CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 883, 7 February 1907, Page 11

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

The Paris paper “Le Matin” is promoting a motor race from Paris to Pekin, and it is said there will be several competitors. • • * * The reliability contest carried out by the Automobile Club of Australia was brought to a successful termination, when 17 out of the 19 cars which started in the event returned to Parramatta from Bathurst. Although several mishaps occurred on the run to the western city the previous day, the return trip was accomplished by the whole of the cars which undertook the journey without any serious misadventure. Notwithstanding the exacting test imposed upon the machines, five of them gained full points by completing the run to Bathurst and back, a distance of 223 miles,

witbout the engines being stopped for repairs or adjustment. The run was productive of much excitement and interest, and so close was the contest that at the finish it was impossible to declare a winner, several competitors having tied with an equal number of points in each class. It will therefore be necessary to hold a further run to decide who shall receive the medals and trophies. The cars getting full points were Mr. Knowles’ 10 h.p. Darracq, Dr. Pockley’s 10 h.p. De Dion, Mr. Winchcombes’ 10 h.p. Clement-Talbot, Captain Charley’s 24 h.p. Clement-Talbot, Mr. W. G. Dixon’s 24 h.p. Clement-Talbot, Mr. Pye’s 12 h.p. Innes, and Mr. J. Lawler’s 12 h.p. Wolseley, scored 999 points out of the full 1000. The construction of the great motor race track at Weybridge, England, which is the property of the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club, is now, according to the latest files on hand, nearly completed. The first race meet on the new and only track in England is set down for running in May, when the large sum of £4600 is to be distributed in prizes. This meeting promises to be the most elaborate and ambitious motor racing programme yet framed, and it is evident that the promoting club intend to give automobile racing every chance of becoming popular by placing it before the public on thorough and up-to-date lines. * * * » There returned to Melbourne last week (says Melbourne “ Punch”) Mr. W. S. Liddle, a young cyclist, who left Capetown, South Africa, more than twelve months ago with a companion, Mr. C. C. Beckett, to cycle round the world. Mr. Beckett is now in Cairns, but Mr. Liddle is as determined as ever. He left Melbourne on June 26 last year, and reached Cairns by way of Bendigo, Echuca, Bourke, Longreach and Hughendon, working his way back to Melbourne down the Queensland coast, touching all the principal seaports to Brisbane and Sydney. Just outside Glen Innes Mr. Liddle’s machine was smashed up, the only accident so far on the journey. He could not get it mended in Glen Innes, but he pluckily faced the 600 miles before him, and walked to Newcastle, where the local cycle club assisted him, sent for his machine to Glen Innes, and had it repaired for him. Mr. Liddle carries no money, but relies on the hospitality of the country through which he is passing. In Australia he has been itertained in hotels, private houses, shearers’ sheds and mining camps. He has met relatives and friends from his Orkney home in the far north of

Scotland, and hospitality has only been thrice refused him, a tribute to his manner and our manners. Altogether Mr. Liddle has cycled 11,325 miles, over 3000 miles of these being in Australia. He rides a Royal Enfield machine, and his tyres are charged with miraculum, the puncture-stop. He has had no puncture trouble whatever. Although his tyres are full of puncture holes, they are quite firm. The motor-omnibus is having a hard time in London. Each vehicle, before a license to ply for hire is issued, must undergo a searching examination, and is also subjected to various trials to determine whether it is sufficiently quiet in its working, whether it emits over-much smoke, whether it leaves a trail of oil behind it, and other similar things. Some are now urging that they are too unwieldy, and are a serious danger to the public, besides depreciating property wheresoever they travelled. Piet Dickentmann, the pace-follow-er, who was here with Robl, four seasons ago, and who is again on a visit to Australia, does not intend to race here. He has filled out considerably, and scales close upon 13st. In conversation with him last week (writes “ Fortis” in the “ Australasian'’) he said he regretted to see that the sport was not in the same condition as on his first visit here, and he summed up the cause in one word —monotony. The sport in Europe, he said, is held in high esteem; but it is not the same kind of sport as is exploited in this country. Quality is the first consideration, and the Continental promoters are eager to absorb the best talent available, local or foreign. The handicap race, as we know it, has no place there, and the competitors, as they show themselves worthy of it, are. well rewarded. Why do you not have some change in your racing ?” queried Dickentmann. “ I will come here next season, and bring my pacing tandems, and will also bring Walthour, the American, and we will show you some fast work. Behind our machines we will go—swish (with a corresponding action of his arms) —and the people will hardly see us ! We will break up all your records fine, and there will be something to talk about.” Another Continental rider, Hintz, who was with Dickentmann, spoke much in the same strain as regards our racing. He will not race here, because he cannot obtain any direct compensation. Being here on a pleasure trip," he. says,\he£ does not feel disposed to take, any risks on the offchance of winning a little, although he has done considerable training. “ You have plenty of racers, plenty, plenty, but the people who pay want good

ones. You want some new racing, long racing, six-day racing if you like; but you have not got the best track.”

