BY DEMON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 59

BY DEMON.

— — A" a result of the announcement that ~ ihe police intended to take action, in the, - Police-. Oour^ against users of bicycles, rid-, i ng without , bells affixed to their machines, jbeie Has been, quite a, run on.bellsefc the, -' {afferent cycle, firmis^d'uringr the pasfc .-.week.Pho pricaat which a bell can, ha" obtained , s so .small; that the -rider who takes" the risk of being arrested -for 'ailing, to carrjr ua' alarm -.deserves no symjjathy if .he Has iof&pp&ax, before the magisfrate, \ '•"-? '- '--^The chief, feature in-the recent Stanley 3m3e_slM)vjia Londoa was th« sujphej el

different multi-speed gears on exhibition^ '" According to l a writer in a Home papery there were shown some two dozen different - forma -of "multi-speed "gears, ~ ranging fromr two gears up to six.-i * . " ' *^\ -— — During^ the past * few days T fc*vaP. noticed references- made in .northern paper*," .tg aw .alleged -fallings off- Tin", the output;* oe* bicycles," antrthe % : increasing use 'of ~ Ska |' *niobbr .car, and .'motor oyole is put forwai4K< " as the reason . for Buoh alleged decrease^ ' Ihquiryjt of', thie^ different local jycle, Arms X on" the -subject" elicited the- fact that 'bus**' -• ness atrthe_ present time is " rather ' slack* % "bj^t I do -riot personally' consider that'" the use of the bicycle -is being restricted/ -a« ' 1 there* is at Jpresent- a far larger nunx-* " her of bicycle shops ! in Dunedin than, eve» ■ ' before,- and consequently the saje of bicycles - is distributed over 'a larger number of firms'; ' To, assert' that the. motor Car" is ousting ."thai bicycle. t ia popular 1 favour reads to me ?as „ eomewbat '"absurd,, as tqj my knowledge, the great majoritjr of present-day motor ' car, - owners never indulged in the pleasures" ol oycling, ,and as; far as the njotor cycle j» ' concerned the number of" these owned loqally'-m oompacieon to the bicycle is in--fihitesimal. - In my opinion the bicycfe* will Jalwaye easily* hold its own as a means o1 looo&otion. against ,both motor .car' and ■' motor -cycle," and, "writing " with a. good knowledge bf .the subject,/! can safely assert that the number o* bicycles used , locally" is v daily, increasing. The best argui ' .rnent - in -favour of njy contention, that th« ,use "of the bicycle is ' 'increasing is founc • in a perusal of the 1 balance sheets of tlw - big Home manufacturing cycle companies, where" increased "dividends and l large aunw / carried forward 'to reserve funds are linearly every instance tecorded. "" ' ; "During jthe reoen* -reliability tria .- the-, cars- were enthusiastically receive^ \, throughout the. fun. ~ All the "riouH , there were groups cheering- the competitors! " -with' a special'" gathering to watch the tat at each ford, where flowers and fruit wer«-_ thrown into" the* cars. _ * There was t only one opinion ol thd trip as' far, as those who took part in i^ - were ■"bonoerneo! — " The best outing ever v, ~ J had in my life." . ' ■ - *1~ , Mr, .Acton-Adams took delivery of * handsome red 30 h.p. Beeston-Humber 4-4 cylinder car during J the week. This Hunf-I - ' ber' is "a very and power 4 ful machine, and is fitted with all thenlatest improvements^ Messrs ,Cooke, Howlison, and Co.i*~ are landing next* week a 12-15 Stuart oarr with large wheels and tyres, dual ignition,] hood and wind;shield. Mr -Davies, Tau-' ranga, -has purchased a 2% Clement Torpedo 'model. -Mr Powell St. Clair, Midi Mr Brown, Cromwell, have purchased -FNf light-weights, while Dr - Bagley, of St.. Bathans, has gone In for one_ for hill work. to run 'in „ conjunction with, a heav^' machine. , ~ _ " , ' '" The motor cyole reliability trial,) Christchurch to Dunodin and back, was^'. won "by Mr Hyslop on a 4-cylinder F.N.,; the only machine of this"make entered, " . , — -=^The 14, h.p^ white yulcan landed by? Messrs _ Wimpenny Bros, is doing excellent^ . , work. This car is fitted with dual ignition; : and' all t"he' latest improvemente. , Thef _ Vulcan to .bejanded to the order of Mr. E.I . E.7Stark^should be to hand within a fort*"-, night. ' ~. - \- - ■ j ' -> r j^~—"A one-time well-known figure on_ou» local cycling tracks in' Mr Evan Morgan! is at present in Dunedin on_a holiday visits *;' Mr- 1 Morgan, is now a resident' of Waiht (Auckland). ' ' " ' ' ' :.= As the ex-New Zealander Dick Arnii^. ~, ' t has" .been xmabk to get - a match ' in. that ' sculling world,' fcethas" decided go backi-,-to. cycling, and' will make his first appear-- . aric» T (sincere adopted scullinghon the n&sf. Sf Melbourne saucer track. ' '"'-,- 1 i^— William E. Rhodes, • an American " rider, was supposed to " have broken thy- r long-standing- record of ' 23hr 32mia bafcween New Torlrand -Boston by completing 1 the distance* in 23hr Bm«C but it appears ) that Rhodes -was so tired when he rcaohedr IWftr«,eater tbm h© took the tcaia frggt

