CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1914, Page 3

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

A novel motor propeller attachment for use on bicycles has been marketed in Canada. The idea, whilst not new, seems to bo developed on more scientific lines than heretofore. As tlie result of long scries of experiments a serviceable machine has at last been put on the road, and is said to give some astonishing results. The attachment consists of h three port two cycle air cooled engine which, gives off 1 h.p. at 2500 revolutions a minute. This is supported on supplementary stays carried out from the back of the saddle pillar lug, and btaced with down stays to the back wheel axle after the style of a strong luggage carrier. A two blade propeller is attached to the engine crankshaft, so that it serves also as a flywheel. The width of the propeller is about that of the ordinary handlebars, thus minimising the danger of striking objects on the highway. The petrol and oil tanks are attached on the top stays, just at tear of saddle, the engine being set Well back, so that the propeller blade clears the back tyre by a few inches. This power unit can be attached to an ■ ordinary bicycle, which must be fitted with a free wheel, and.under suitable conditions a speed up to 60 miles an hour is guaranteed by the makers, if their racing propeller is used. With a flatter bladed propeller 35 to 40 miles an hour is said to be easily attainable on good roads:Over 100 miles to the gallon of petrol can he travelled on average roads. In the event of wanting to ride through very congested • traffic, the engine can' be switched off, and the cycle easily peddled along in the ordinary manner. The whole outfit sells at about £lO in Canada, and if this motor attachment is only half as successful as claimed by the maker, then it will not be long before these propeller driven bicycles are seen in largo numbers in this country.

Two diametrically opposed decisions have recently been given on the question as to whether motor cyclists should carry rear lights. In England the Local Board, the body responsible for the English Motor Car Act and its working, has decreed that it is unnecessary for motor cyclists to carry rear lights on solo machines, but they must show a rear light on side car combinations. In Melbourne, the Chief Justice, Sir John Maddon, last week decided that, according to the by-laws of the City of Melbourne, motor cyclists must carry rear lights. This creates a peculiar state of affairs, for within the jurisdiction of the 1 City Council a rear light will have to be 1 carried, whilst, a few miles out of Melbourne no light will be necessary. Such a state of I affairs is certainly going, to lead'to ajdeaf .of trouble and confusion.. The same ruling 'should apply; to (the whrtlo of Victoria, ■ but ■even'that Would be preferable to hav.mg‘different laws -relative to this important'matter, hr one State, In view of the decision of the English authorities, the question arises if it is deemed unnecessary that ..the 180.000 motor cyclists in England carry rear lamps, why need it be made compulsory in a city like Melbourne or the State of Victoria with Vits comparatively .poppletiOffyn ml small mini h6F of motor cyclists. The farcical side' of the question is -that] thief slow moving vehicle traffic need carry ho-roar lights; but that the faster motor traffic, which overtakes the slower, must. At least (he authorities should be consistent. After closely watching the trend of things in connection with the advent and. progress of the cycle-car movement in England, one is forced to the conclusion that the true cycle-car has not made the progress anticipated. In the early part of last year it was mophocied on all hands that the cycloear was going to revolutionise motoring in England. It hasn’t. But whilst there has been a slackening off in the cycle car movement, the light car has hounded into popularity in England, and appears to have come to stay. It is evident that the cycle car has not so far made good—it has not proved itself capable of competing against the light car, which costs very little more, hut evidently gives considerably bettor results and more satisfaction. From this one does noFniean that none of the cycle cars marketed are a. success, for certain makes have won a considerable amount of success, hut on the whole the movement has not “caught on” to the extent anticipated. The buying public evidently wants something a hit better. t An interesting motor car non-stop engine test was recently carried out in California. A stock car, which had already covered nearly 7000 miles was run over a stated route for 72 hours without a single engine stop. During the test the car was available to the. public for free rides, and all told 1003 miles were covered. Altogether 181 stops were made to pick up or drop passengers, only two gallons of water evaporated during the test, whilst 52 gallons of petrol was used, equal to 19.] miles to the gallon. Tho lubricating oil used was equal to 125 miles to the quart. Such a run serves to emphasise the reliability embodied in tho present day car.