Cycling.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 69, 26 October 1901, Page 21

Cycling.

Messrs. O. S. Prouse, A. Jewell, and W. C. Best, the three finest road rideis in Westraha, competed in the Warrnambool to Melbourne road race. Ralston, like all good riders, recognises a good thing when he sees it. Dunlop tyres helped him to win the Test Race, carried him to Melbourne, and carried him home ahead of the best road riders Australia could produce. Bobby Walne, Australia's cycling exchajnpion, who has been on a racing visit to the United States during the winter months, is expected back in Sydney this month. It is more than likely that he is being accompanied by several American cracks. "W. Clarkson ran into a pos»t while racing on the Basin Reserve at Wellington on Labour Day, sustaining a scalp wound. When will Wellington get a proper e\cle track?" — Thus "Rover," in the "Canterbury Times." It might mteiest that scribe to know that the post Clarkson struck was ten yards from the winning post, and was no fault of the track. He was endeavouring to pass the man in front of him on the inside , and ran into the post in the endeavour. Then, as to the tracks. The two wo luue now —at the Athletic Park and «?t Pet one -are practically "frosts," so dead has cycle racing become. They are both likely to be taken up shortly and used to fill up some of the gullies round about the grounds mentioned. Andy Ralston's performance in the meat Warrnambool to Melbourne road iace, in tiering one hundred and Mxty-hvo miles in nine hours thirty seconds, unpaced, is by far the best performance, ever accomplished in thi.-, sjieat event the next best unpaced effoi * being W Adams' nine hours ten minutes. Rahton's performance is all the more meritorious when it is pointed out that J. Carpenter's time with multicycle pace was only some twenty minutes better. "Scotty" ha& upheld the honour of this colony well, and his performance was appreciated by not only evehsts but the public generally. Some cyclists have trouble with the burning of their acetylene cycle lamps. If they will carry out the following instructions, they will be surprised at tho marked difference in the regular and even light given — Use a good lamp, good carbide, and clean water. Clean the burner frequently, and, in case of failure, look to this first. Renew tho charge for eveiv tnp, and for security's sake carry a little extra carbide. Blow out the lamp rather than let the flame sink to a flicker, as at this stage sooty deposits ma) be formed in the burner. Carry a small wire which can be used to clean out the burner. Keep some wadding over the carbide chamber to purify the ga« See that all joints are gas or water tight, and examine the water valve occasionally. "Rover," in the "Canterbury Times"- —' Mr. J. C. Cusack is now handicapper foi the Wellington Centre. Surely the choice cannot have been numerous when the selection was made.' Mr. Cusack was promiuentlv identified with athletics in Canteibuiy many years ago, and for seveial years was secretary of the old Cyclists' Alliance, but where he can ha\e gained a substantial knowledge of North Island cycle racing, seeing that he has not been long a resident in Wellingion, u» more than I can fathom.'' [Why this severe criticism. It is unwarranted, to say the least of it. Bievcle handicapping is so easy, too, just now, that a schoolboy could bring the nders togethei.] Most cyclists who have ridden both block and half-pitch roller chains are aware that the latter works easier and with less friction, but if asked, they could give no reason for such a difference in the running. The difference is this— the fnction of a blook chain between the chain-wheel teeth and tho block is sliding fnction, whilst with a roller it is rolling friction, and not leally between the teeth and the roller, as the latter moves freely on the bush inside the roller. Therefore, it will be seen that the gieater part of the tnction of a block chain is external friction, and taking place under the worst conditions, in consequence of dust and mud, whilst in the case of the roller, the friction is much less as it is rolling instead of sliding, and it takes place under cover, as each roller is practically a little gear case in which the movement on the bush take& place.