$here to Boston. Evidence to that end was collected by the- Gentary ' Road Club of America, and, needless io say, Hhodes'fi iflaim for the record was disallowed. Diaring the Olympia motor show Nazwho won -the three great Oontinental ftiftd races last year, paid a -visit to London, JUid had Ms first experience o* driving o& Ihe Brooblands track. In his opinion it jjs absurd to say that not more than 100 {tailee cm hour can be covered with safety the track, and he is anxiously looking jjMCWfuJd. to racing on it next season. Hie

appearance on fhe track is expected to prove a big draw. - So far it looks as though England ■will be represented in this year's Gtfand Prix de Paris by at least eight or ten cars. In recent years the big Continental races hare been neglected by the English manufacturers. During the London Olympia 6how the lighting arrangements cost £500 per day. In |Ec evening, when all the lights were -on, it cost £1 £>er minute. Nearly 4j

, quarter of & million people visited the show. At Maidstone Assizes (Eng.) last November, a chauffeur, aged 20, -was convicted of manslaughter ~oi a young cyclist, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. It was shown, that the cyclist was knocked off his machine and instantly killed by the car, which was travelling at 25 miles an hour. The chauffeur had four previous convictions against him, and Mr Justice Grantham said that in view of that fact he would not give effect to a .recommendation to mercy made by the jury. The smoke concert held at the eon- * elusion of the big Stanley cycle show in London was attended by some 3000 visitore. — ' — Ellegaard, the Danish racer, has made an offer to meet Frank Kramer, the American champion, a series of matches, but there was no word by last mail £te <o whether Kramer accepted it. * The hour record, the ambition of a dozen pace-followers on the Con'incnt, has, so far, baffled all attempts to improve it, but when the last mail c ?* & was e *i^ engaging the attention of the cracks, and eVen the expert pacers, -more than one of whom would like to have the honour of having made a trail for the successful rider. In London, Paris, and several other large citie6, the motor cab is a valued vehicle, and is becoming extremely popularSydney, it Is understood, is also to nave the now conveyance, a company now being formed to introduce it. "I have been driven," said Mr Day, a recently returned "Victorian, to a press interviewer, " right across London at_ a pace well over 30 miles an hour, dodging the traffic in -a masterly fashion, puUins up quickly here, then accelerating to ex-press-speed there, and without running any undue rick whatever, yet it is almost an everyday occurrence to reed of a driver being stopped on one of ~ flic highways, niles away from anyone or any place, his name being taken, and ultimately fined for exceeding the maximum limiij allowed — 25 miles an hour." The annual six-days' race at Boston, in which two men constituted a team, one only of each ieam to be on the track at a time,' was won by Hugh M'Lean {a wellknown pace follower) and Floyd Krebs, who between them covered 1147 miles in the 60 hours— -10 hours per day. A similar contest was to have been decided in New York early in December, f or which 12 teams had nominated. The winner of theBoston event was to have raced the French rider Darragon in a" series of tesfs. i Messrs Cooke, Howlison, and Co. were not long in the possession of their 12-14 Stuart, they having disposed of this fine car to Mr Prince, of Riverton. — ■ — I had an enjoyable .short run in Mr Pasemore's 10-12 Humber on Wednesday afternoon. This car has a very sweet drive, and is easily controlled. The Humber made very short work of Pitt street. Mr S. R. Stedman has just landed the 15 h-p. Humber ordered by Mr Creagh, of Oameru, which is an excellent specimen of the motor-maker's craft. A feature of this new Humber is its handy gate change. Despite the fact that the Oamaru Caledonian Society gave some £100 in prize money for cycle races, the bike competitors in the different events at their New eYar's sports were not very i numerous, and with a far less amount of prize money the local Caledonian Society had much larger fields, on the average. The second day's Oamaru Wheel Race, of £30, only brought out seven starters, which must have been distinctly disappointing to oar Oamaru friends. Seeing that there are not a great number of racing cyclists about just now, I hardly think the Oamaru Socie<<y were wise in giving such big prize money. Smaller money would serve the purpose of bringing out new riders, and as the number of path-raoing cyclists increased prize mon«sy could be raised with suc;b, increase. Giving large money to attract outside champions — who generally eecu/e the major part of the prizes — may or rnsy not attract a big attendance of the public; it certainly does not encourage the mediumpaced local rider to persevere in the game of cycle-i^cing. j i — J^-The total profit on last year's trans- ,

