THE MOTORIST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10925, 14 November 1913, Page 6

THE MOTORIST.

—«,—. • MOTOR-CARS AND MOTORCYCLES. NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Largo numbers of motorists are in Christchurch. tin's week, and those who ha-vo como in from the country report that, on the whole, the Canterbury roads are in a good condition. Here and there, attention is desirable, and occasionally patches of new metal are oncountored, but the only complaints, apparently, aro in regard to the lack of bridges. Several motorists who camo from Blenheim early in tho week reported that tho roads along that route were in splendid order. The bed of the Hapuka, they said, was somewhat soft, but the other streams could be described as fair, and, if bridges were available, tho. trip would be one of the most delightful imaginable. A Kaikoura resident left that town at 10.10 a.m. with four friends in his ear, and had practically a non-stop run into Christchurch. which was reached at 5.15 p.m. Motorists who have come to the city from tho south report that tlie roads in that direction are better now than they have been for many years. Mr F. Patchott, of Blenheim, who has come to Christchurch. with a party of Marlborough motorists, states that, under present circumstances, with tho roads in normally good condition, tho trip from Blenheim may be done comfortably in ten hours and a half, travelling time. With bridges, he says, tho time could be reduced to eight hours. '

A Waimate motorist, who is in. Christchurch, stated last evening that the roads from that place to Christchurch gave little cause for complaints, except for the water-races. About three miles south of Ashburton, he said, and on towards the Rangitata for ten or fifteen miles, the road was soft in wet weather. A new bridge being erected at the Hinds, would bring about' a marked improvement there. The engineer of the Waimate County Council, he added, followed an admirable plan of metalling only half tlie width of a road at a'tinie when metalling was required. The result was that motorists could always get through without suffering the annoyance of riding over fresh metal. At Oamaru, he noticed, the full width of tho road was metalled, which was a distinct disadvantage to motorists. The Selwyn was always liable to give trouble on the southern trip. It could be taken now easily enough, because it was iow, but if it was at all high it was necessary to make a detour of about ten miles. The position there would never be satisfactory until the river was bridged.,

One of the most enjoyable motorcycle trips near Christchurch is to Sumner, Lyttelton, Governor's Bav, Allandale, Teddington, Gebbie's Valley and Tai Tapu. The run to Sumner is on good surfaces. The first part of the hill at Sumner is not very good, but there is a perfect surface after the ''hair-pin ; ' right up to the top. Strangers should bo careful when taking the descent of the Zia-zag. Although the surface is fairly good, the grado is very steep, and' the angles aro very sharp. The engine should bo kept under compression, as an extra brake. Once the level road is reached, the route from Lyttelton to Governor's Bay, on the Allandale and oyer the hill into Gebbie's Valley, with the exception of about a mile of loose metal at Allandale, is exceptionally good. The roads are good also from Gebbie's Valley through Tai Tapu to Christchurch. The round trip covers about forty-eight miles.

Another good run for an afternoon is over the Cashmere Hills to Governor's Bay, then to Lyttelton, and on to Sumner, and back to town, a distance of about twenty-five miles. The hills are very steep and rough in places, and if a motor-cycle is used, the driver should be cautious at every corner. The Hackthorn© Road, up.to the tramway terminus, though, steep,, is good. About three hundred yards up the road there is a very sharp corner. All motorists, whether riding cycles or driving cars, are on the low gear by the time the bend is reached, and there is no need to say "go slow." After leaving the tram line the road becomes uneven, and, in places, is covered with boulder?. The ride is very interesting till within about half a mile of the top, where the steep, rough road is encountered. The last stretch of road is in many cases too steep for motor-cycles to climb unless a very low gear is fitted. On the run down the hill to Governor's Bay engines should be shut off, as the corners are V shaped, and if the traveller is going at more than about three miles an hour lie cannot guarantee that he will get around safely. The main road is taken from Governor's Bay. It leads into Lyttelton by an undulating road and as good a piece of surface as will )>-> found on the 'Peninsula. From the seaport town sign-posts direct the way to Sumner, and these three miles are the hardest climb of the whole journey. Prisoners for tKe past few months have been working on this road remetalling jt. The Permanent Artillerymen's barracks mark the beginning of bad road, and if rain has fallen it takes a cyclist all his time to climb on low gear. There is a smooth, clear run before the Zigzag has to be climbed. The hill must be taken very slowly and carefully! as there is hardly sufficient room to turn the corners. From the top of the Zigzag, where the last is seen of Lyttelton Harbour, Sumner is reached in a few minutes. Another forty-five minutes should see the traveller back in Christchurch. If no trouble is encountered the journey occupies about two hours thirty minutes. A correspondent wishes to know if benzale may be obtained in Christchurch, and if 60, if local experiments have been made with it. Ho states that there is a good deal of discussion iu English motoring journals in regard to the merits.of benzale compared with the merits of petrol. Most of the correspondents of those journals claim that with benzale there is an increase of miles per gallon of from ten to twenty per cent, that their engines pull better on the hilte, and that "knocking" is unknown. The same correspondent comments on the surprising technical knowledge in regard to cycling possessed by youths in Ohristchurch. " I have often met these lads," he writes, "who probably have never been astride motor-cycles in their lives, but who can shrewdly discuss the merits and demerits of long or short, two or four stroke engines, the advantages of the hub gears over counter-shaft or variable pulley gears, and bo on. I am not ashamed to confess that although I have had years of experience, I learned a very useful lesson from a Christchurch schoolboy of twelve." Thc N \vord "tacky" in small print under the lid of a tyre-repair outfit has deceived many young motorcyclists, who arc. apt to believe that the solution is "tacky" about ten minutes before it has reached that desirable condition. But at last a friend ha,9 kindly come to the novice's rescue with an infallible test guaranteed to decide when a solution is cr is not "tacky." "Take a penknife with a clean blade," suggests " Ixion " in the "Motor-Cycle." "Place the clean Made against the solutioned tube or patch. Gently withdraw it. If the strings of solution adhere to the blade the solution is not yet tacky. _ If the blade comes away clean and stringless, j the solution is sufficiently dried for patch and tube to bo pressed into contact, which ought to be permanent. I have not personally made the experiment, but it looks sound enough. " At » any rate it will warn the inexperienced } that solution can hardly be over-dry, and ten minutes spent in waiting for I the result will save much irritating delay later on."