CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 70, 31 March 1913, Page 6

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

j A QUESTION OF GEAR. “There is no doubt that the gears usually fitted on bicycles sent out by the makers as their, standard lines are too high,” thus,writes a wellknown English cycling expert. The same applies in this country.. More people would ride bicycles, and keep on riding them, if they used lower gears. The usual gears fitted in this country range from 72in. to B:in., whereas better results would be obtained by the average cyclist if he used a 64in. or 68in. gear, the former for preference. A good gauge for the cyclist to work out the gear best suited for his own particular purpose is to take his fastest average speed ovea 50 miles rfin, and multiply the average speed by 4.3, or multiply by 86 and divide by 20. Thus, if a rider averages 16 miles per hour, the most suitable gear would be 69in.; if the best speed were 20 miles per hour the right gear would 86in. This formulae is based on the fastest speed that a rider can accomplish, and applies only to those riders capable of averaging, kay, fifteen miles an hour or better.

NEW TYPE OF ENGINE. A remarkable twin cylinder horizontal motor cycle engine is shortly to make its appearance in England. If all that is claimed for it is true, then this new type of engine is going to revolutionise the heavier type of motor cycle. The cylinders are 68mm. x 68 mm. working on the opposed principle, and scientifically balancerd, so much so, that when running at a speed of 5500 revolutions a minute on the testing bench, the motor hardly required clamping down. At the revolutions named, the little engine gives off the extraordinary figure of 16 h.p., and it is expected to obtain 17 to 18 h.p. before long. For fast speed work, a compression of 1001 b to the square inch will be used, but for ordinary work a compression of about 701 b will be sufficient. The engine is very light, cacS. cylinder, made of steel, weighing

only 31b. Special large Uin. flat seated valves are used. The engine is being made by the Annstrong-Whit-worth people. Great things in the way of speed are anticipated from this new engine, when it is put to the test at an early date on Urooklands racing track, England.

AN AUTOMOBILE HOUSE.. An American motorist owns a unique touring vehicle in an “Automobile House.” The car is like a long motor bus, the body being 25 feet in length. There Is accommodation for nine passengers and two servants. It is fitted with a stateroom, equipped with sleeping berths for five people, and another room also has bunks for foqr passengers. A kitchenette is in the rear of the car. (CHAMPION. PRIMING PLUG. Motorists will be interested in a novel sparking plug.that is being marketed in America. It is known as the Champion Priming Plug, and its peculiarity and advantage is that the body of the plug is made with a small hollow arm at its base, through which petrol can easily be injected, right on to the firing points of plug. A milled nut ’has only to be removed by the. fingers and petrol .injected to enable a car to be easily started in the coldest of weather. With the heavy grades of motor spirit now being marketed in 'this country, tending to poor vaporising in cold weather, there should be ready sales for this type of sparking plug, when it is marketed here. POSITION OF THE HOOTER. There is a distinct movement just now among American . designers for the placing of the hooter inside the 9Aps siqp seop ijuo the problem of where to put the horn without spoiling the appearance of the car, but as it may now be painted or enamelled there is one piece less of bright metal to get dirty and require constant polishing. It is stated that the enclosed position makes no difference practically to the soundcarrying properties of the horn. PETROLEUM yield. According to repons from America the yield of petroleum, from which petrol is obtained, in the United States during 1912 decreased by about 250,000 barrels over that of 1911. The total production f6r the year was' approximately. 220,000,009 barrels of 42 gallons, the value being £30,000,000, which represents an increase fn value of some £3,200,000 over the, previous year, despite, the reduced quantity of oil produced. The Eastern oil-fields mostly declined in production, but in California there was an increase, tire San Joaquin Valley fields being still at the heght of the gusher .stage. It is stated that as before two 7 thir,ds of the world’s production was. supplied t by the United States. ,1 n! ,