actions of the Swift Cycle Company "" amounted to £39,585, of which £6000 is to be carried to general reserve and the carryforward of £2927 increased to £3121. The general reserve fund already stands at " £47,000. The Triumph Company, who have made a profit of £16,000, which is nearly £1000 more than was the case last year, onoo more pay 5 per cent., and carry for.ward nearly £8000. Messrs J. B. Brooks and Co., who made a net profit of nearly £14,000 last season, are paying a dividend on the ordinary shares of 6 per cent. The next great test for the automobile in Europe is one of 2000 miles in length, including timed hill^climbs, aggregating 20 miles, speed test on ,the Brooklands track, petrol consumption test, and general reliability. The Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain has the affair in hand, which will take place some time :n: n June next. Loss of points will be the penalty for time lost on the road during 1 the contest, the tim€i occupied in "hillclimbs, the time in the speed test, and time lost in refilling petrol tanks, one point to be deducted for every gallon of fuel used, and upon the results of these trials will the cars be judged. -Delays on both road 'and track through tyre , troubles will also carry a penalty in loss of points, as all 1 cars will be awarded a maximum number \ at the commencement of the contest, and , the one retaining the highest will secure ' the place of honour. One of' the conditions , is that no spare parts are to be carried by the competing oars, whilst only the ■ driver and his mechanician will be permitted to adjust -or otherwise handle the ' oar during the currency of the contest. { This trial, it is understood, will be the ; only official reliability competition held in England by the R.A.C. during 1908. Giving i, an exhibition ride on the new Melbourne saucer track, Floyd MacFarland, who is at the head of the management in control of the track, showed himself an adept in handling his wheel on the high banking, and after his first circuit called out his approbation of the* improvements effected by the minor alterations of the original plans. " It's impossible to | fall on it," he cried, as he swept by the j group of onlookers, _ and in the next round executed a quick plunge from the top of j _ the curye, when there was a slip and a , skid, and "long Mac." tumbled in a heap ' at the bottom ! The back tyre had become loosened, and slipped off the rim. The ' laugh was against him ; but he was equal to the occasion, and as he pulled himself together he remarked "Waal, boys, that's how you fall; but the track 1 * perfectly safe, and I'-ll show you with another I wheel." Procuring another machine, he t certainly demonstrated the safety of the track. He went fast, then fairly slow, j plunged off the banking into the straight at an exceedingly sharp anprle, and appeared quite at ease on all portions. Looking at tho bend just before it merges into the straight, the correctness of the grades_ in relation to tho radii is at once recognised (says a writer in the Australasian), and the graceful formation makes one realise that the line of beauty is a -curve. Several local riders also tried the track, and appeared to negotiate it verj well so long as the pace approached 20 miles an^hour. , When it became much slower — in the neighbourhood of 12 miles an hour — they were-- rather nervous, as a 'fair _ rate -of speed must be maintained to ride it safely. * WORLD'S CYCLE-TRACK RECORDS. The snbjoined list of the best times on record has been corrected to November 1 