CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 965, 3 September 1908, Page 13

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Messrs. T. H. Pardington, club captain, and R. J. Sutherland,,chairman, have presented the Onehunga Club with a handsome silver mounted challenge shield, the winner on each occasion to receive a gold medal. The committee meet next Friday, when a date will be fixed for the first race for the i shield. Mr. Chas. Bagley, president, has promised another trophy for competition, and others are expected. The Eden Cycling Club and Onehunga Cycling Touring Club had a very enjoyable combined run to Lake Takapuna on Sunday. The first of this season’s big New South Wales road races was carried to a successful issue over the BathvrstrSydney road a distance of 133% miles under ideal weather conditions. Out of an entry of 12 6 riders, 98 started, the scratchmen, T. Larcombe and G. Border conceding starts extending out to 80 minutes. The race, which was organised by the Continental Co., was run under the rules and management of the League of New South Wales. The event attracted a big crowd at the start, and great interest along the route. Early in the race, Patterson (45 minutes) and Turner (48 minutes) took the lead, and were never afterwards headed, A. S. Turner (Goulburn) winning easily from P. Patterson (Springwood), with A. J. Hyslop (52 mins.) third.. The winner’s time was 8 hours 4 min., whilst Patterson covered the course in 8 hours 15 min. 7 secs. Both the first and second men rode Dunlop Tyres. T. Larcombe, who last year won the fastest time and the Australian Road Championship in the Dunlop road race from Warrnambool to Melbourne, again proved what a great road rider he, is, by establishing fastest time, by covering the course in the good time of 7 hrs. 53 mins. 40 secs., and finishing fourteenth from scratch.

From a conversation the writer had with a recent visitor to Europe, who had exceptional opportunities of witnessing the Grand Prix Motor Race held in France last month, one can realise the enormous cost of such an event to the big tyre firms who lay themselves out to win such a contest at all cost. In the event under notice, one firm tyred 3 2 cars, and what those 32 cars eat up in rubber during the 478 miles’ race only those who came into intimate touch with the contestants can have any idea. My informant stated that after one lap (47% miles) he saw one driver

change 9 tyres, four new ones for the wheels and five spares for another five torn to pieces during the tap. Such havoc in tyres can hardly be conceived, for under average touring conditions, similar tyres would have a life of about 3000 miles each, but the stress of tearing around curves at 60 and 70 miles an hour and the desperate application of brakes, together with the terrific heat engendered simply me’ts the tyres in a few miles. At an average it would be under the mark to state that each contestant used up six sets of tyres, which would bring the tyre bill of the firm who tyred 32 cars up to a figure that would leave little change out of £7000.. They call motor racing the “Sport of Kings’ —the “Sport of Millionaires” would be more appropriate.

A novel idea, being nothing more or less than a reliability bicycle test, has been suggested, and will probab.y be carried out by one of the leading English cycle clubs. The idea is to organise a 24 hours’ run, in which a scheduled speed of 10 miles an hour must be maintained: The event to be opened to all cyclists: Special arrangements to be made along the proposed route —London to Bath and back for food supplies, etc. The proposal has been favorably received by English cyclists. After the Dunlop Rubber Co. have run off all their big road races for the season they may consider the advisability of organising similar runs in New South Wales, and Victoria, awarding time medallions to all who finish the scheduled course within the time allowance.

According to the results issued by the League of Victorian Wheelmen in connection with the recent 100 miles Victorian Cycle Traders’ Road Race, 140 riders out of the 218 starters won time medallions by covering the course under seven hours. The protest against J. Jenkins, the winner, for alleged assistance at Keilor, was not sustained, and the result stands good.

Particulars are to hand from America of a big three event match between Henri Mayer (the German champion who raced in Australia a few years back) and A. J. Clark, the Australasian champion, that was recently decided at Salt Lake City Saucer Track. The match demonstrated that while Clarke has played plenty of speed he needs more match racing experience, before he will be able to class as a World’s champion in every respect. French style was employed and the efforts of Mayer and Clarke to keep from falling off their wheels created some amusement. The German crack, who affects a fondness for odd stockings, proved the better trick rider and each time he forced the Australian to take the ledd. Clarke won the first heat and Mayer took the second. Then the final was started and there was considerable delay at the start, as neither man wanted to take the lead. When a quarter of the way around the track on the first lap Clarke stopped and held on to the rail for support, balancing himself on his bicycle until Clarke was ordered by the referee to let go the rail. It was a bitter fight then for eight laps, but the German got the jump on Clarke on the last lap and won the heat and match by a half wheel’s length.