MOTOR CYCLING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 3

MOTOR CYCLING.

THE ; RELIABILITY TRIALS'. ■ . The.;Jlotor,:; Cycle,'-Club's' '-reliability ■trials'.were-held on Friday and Saturday, February .18 and 18. . Thirty-five entries .were received, and thirty.-one. riders started. These .included/motorists from -Wanganui, ■X'tiku,-'. tfapier/XY Hnsh'ngs, Wairarapn, and Canterbury, -yls", well as Wellington.. ■'■-. •• ■;''■■■ "■■•:-.''; " '.' •;;■-.:

■ The. course for the first'; day :was from' the Custom. House buildings, ;in : Wellington,- to Pahiatu a> via -the''/Eimutaka Ranges ; n.nd. the •Wairarapa ) '-;and it .was over-this-road that the consumption, test was made.. Forjhe, second day the course followed:was' that from Pahiatua,. via the Mnngahao Bridge and-the Tararua Saddle,', over' into tlie Manawatu; and then■by;.,the,maiu.road.'to ; the top of Paekakariki Hill, . ,The competitors--were divided- into two classes,-.;''.one'-'for''•light weight . machines.liand one,' 'for'. heavyweights, and, werefdispatched in batches of four, and five ,'at .five 'intervals, commencing at'".6.130 a'.tu., the: lightweight.riders, tokia.?; tho.lead, 'headed by a car. with'officials,' : A gqod.fstiff. north.' »rly. wind was : espiirienced'• at tho start, and this .of course. meant "that" a. gale wan blowing on the Rimutakas',: :, 6o"'that'in some places .the climbing powers. of the various machines, were severely' tested The team , reached the Summit shortly after' 9 a.m;;: and after - a stay 'of a few minutes, descended- .to,- Abbott'sCreek, which, was. crossed on'a temporary bridge arranged for,, by the club. The first, control was at :Peatherston, ..where those,requiring to. replenish their supply of petrol could do so. . ' '■■ ".■■;!?■:' ',-. ■ - : -. ■•.- ;Eather. more', than an ; hour-was, spent , m leatherston,.and vat '.about 10.30 the riders \ were-'again dispatched;as before. Each.team of. competitors was at liberty to obtain lunch,wherever it desired,:and most-of the, teams -elected 1 to .'stay;-at Masterton , for this purpose.;. , - Meanwhile, the official car, which-was still ."travelling in advance, met with'-■'a : : slight mishap just south of Maurice'ville. - In.trying to •avoid some stray: :cattle-thei-front' axle struck' a> projecting ; log,'with>the result, that the: radius 'rods;- were/'bent, but it speaks well for.the',-. construction''.'and clearance, of .the car : that-a :: great deal more damage iras noti'.done.'i .This, compulsory stop 'was/taken -advantage" of by : the omcials, who* established- on the spot the petrol;depot;-whieb.-it-had.-been: the" intcntion-to form at MauricevilleV: ':-■-'■ ;By -the time -the ■'(iompetitprs ".who* granted'.petrol had beenisupplied the car was ready to■ start.'- Good- tinje was : made to Pahiatua, although<;theiibad :near Eketahuna..was- found*siimewhat rough.': '.The : first .machines'.reached ;Pahiatua at.3.35 p.m. Here riders('. : arid.machip'es: were .'\reigne'd' for. handicapping'purposes, and. petrol' tanks .refilledr. ready for the second day's trial;.'lt may be-mentioned-here...that telegram from "Pahiatua- was 'published-: in'..Wellington- which, stated that well-known" rider secured fastest. tin*;'-completing the 112 miles in. 31 hours."' . The , 'officials aro ataloss to-know how tlie report originated, as speed was J-not 'the , object of : the :trial,:.;and. any; rider, exceeding, set ■by the club; would .--liave,. been i'dis.'qualified, n The correct tiihe" occupied •by the rider mentioned: was'-B,hours.2 minutes .40: seconds. :■"■■ - /■■' \' : ;-;-•■■-■'•'■ ■■}-.' •;.-

' By six-o'clock-on Saturday morning the competitors, began;.to assemble 'outside tho .control, and,punctually;at 6.30 the first, team of .riders, was';dispatched for. Papkakariki, the'last team learing at 7.5 a.m. .:■■ " -, ' ■ ' -'■ .'~ .■ ■' ■'' ...',,--. >, ■'.'■..■■■.• '.-.■ On reaching the Manawa.tua. : strong eoutherly:\vind was.encountered:and thoughheavy ■■ rain, was falling\;on.: the ranges to • the eastward most, of the'.riders escaped with just a shower, while further, south the conditions 'improved, and a .cloudy sky gave place., to -bright sunshine. ■■';'...' ,■ ■.-.-■■. :- K :..'J--.t.\-':-ht~ - : -.••■: ■': '.■ • ;-.. Most of the competitors'i had-lunch' ; at Mahara House,.' Waikanae. .After an hour or, so/continued to'thp top of Paekakariki HilU- where , the machines' were taken into control and-officially examinedfor breakages. '.Those\riders'-who intended competing in thrspccial hill climb' i for the Bidwill-Barton '.championship' cup w?re sent, clown, to the starting .point 'opposite Paekakariki HoteL ' ' ' .

