CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1046, 24 March 1910, Page 11

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Dranoel Trawets, the young American, who is engaged on a cycling tour round the world, for a £3,000 wager, intends leaving Auckland on Monday night for Sydney, with his New Zealand companion, Ray Astley, who has thrown in his lot with Trawets, “Clothes for Cycling” is the title of a very interesting article by Athol Maudslay that recently appeared in an English cycling journal. He warns riders using very brilliantly dyed materials as they cause blood poisoning, particularly when the rider is overheated. Natural wool is the best, as it has the power of preserving the heat of the body or allowing the moisture to evaporate that is generated in the form of perspiration. It is by perspiring that the sensation of heat is relieved. For a cyclist to perspire, adds Mr. Maudslay, is a splendid thing, it is a sudorific, without recourse to drugs, it eliminates disease and acts as a restorative to health; but to do so one must wear suitable underclothing, othewise the effect will be as bad as it might be good. It is all right so long as the cyclist does not get chilled when he ceases co exert himself. Wool is a bad conductor, and, consequently, it slowly conducts the external heat to the body and is equally dilatory in conveying away from the. body in cold weather the heat generated therein. It also dilates the blood, vessels of the skin, whereas cotton diminishes the blood supply. When cotton underclothing becomes saturated owing to perspiration the blood is suddenly driven from the skin and a dangerous sensation of cold is produced. This is owing to the fact that the vegetable fibre of which cotton is composed is incapable of absorption. Loose clothing is warmer than tight clothing. The feeling of irritation experienced by some people when first using wool next the skin is due to its action on the nerve centres and soon passes away. This irritation is invaluable, for it stimulates the skin and encourages the blood vessels to dilate. The colour of underclothing is not of much consequence, but for the outer covering it is of great importance. A white garment will absorb 100 degrees Fahr, of the sun’s heat, whereas a black material absorbs as much as 208 degrees. All dark colours add to the external heat.