MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 14, 21 February 1914, Page 8

MOTORING.

imagine an egg-shaped structure, very light, and somewhat flattened and more pointed at the smaller end, attached to an ordinary bicycle, int"> which the rider enters, and yoiv will mentally aec the latest idea for overcoming air resistance in cycling. The d'j'ice has been tested and found practical, for the, well-known French rider, Marcel Berihet, in a'first attempt, succeeded in _ .establishing a remarkable seruv? of records, one of which, the standing start kilometre, he equalled after its being v unapproaehed for 17 years. it was an unpaced ride, Berthet being one of the - fastest at that style of riding. ,In a, ; five kilometre trial, he reduced the figure right through, covering the full 1 ■ distance in smin 4,6 4-ssec, as against Gwin 37 3-ssee, which stood, previously.' /- The difference in speed is equal to about four miles per hour. Tae secret of the increased speed lies in the decrease of surface resistance to the air, or rather, to the shape of the, structure, which cleaves the air and pr >diices no rear suction. The difference in speed -with even a ' powerful motor-car that a circular track makes as "compared with a straightaway rv.n is well exemplified -in the \vorld record figures for two miles and for five miles, Li. G, llornstod, a well-known 'Engii&li racing mofc-oVjat,' ha.vill.2r recent-* ]y r.itered the times for these distances--011 Brooklaixds track. The shvrlcr uij•.•tance was covered in 58 4-ssec-- a speed ■rof .122 miles per hour —and five miles in . —the car being a BenzV On the I'M or i ia frauds B. Burma 11 covered two miles in 51.28 sec, and 'V. ITcmery five miles !n 2min >34 4-ssee, the latter record beh\g registered so far back as 1906, whieli may ■ ;? ~7S7CtnJTit for the track record of this - :.year being so close —l-ssec difference iOiily. The speed attained in the mile ' record, also on the sands, b} r R. Bur- . man, is still higher, as in negotiating. |that, distnuce in 26.0855 ec, 138 m.p.h. was reached. 011 a later attempt, with a 200 h.p. Benz, the watches lecorded ' 35.45ee, v/incli means a speed of nearly ' 142 m.p.h. For two or three years past exhaustive experiments have been made irl France and Eiiglan r } (to evolve an aeropi,no from the ordinary cycle, the rider to provide the power necessary to drive the propeller; and while a cyslist did actually raise his machine from, the grovnd by his own efforts, it was but a few inches only, and that is as far>.as the experiments went. If a motor and propeller of modified size were attached to the ordinary cycle, and all thoughts , of leaving the ground abandoned, it might be possible to attain a fairly high speed on the roadway. The idea - has been put into . .practice, and seemingly as success m«de 'of it, by "a Canad- ~ iah inventor, after a long series of ex--1; xi p'eriment's. / v - - .