last : — { Distance, Holder, Place, and Date. Time. , Miles. m. s. , i f.a. unp., T. J. Gascoyne, Catford, ' 1900 25 2-5 \ fj. unp., W. Martin, Newby Oval, 1907 55 3-5 f f.s. unp., G. Flint, Crystal Palace, 1907 1 28 3-5 - 1 x.s uxi-p-. ~W. Hamilton, Denver, 1898 1 55 M i s.s. unp., J. S. Benyon, New Brighton, 1907 28 2-5 i s.s. unp., A. I/. Reed, Crystal Palace, 1901 59 1-5 J s.s. unp., V. Johnson, Crystal, Palace, 1907 1 31 1-5 , 1 s.s. unp., V. Johnson, Crystal Palace, 1907 2 3 2-5, 1 f.s. p., A. A. Chase, Canning Town, 1802 19 2-5 £ f.s. p., A. A. Chase, Canning Town, 1902 40 1-5, f f.s. p., A. A. Chase, Canning Town, 1902 .' 1 0 2-5 1 f.s. p., W. T. Hall, Munich, 1906 1 1 1-5 5 s.s. p., J. Green, Crystal Palace, 1899 27 2-5 I % s.s. p., J. Green, Crystal Palace, - j " 1899 51 1-5 I J s.s. p., J. Green, Crystal Palace^ 1899 51 1-5 2 s.s. p., J. Green, Crystal Palace, 1839 . .. X 'JS 1 b.b. p., E. Bouhoure, Paris, 1903 1 30 2-5 5 s.s. p., W. T. Hall, Paris, 1903 5 58 10 s.s. p., W. T. Hall, Paiis, 1903 11 29 2-5 20 s.s. p., W- T. Hall, Paris, "1903 22 24 3-5 30 s.s. p., Brecy, Paris, 1904 . .. 33 10 1-5 40 s.s. p., W. T. Hr.ll, Munich, 1906 44 13 50 s.s. p., W. T. Hall, Paris, 1903 65 16 100 s.s. p., E. Bouhours, Paris, 1903 2hr 26 8 - 1 hour, P. Guignard, Munich, 1906, 59 miles 86 yards 6 hours, Th. Eobl, Berlin, 1902, . .' 222 miles 1410 yards j 12 hours, A. E. Walters, Paris, 1900, 349 miles 1447 yards 1 24 hours, A. E. Walters, Paris, 1899, 634 miles 774 E. Bouhours covered 815 miles 1408 yards in 24 hours Isehind motor pace, 1 on" March 3-4, 1906, at th# Velodtome d'Hiver, Paris, but indoor records are not recognised by the U.V.F. Note. — p., paced; unp., unpaced; f.s., flying start; b.s., standing start. The world's unpaced hour xe.oord is 25 miles 1568 yards, by M. Berthet, at Paris, June 20, 1907. - A BIG UNDERTAKING. Following the successful Pekin-Paris motor race, the Matin, which organised that event, announces for 1908 the organisa- : tion of an even greater race, the route to , be round the world by land as far as that ! is practicable. The entire route will lie . through Boulogne, Folkestone, Liverpool, New York, Chicago, Klendyke, over the ; frozen expanse of the Bekring Straits, and | . through the wildest northern wastes of j ' Siberia to Irkutsk, Tomsk, Moscow, and , Paris. The cars are to be shipped only twice^ — namely, for the Channel and Atlan- ( tio crossings. It is to be hoped that the - competitors will leave Paris some time in j 1 February. - 1 ALCOHOL AS A MOTOR FUEL.- I Some exhaustive experiments as to the 1 ' use of alcohol as a motor fuel have beSn i 1 piade b£ order of the United States [ *

Government, and the /eport of the oxpertt is decidedly in favour of the spirit. They say, after tests on engines of various powers, that alcohol can be used advantageously without any material change in the construction of the engine, that tho motor under such power is aoiseless, its maximum power is usually -"nateria^ly higher than on petrol, and there is no danger of any injurious hammering with alcohol such as occurs with petrol. For automobile air-cooled engines it is especially adapted, since the temperature of the engine cylinder may rise much higher before anti-ignition takes glace than is possible with gasoline fuel. "Generally speaking, therefore, the experiments strongly favourable to alcohol, and in view of the shortage in the supply of crude oil which seems highly probable in the not distant future, the conclusions arrived at ( are very important to -motorists generally. ir ■ ...'.■