CYCLING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 310, 2 July 1896, Page 3

CYCLING.

At the Municipal Conference held in Wellington last week, the following motion was lost, on the voices : —“ That the conference consider the question of bicycle traffic on the public highways in counties with a view to regulating the same by equitable and uniform by-laws, and that the Cyclist Club of Wellington be invited to express their views on the matter. (1) Bule of road same as vehicles; (2) rate of speed—no racing ; (3) necessity of ringing bell or whistling on passing or meeting vehicles; (4) dismounting when necessary, (5) riding abreast —not more than two cyclists.” At a meeting of the New Zealand Cyclists’ Alliance, held in Christchurch on the 22nd inst., the following road records were passed : —J. 0. Shorland : Christchurch to Dunedin, 22hr 13in. R. M’Kenzie : Dunedin to Invercargill, 9hr 54|min, F. F. Bahian: Napier to Wellington, 22hr 40min. Track Records : — S. McDonald, at Dunedin: 10 miles, 26min 19 2-ssec. C. H. Jones, at Christchurch : Quarter-mile, 32 2-ssec. S. McDonald, at Dunedin: Mile and a half, 3min 39 4-ssec. Harry Thompson, at Christchurch: 2 miles, 4min 32 4-ssec; 3 miles, 6min 52 2-ssec ; mile and a half, 3min 26 l-ssec; one mile, 2min 13 2-ssec; half-mile, Imin 5 3-ssec; one mile, 2min 12 l-ssec. J. O. Shorland. at Christchurch : 50 miles, 2hr 14min 40sec; 100 miles, 4hr 39min 51sec; 25 miles, Ihr omin4osec; 5 miles, llmin 55sec; 10 miles, 24min Isec. Harry Thompson, at Christchurchs miles, llmin 45sec; 10 miles, 23min 31sec; 25 miles, 59min 30sec; one hour, 25 miles 360yds. The following standards were passed : —S. McDonald, 1 mile and 11 mile; H. Thompson, 1 mile, 11 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, and 25 miles; R. Crow, halfmile; W. B. Bell, half-mile and 1 mile ; J. S. White, half-mile and 1 mile; J. O. Shorland, 10 miles and 25 miles. At a meeting of cyclists, held in Christchurch on Saturday evening last, it was decided to form a Cyclists Road Riders Protection Association, the objects of which will be to use all constitutional means to encourage, protect, and maintain the interests of cycle riders.

We now have the New Zealand Cyclists’ Union, the New Zealand Cyclists’ Alliance, the New Zealand Cyclists’ Touring Club, and if this want of originality goes on much longer cyclists will have'some difficulty in knowing to which they belong The “ New Zealand Bicyclists ” will be quite an original expression soon. Generally speaking, women ride bicycles with more grace than do men; still, several times lately we have seen ladies riding with the pedals driven by the centre of the feet. This looks extremely awkward, and, besides, the rider has little or no control over her machine when pushing in such a manner. The pedals should always be driven by the ball of the foot, as then the ankle is brought into play, and free action results. In St. Louis the cyclists were invited to inspect a local brewery, and 2,370 accepted this invitation. What a treat that invite Would be after a 50-mile ride on a hot day I I’m thirsty already !

THE INVENTOR OF THE “ SAFETY ” BICYCLE INTERVIEWED. [concluded.] “ After three years experimenting, my partner had spent all his money; his patience had likewise disappeared, and he gave up definitely the idea of a safety bicycle. The word ‘ safety,’ by the way, was given to the machine by my father, , and was registered by me in 1876. I might also mention here that public opinion was dead against the new bicycle, and later on it was known as ‘ Lawson’s crocodile ’ and ‘ Lawson’s abortion ’ among the makers of high, or ‘ ordinary,’ bicycles. “All this, of course, tended to discourage me, and any improvements made subsequently, I kept as quiet as possible. The first important trial trip I made was from Brighton to Enfield, and on this occasion I started at three o’clock in the morning in order to escape notice ; a solitary fisherman, however, did witness the start of what was unquestionably the the first ride on a safety bicycle—a lever pedal arrangement of great weight.

