Cycling and Motoring.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 206, 11 June 1904, Page 21

Cycling and Motoring.

A French Government Commission, recently appointed, to go thoroughly into the question of motomng, and tJie rate of speed to be allowed otn the French roads, recommended m their renort that thirty-six nuiles an hour be allowed on the open loads. The recommendation will probably be adopted. Pace restnctions thait are ample for thickly-popu-lated England should be sufficient for New Zealand conditions. The total value of the pnzes for this year's DunJop Timaru-Chnstchurch road race is expected' to leach over £200. The value of the prizes already allotted amounts to £165, and 1 when the entries olose the full value of the prize-list wall he made known. Maioi Taylor is now the proud father ctl a little piccaninny. As mother and daughter aie doing well, Taylor has decided donmtely to leave Sydney by the 'Sierra," on June 6th (Monday last). So far multiple speed gears are not \ erv extensively used by cyclists in this part of the world, although many occasions arrive when their benefits would be gieatly appreciated!. The riders who have them fitted to their cydleis speak in high terms of their advantages, especially when fighting against a high wind. A variation from a sixty to an e-ghtv inch erear is auite sufficient, the low for uphill work or when riding against the wind, and the high gear founding along the level and' when the going is easy. Thanks to the enterprise of the Canada Cycle and Motor Company, Limited, Don Walker, the champaon. sprint<sirer of Australia, will have a chance this autumn of distinguishing himself on the Continental and English racing tracks. Don, than whom thetre is no more popular rider in Australia, has definitely dtecided to leave Sydney by the "Sierra" for San Francisco an. the 6th of June (last Monday), in company with Major Taylor. Upon arrival in America, Walker and Taylor will jouiney across to New York, and thence to England and the Continent. The two oraoks will probably make their first appearance in France, and, with continual racing, both riders should be in good form, for the World's Championship meeting;, to be held in London on the Crystal Palace track next September. During Walker's racing career he has won some 166 races, with numbers of seconds and thirds. His total wnnmngs amount to £3500. The marvellous power developed by the racing motor catrs used at the recent Nice Carnival (France) is almost beyond belief especially when it is stated that these big monitors do not weigh over a ton. A hill-climbing contest, held at the French meet, selves to give readers a fair idea of the power developed From a standing start, on an up-grade road averaging a rise of one in ten, a 100 horse-power Gobrom-Bnlhe covered the course — 543 yards — in 26sec, which works out at the rate of forty-eight miles an hour. Mr. E. M. Bowden, inventor of the well-known Bowden brake, recently died in England. The Melbourne Bicycle Club, the promote! of the Austral Wheel Race, has issued its annual balance-sheet. It discloses the fact that the last Austial Wheel Race meeting (which necessitated an outlay of £2000) resulted in a net profit of only £74 15s 7d, a big comedown from the usual thousand and odd pounds. After many unsuccessful attempts by different riders to capture Frank Beauchamp's one male Australasian record from a flying start, it has at last been reduced by W. McDonald. The successful ride was accomplished two weeks ago on the Sydney Cricket Ground, when McDonald, paced by an eaght h.p. motor, cut Beauchamp's figures — Imam 27 l-sth sec — down by a second The new record' — lmin 26 l-sth sec — is nothing out of the way, and, considering the fine track in Sydney, should be some six seconds better. The world's record for this distance is held by T. HaHl (England), who last September rode 1760 yds on the Pare de Princes track, Pans in lmin 6 4-sth sec. The Automobile Club of Victoria intended holding a motor hill-climbing contest at Heidelberg, at an early datte, probably Saturday, May 28th. The selected hill is 1034 yds long, the steepest grade being one in six and a-half. Such a contest as the one proposed should demonstrate the wondeaful hillclimbing capabilities of the up-to-date motor car.

Bullocky Bill had a cold so bad That, though his language was very sad, His team stood placidly chewing the cud, While the wheels sank deeper into the mud. Woods' Peppermint Cure his voice brought back, When of classical speech there was no lack, And his cattle took to their work with a will 'Neath the lurid appeals of Bullocky Bill.