MOTOR AND CYCLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8346, 5 February 1913, Page 11

MOTOR AND CYCLE

W. Appelhans and. A- Rousseau, the Uvo Continental riders who cam© out to Sydne yto compete in the six days contest, did not wait for the similar event in Melbourne, but sailed for i ranee last Saturday. With them went F. Aeete. rho crack Tasmanian rider, who was the first Australasian cyclist to reduce h. Meredith’s 100 miles worlds unpaced record of 4hr 52min 51 4-sscc, doing tile out and home trip in 4hr oOmin lisec. The three nights’ Sydney Anniversary Carnival gave rise to some very exciting racing. The star event was perhaps the international Teams race. In this Australia was represented. by It. J- heN'amara, li. Spears, and I), lurkham, opposed by W. Appelhans (Germany), A. Rousseau (France), and S. Jenkins (England). Tho event was run in one beaOf three laps, F. D. Walcott pacing. Kirk ham, McNamara and Spears loilowcd him; Jenkins, whose own macruno ounctured just before tho start, rode L. Uammond's, and seemed to bo better suited by it than by his own. At the bell, Kousseau started out for tho Iront, with Appelhans on his wheel, but Kirkham carried tho leaders around too last. At half a lap to go, McNamara and Spears tore oil in front, and Kousseau dropped out, but Appelhans jumped on to Spears’s wheel. A furious finish saw McNamara win by half a length from Spears, who boat Appelbans by inches'three lengths away Kirkham was fourth, with Jenkins a wheel behind him. htth, and Bousseau was lengths behind, last. Judged by the number of motor cyclists who have announced their intention of endeavouring to win the «£2O prize ottered by tho i)unlop llubber Company r.o the first rider covering tho 072 miles between Sydney and Melbourne in hours, there is likely to be a busy time akong the overland route during ano aext few weeks. Amongst those with designs on J. Gunn’s 25hr 55mm record aro J. B. Yeo (Newcastle) J. Bolger, J. A. Fair (Sydney), and K Tyler, J. M. Lukey. both of Melbourne. One attempt was made during the past week by a Victorian rider in P. Kawlmson, who failed early in bis ride through missing the road on several occasions, be taking I9br 50 in in, against Gunn’s 14hr 40min to reach- Alhury. Recognising the hopelessness of lowering the record, Rawlmton gave up his attempt at this stage of the ride, and rode on into Melbourne at an easy pace- It is interesting to note chat J- Gunn in his recent record ride neat by seven thinutes the time established by the relay of motor cyclists over the same course, in the Military Despatch Contest, last Easter. The English Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has voted a sum of •2000 to bo awarded as a prize (or a homo-produced fuel to replace petrol. It is anticipated that valuable results will accrue trom the offering of this fiandsome prize. Experiments are likely to resolve themselves mainly into the cheap production of benzol from coal slack. Already large quantities of this fuel are being used successfully in England and Prance, and there is little doubt that the 2000 guineas prize now offered will encourage English owners of coal mines, coke ovens, etc., to develop recovery plants for the cheap production of benzol. Recently compiled statistics show that there were at tho end of last year in Great Britain 320,119 motor vehicles of every description, as against 366,258 for the previous twelve months. The progress of motoring for tho past twelve months in that country is therefore represented by tbo substantial increase of 53,861 motor vehicles. During tho same period 81,280,750 gallons of petrol, valued at J 52,123,071, were imported. There are likely to be two separate attempts to reduce Mr Q. G. White's Sydnoy-Melbourno motor car records during February. The existing record is 19hr 47min. The motorists referred to are Mr . Allan Doone (40 h-p; National) and Mr D. Campbell (40 h.p. Vinot). ADVENT OP THE CYCLE CAB. Motor-cars and motor-cycles have had cheir boom; the commercial is in course of having its boom; tUe agricultural motor is showing signs of the approach of a boom. Tnore is one class of veuicle which has not yet begun to boom— Uio' cycle-car—and tne recent successful exhibition in London, following so soon on the motor show, tends to indicate, says “The Car" (England), that <cho small car is about to "have its boom, which, when once it has started, will probably be far in excess of most of the others. There are many thousands—indeed, tens of thousands —of people to whom tho acquisition of a motor-car may seem not attainable, who nevertheless will not hesitate to purchase a cycle-car, and find great pleasure in its use. And as there can be no doubt now that such cycle cars of light weight and of small price can bo supplied to the public, with certainty that they will bo found efficient and seasonably durable, it may be held to be certain that there will bo a brisk and ever-increasing market. Just as tho motor-car has reduced the horsecarriage to a minute percentage" of the number of vehicles of that class on the road, the gig. the small pony runabout, the governess tub will disappear, and power vehicles to hold two or three will take their place. This will go a long way to the final practical removal of the horse from the streets, and also in a measure from tho roads. The classes of society which hitherto have not been able to use power-vehicles will soon supply themselves when they can do so with cycle-cars, which will enable them to cover longer distances with less trouble and at no greater expense than when they had to provide for the keeping of a hoi-ee or pony. There is every prospect that this change will proceed rapidly. Example will be given by some, and others will follow in an ovqrinereasing stream. The country road will be changed as regards the traffic on it, just as the town traffic is already practically a motor traffic as regards passenger vehicles, whether public or private, and is rapidly becoming a motor traffic as regards commercial vehicles. One very important result of the vast change which is now proceeding, and of which tho cycle car boom will ho the culmination will be tho almost immeasurable improvement in tho sanitation of our streets which must follow.