A novel wrinkle to test the condition of bicycle wheel bearings when a second-hand machine is being purchased is given in the following very simple method: —Take a knitting needle or a piece of thin wire spoke and place it with one end in contact with the hub axle and the other end between your clenched teeth. Then get someone to gently revolve the wheel, and you can judge by the vibrations on the wire, or the absence of it, the condition of the bearings. The smoother the running the better state of the ball-bearings.

To judge from the models of the various makes of cars displayed at the recent great motor shows, the pressed steel frame is now the accepted construction for this very important part of a motor-car (writes “ Auto.”) The full importance of alignment in frame is not always understood by motorists, yet it is essential to the smoothness of working and the durability of engine and mechanism. Stripped of technicalities, the engine is source of power; the gear is the distribution; the rear wheels are the means of giving effect to the power generated. In the course of transmission from the engine to the driving wheels some power is lost through frictional resistance of the various parts of the mechanism. The better the design, make and fitting of these essential parts the smaller is the unavoidable loss through friction during movement. It should be the aim of a motorist to secure a car which loses least of the power, and so get the best result from the engine. This result is termed the mechanical efficiency of the machine. The two styles of transmission in general use are by chains from gear to driving wheels and by bevel gear-shaft drive from gear to drivers. The tendency is now to do away with the chaindrive, and to adopt generally the shaft drive, which has been made almost as flexible, and which can be protected by a casing from dust and mud, and of which the wear to piston is much less than with chains. By the term alignment is understood the setting out of parts in such a manner whereby all possible sources for un-

due friction are removed, and the power is distributed in as direct a way as is possible mechanically. There is a thrust or propelling push in one direct line, and also in a transverse direction. That is to say, at the point where direct action ceases power is transmitted by transverse lines, or, in other words, by the axle which runs at right angles to the centre line of drive. Chains, with their tendency to stretch in use, and their liability to stretch unevenly, cannot be depended upon to correct errors, and within reasonable limits it will. The practice of building the engine and gear-box on a self-con-tained base is correct mechanically, and is largely followed by the makers of the leading cars. The pressed steel frame possesses the twofold advantage of lightness and great strength, but its flexibility has to be guarded against. This is done by transverse pieces bolted to the sidepieces at carefully-estimated positions, and in one or two cases the whole frame is stamped out of one sheet of steel. But the tubular frame and the wood frames armoured with strips of steel do not keep in alignment, and are now obsolete.

To France belongs the chief credit of having recognised the utility of the bicycle for purposes other than pleasure. In military operations cyclists have long played an important part, and now the municipal authorities of Marseilles have provided each of their Fire Brigades with a cycling section. This detachment is six strong, and acts as the advance guard to the engines. Each machine has its own special equipment, the various articles carried including a folding ladder, a hatchet, a tool box, a length of hose, acetylene lamps, etc. As the wheel section always reaches the scene of a fire ahead of the rest of the brigade, it has already proved its usefulness on several occasions 'since its formation.

It now transpires that J. Arnst, who with the other four competitors in the recent Enfield Cup race was fined £ 5 for collusion, although he competed in the event in question, did not enter for the race (says the “Witness.”) Baker, Campion, Mehrtens, and Wyatt have paid their fines, and the question now is whether

Arnst can be made to pay, too. The matter will no doubt shortly receive the earnest consideration of the North Canterbury Centre. A humorous side of the mix-up is that the Christchurch Cycling Club is itself, under the league rules, liable to a fine of £5 for allowing Arnst to compete as a free entrant.

The new club rooms of the Christchurch Cycling and Motor Club, which are of a most commodious and luxurious description, are shortly to be ready for the occupancy of club members. The billiard room is 28ft by 70ft, and will contain three tables; the motor garage and bicycle stand is 90ft by 40ft, and a social hall is 40ft by 20ft.