Cyling and Motoring Notes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 January 1917, Page 4

Cyling and Motoring Notes

. ♦ f From the Dunlop Rubber Company of [j Australasia, Limited, for the week [j December 30th, 1910. j The premier long distance cycle j event of America, the jSVw York six j days' race ait Madison Square track i was decided last week. • Four. Australian cracks in Goullet, Grenda, McXamara. and Spears, were amongst the contestants, and half way through the race GouJlet and Grenda. "were loading with evidently a lap to the good. For several years Australian rideis have figure J amongst the winning teams, and it again looks as if they will be well in the 1916 event. Just before Cbnstanza (Rumania) fell into the hands of the Germans 189,000 of pelrui were stored there. This did not 'fall into the hands of the enemy for the Riiss: n sailors burnt it. A German opinion of the m':repidit.y of J3iitisli aviators is comai icd :i. a recen-fc issiie of the Xauosto Tfuclirichteu of Kiel, in the term of a description of the Allies' air servce by a Rhinclander. "The gig«'iii-!-ic number of enemy aviators,'' states the paper mentioned, '"exceeded anything seen or experienced in this war. By. 3.30 a.m. they were already flying and they cruised with the greatest coolness in the midst of our fire. They fly ko low that the we can make out the smallest dc-.tads with the naked eye. Their aviators carry ,(/ut peacetimes manoeuvres, and are indifferent to all -dangers. They even shoot at us in our holes and trenches witli machine guns, and when they want to find our bombproofs tliey come down still lower until actua.l:lly within pis-tol-shot. Many of them have been shot down, and when their photographs have .been developed we have been able to distinguish the entrance to our shelters. Their artillery has much to thank thenf for. As a rule young English lads of from 18 to 20 years cf age—quite little fellows—sit in the French machines. When they threw down that wreatli for poor Immelmann they did it right over one of our batteries. Then they were off again; and Jive minutes later that battery was under such fire that it had to change position mighty quick. They are frightfully cheeky, these aviators, and as they usually fly six together it makes, no difference if one or the other is lost."

Wo have often noticed the carelessness of cyclists a.s regards keeping their chains adjusted. in quite a largo proportion of ca>es the 'chain sags to a very extent, indicating that the- tension needs adjustment. In the old days of the. block chain and fixed gears such a condition of affairs inevitably resulted in the chain riding the cogs and coming off frequently doing serious damage. There is much less likelihood of this occurring in the case, of the modern chain and 'freewheel, but there are limits. Experiments in .England brought about by the limitation - of petrol to motorists have proved that it is possible to obtain at least 85 per cent df the maximum power of a petrol motor car engine by the use of ordinary coal fueil, also, to the fact that it affoa-ds cheaper power than petrol. The trouble is in t-lie storage aboard a ear. At the price of coal ga.s per 1000 cubic ifeet motorists can figure out how much cheaper .' it would be to run on this 'fuel than 'petrol, if they could only evolve some convenient and compact method o'f storage. As mentioned in tlie.?e columns a few weeks 'back, many public conveniences and >n6ad tractors are running 011 coal gas in England, the gas being carried in large rubber-proofed canvas bags. In 011 c instance a 54-ton ehar-a-banc carries 450 : cubic feet of gas (costing <fe per 1000) and travels a mile on 22£ cubic feet of gas representing a saving in fuel, compared with petrol, of 3d per mile. Although motorists in this country are not likely to be "petrol restricted" it is interesting to note how coal gas is supplied to the engine. The gas from the holder is delivered at a point just above the engine throttle. A hole must be drilled in the induction pipe at- -that point, and the hole tapped to receive the screwed end of the gaspipe. The

! correct diameters for tlio gas orifice | are as follows :10 h.p. engine 20-G4th Jin.; 15 h.p. 24-Glths in.; 20 h.p. I &M>4tlis in. Thoss are maximum di- ■ a meters because the suction <>i the j engine aucelcratps tlie fl.nv of gas, but it is «s well to liave ample erosssi'jtion, so that there will be no risk that the engine will fail to give its maximum p;nver when full power is w,i"ted. . '1 he best explosive mixture i iii gained bv the use from 4-J- to 5A volumes of air to gas. The admission of gas (is 'ponitijoflled conjuntively with the movement of the throttle, though a .single link which is attached to the foot 'accelerator or handle vcir control, or to both, thus enabling tlio supply of gas to be increased jot diminished in relation to the desired r.p.m. and pow-

er. This system of coupling up is, of course, but one of the several that might bo adopted. Gas engineers usually insist that the orifice shall be actually drilled, and disposed so that the stream oif gas flow's in the direction of the incoming air, and is additionally placed centrally in [relation to the p'assa.ge along which the flow takes place. The important point for the motor car used in undoubtedly how tu> acconmiodatc the gas-holder. There can bo no trouble with the coal-gas itself; it is a clean fuel; it is a true gas; perfect combustion is assured, and a clean interior to the engine as well, because varbon deposit is»practically eliminated." ,