“In 1879 Mr Singer, the well-known sewing machine maker, sent for me and offered to manufacture my cycle for the market, paying me a royalty of £2 on each machine. Somehow the innovation did not meet with popularity at this time, and it was not until 1885 that the safety bicycle was fairly established in public favour. By this time, though, I had relinquished my patents, so that I have never reaped any pecuniary profit from my invention. As a matter of fact, hostility to the safety was so pronounced that the very club I belonged to warned me that I could not ride my machine and remain a member.” Now, as to “ horseless carriages ” —for the inventor was likewise full of this great revolution in vehicular traffic. Virtually, the first “ horseless carriage ” was the invention of Mr Lawson, who patented a cycle propelled by a petroleum motor on September 27th, 1880. “ On account of the idiotic ‘ Locomotive and Highway Act,’ ” remarked Mr Lawson resignedly, “ we English inventors have had to stand still while the French, Germans, and Americans forged ahead, in a very literal sense. What is the Act ? Why the four-mile-an-hour-red-flag-man-in-front-and- two - engineers arrangement, of course. I must say, however, that in a very few weeks’ time this stupid regulation will no longer disfigure the statute-book. Then, indeed, we shall be able to go ahead —of course, after our foreign rivals have had months in which to perfect their copies of my invention. “ Look how the motor carriages are encouraged abroad. You may remember the race from Paris to Bordeaux and back (about 769 miles), that was run on June 11th, 1895, The first four prizes, and also the sixth and seventh —of the total value of 60,000 francs—were won by the Daimler Motor Carriage,, which was far superior to its forty-five other competitors. Thanks to the inepitude of our own Government, I have been compelled to purchase, at a cost of £40,000, the German patent rights (Daimler Motors) which are founded on my invention. A great company is now in process of private formation, which, with a capital of £1,000,000 sterling, will immediately commence the manufacture of horseless carriages. The ordinary carriage builders will design their own vehicles and take their motors from the company.” “ What a revolution there will be in the streets of London !” I remarked.

“ Yes, indeed. Quite apart from the hygienic advantage of removing horses from the streets, there is the peculiar advantage that people run over by a horseless carriage will snffer little or no damage, partly because there will be no horse to trample upon them, and partly also on account of the enormous pneumatic tyre. “ Then, again, the roar of the present traffic will practically disappear. These carriages will be built in about fifteen different styles or types, varying from the fashionable dog-cart, victoria, or phaeton, to' the tram-car, omnibus, or Government transport van., We have orders for many of the last-named vehicles, by the way; they are to run at six miles an hour, and caray two tons. As for orders generally, we have already a sufficient number in hand to occupy us for two years.” “Will your carriage wholly supersede the horse, Mr Lawson ? ” “ Not quite. I don’t see how you can plough without horses ; nor will we undertake to supply mounts for cavalry and hunting men. You may expect some startling designs in the new carriages, thus entirely changing the aspect of our streets. The picturesque sedan chair, for one person, may come back; and there is no reasoon why sober statesmen should not* career through Palace Yard in a mysterious, horseless Roman chariot.” “ Now, as to the cost of the propulsion ? ” “Very well. We estimate that four gallons of petroleum, costing 3s 6d, will be sufficient to propel a carriage containing four persons for a distance of between 150 and 200 miles The mechanism will be invisible, without heat, smell, noise, or vibration; and it is so light that a two-horse power motor may be lifted on the little finger. The price of a horseless carriage will be little more than that of an ordinary vehicle of the same description. As regards speed, I

may say that both the horseless carriages and the motor cycles will run as fast as may be desired ; there is no reason why they should not travel at the rate of sixty miles an hour; but of course the ordinary speed will be regulated to something under twenty. “ The Prince of Wales himself,” concluded Mr Lawson. “ takes a very great interest in the future of horseless carriages ; and at the Imperial Institute he travelled in one at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, up a very steep gradient.”