CYCLING NOTES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 176, 31 August 1914, Page 9

CYCLING NOTES.

AND MOTOR MATTERS. Owing to the war scare, few of the New Zealand motor cycling clubs 5 - have been fulfilling their programmes of. competitive events. The fact that many members of clubs are away in camps or with the first Expeditionary Force has depleted the ranks of clubs of many young men who take keen. interest in competitions, but there is no real reason why clubs should cease- to sewe any practical purpose. On the contrary, ''motor cycling clubs couid do some very useful Vwork just now in testing the value of motors in New Zealand in time of trouble. One event .that might be arranged with great advantage to both motor cyclists and the Defence authorities is a relay race between Auckland and Wellington, and one between Christehureh and Dunedin. Teams should travel in both directions, leaving each terminal at the same time. This would make the relay race really competitive, as the teams, going in opposite directions, would naturally attempt to outdo each other and would thus enable the speed of . the motors to be thoroughly tested. The Taranaki circular road race has been abandoned. This is another mistake, for even if a few cyclists are dressed in khaki, there are others who are not, and they, after much training and preparation, will be much disappointed that such a big test of the usefulness of the bicycle is not being held, especially at a time when the road race could teach a very useful lesson.

Quite a number of motor cycles are being donated to the Defence Department for the use of the Expeditionary Forces. These have been of various makes in most towns, but in Auckland the officers in charge stipulated that all motor cycles put into use should be of the same power and make, so that any repair outfits and spare parts taken would fit any machine that happened to go wrong. Such action was certainly judicious, as a corps fitted out with, say, a dozen motors of a dozen different makes would necessarily entail the equipment of a similar number of spare outfits. The Defence authorities cannot look a gift horse in the mouth and refuse what is sent to them, but if those who give would give for patriotic and not for advertising purposes, it would only be fair to the officers to allow them to name the machine they would like to have. The first machine donated in Auckland happened to be a Douglas, and the officers there broadly hinted that, as such was the case, other gift motor cycles should be of the same make. In Wellington the machines given have been a promiscuous lot, and there is every probability that some of them will not be put aboard, for as each force will carry some motors and a motor mechanic, it is very obvious that such a. department will not over-burden itself with fittings and spare parts for all sorts and conditions of machines. The present war will see the petrol motor put to a very severe test on land and water and in the air. The whole of the credit of the conquest of the air can be claimed by the petrol motor, for no other known means of propulsion would make flying possible. According to the

cables, the excessive -weight of the large airships has prevented them from rising out of the range of the guns, but the aeroplane, even with a 200-h.p. engine, can rise to a height of several thousand feet, move at a great speed, and drop bombs with terrible accuracy.