Cycling & Motoring Notes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 February 1914, Page 4

Cycling & Motoring Notes

L'roni the Duniop .Rubber Company oi Australasia for tnc week ending 14tii February, 1914, A novel motor propellor for. use 011 uicycles iius been marketed in I Canada. Tne idea, whilst not new, seems to be developed on more ecientine lines than neretoiore. As tne result ol a iong series of experiments a serviceable machine nas at last been put un tlie roau, and is said to give some astonisning results. The attachment consists of a three port two cycle air-cooied engine which ogives oft 4 h.p. at 20UU revolutions per minute. This is supported on supplementary stays carried out from the back of the saddle pillar lug, and braced with down stays to the back wheel axle after the style of a strong luggage carrier. A two blade propellor is attached to the engine crankshaft, so that it serves aiso as a ilywheel. The width of the propeller is about that of the ordinary handle-bars ,thus minimising the danger of striking objects on the highway. The petrol and oil tanks are attached on the top j,stays, just at the rear of the saadle, the engins being set well back so that the propellor blade clears the back tyre by a few inches. This power unit can be attached to the ordinary bicycle, which must be fitted with a free wheel, and under suitable conditions a speed up to GO miles an hour is guaranteed by the makers, if thenracing propellor is used. With a natter-bladed propellor JJS to 40 miles an hour is said to be easily obtainable on good roads. Over 100 miles to a gallon of petrol can be travelled on average roads. In the event of wanting (to ride through congested tranic, the engine can be switched off, and tho cycle easily pedalled, along in the ordinary manner. The whole ot the outfit sells at -about £10 in Canada, and if this motor attachnient only half as successful as claimed by the maker then it will not be long before these propellor driven bicycles are seen in large numbers in this country. An interesting motor car'nonstop engine test waa recent carried out in California. An Astock car, which bad already covered nearly 7000 miles was run over a stated rouite for 72 hours without a single engine stop. During the test title car was available to the public for .free rides, and all told 1.000 miles were covered. Altogether 184 stops were inside to pick up or drop p.asseugers; only two gallons of wn-.tiT ovaporsited i during fiw lost, whijlst i>2 gallons of point J were used, equal io 19 A miles to the gallon. The lubricating oil used was equal (o \2o miles io the quart. Such a. run servos 1o emphasise, tin* reliability embodied in the present'* day car.