclist the variable gear is a boon, for it means easier ■ cycling. i