• The hill-climbing competition ■wai'cdmuicnced at 4.ls'pirn.-, the. riders sent up:, singlv at intervals -of'.two minutes, tli? resuU .being determined .■ on, the!' fol-j lowing formula :-C.C; in'M.M.: time in, dtifided by total weight, multiplied by ■sepondsi-y--;-'.:-:'-':- ' ,; -' ■' ■■-.••

l.i-;Tho Bidwill-Barton cup.'won by H.'B;, LWooil, was allotted 'for'best work in reliability, petrol consumption, and-hill-: climbing, and had!-it, not been for an t .unfortunate fall 100.yards ifrom theV fin-ishing-post, .tUis--would,undoubtedly, have jieen.won.by'Mr. J. CBidwill; In the opinion. of all the -riders the'-trial was a kind- of regulated..toui.v and : . was parfaoularly: enjoyable fTom.:star);,:to;fini6h. :■• Tho results \rere as'folloF.i— : ....

'i .'■.:' V'.; : ;C;";,;.;" j.- Reliability:—Private' owners:' L.' Hughes (Mountaineer),Vl';' , -R. S.' Bender "(do.);'-' 2;' E. ■ Bender (do':), 3.;; ; . Open to all.-B. Chapmaii''(F;n;),;'i'; C. S. : Sutcliffe (Mountaineer), 2: 'C .Wright (do.), 3. : ; "■.:'c-(",V; 7-'" ■ ; '~

: Hill Climb.—Private owners: E. ; S. Beij..der. (Mountaineer),•■ 1; ■_ E:_- Bender,- (do.), 2. 1{ : Operi to"allAC./S.:' Sntolifte.(Mountaiheer),!:l j-.'Bi'. Chapman-.(P.N.);. 2;' A.^K. ; ;Hopkins (Mountaineer), ;-'3.';." .;.■•. • :V'-v.-.--' ■ . Consumptidn.-Priyate owners: E.-Bender. Mountaineer), 1-j L. Hushes" '■' o?i n ."*°.V s,-*>■' .Chapman';(F Jf.), ; 'lr C..\yj;ight: S,' Sutoliffe (do;),',3>■'■:•• "."','■■■" •:.■■'::'... '"■ "

;'■■■ ; .HEAyr. WEIGHTS..,;.; ; ■ ;;\ .. Eeliabmty.-Private'..oiniera:.:.'G; Maf" thews (Truunpli), l; J; C. Bidwill. (Mountajncer),,.2j.;F. .Banks- (Quadrant),' 3. ■■: ■Woods (Triumph), -Sy:/- '■ ■';':.;. ■ ■ "" •:! .^H 1 ,Climb'.-Erivate" owners': ■J. C. BidwiU (Mountaineer), .1; ,E. -WUberioßS.'lTri--umph),■ 2;' F. Banks..(Quadrant),'3. :' ■ i ail.- 7 H..B.:Wflod.(TTiumpn), 1 i V. Sutherland ■(«yI.'F.N.),->2; G B -Brown- (Triumph); ■-'■• ■ ■ '■■■'■

i, ?&1 l '■ ■ owners: E. Gilbert (Bradbury),, l;?: J. C.' : Bidwiil' CMountaineer); 2; G. 'Matthews; (Triumph), "Open- to all.-N: E.Hyslop' (Triumph), .1; H.; B. Wood (d 0.)," 2;' VT Sutherland (4Ksyl;.-F.N.), 3. , \ . 1 .;.;•■■.... ~,. ■..

bidwill-barto'n cup. i Winner of Bidwill-Barton Cup (value) 40 gtmioas), H. B. Wood (3J h.p. Tnumph) SPECIAL PRIZES. Lowest petrol coneumpbon, N E Hyslop (3i Trmmph)

Best hill climb, H B Wood (do.). Rider experiencing hardest kdj, George Willis.

• Again '-the twin, cyelinder Mountaineer has scored'a-huge "success; : Last-year- it literally swept the cards,; and won. every event against all makes -and ■' powers. This, year the- classes were, divided—The Light-Weights -being separated • from - ' the ' Heavy Weights. In the Private Owners' Class the Mountaineer 'put'up a record , Being. Ist, 2nd and 3rd in reliability; 15t.,,2nd., and 3rd; in- Hill Climbj'lsl,. 2ud., and 3rd in Petrol..Consumption. In ■ the" heavy-weight" class, •Mγ. J. C. Bidwill, .last' year's hill-climb 'winner, .pitted hie "Mountaineer" against; the highpowered, machines, and gave, a somewhat sensational performance; Spectators state he literally, flew, .up the' dangerous Taekakariki' Hill,;■; but fell.'at the last corner. Hβ remounted, and .finished in wonderful time,,.and was 5 adjudged the winner. The' performance of. the lightweights was undoubtedly ; tae feature of the ■ trials.—Advt; . : - ■ '.-' ' ■'■. .