CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 166, 30 November 1912, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

I. B. Munro, the Victorian lad, who holds the record for the fastest time yet established in connection with the Dimlop Company's big Warrnarabool-Mel-bourne road race (viz., 7h. 12m. 51s. for 105 miles) hag returned home after a most interesting seven months' motor cycling tour through Europe and America. Munro was greatly impressed with .the English system of running iropaced road time trials, and would like to see them introduced into Australia. He saw the English road cracks —Moss, Grubb, Meredith and' Cook—racing, but, apart from the few top-notehers, he thinks the average Australian road-racing cyclist is better than tho rank and file of the English road riders. Munro may return to France for the big road races next year, as lie is negotiating with one of tns leading French firms which employs » team of road riders. One thing thai surprised Munro was that the average English road riders use a lower gear, despite their line roadß, than do the Australian riders. Another thing that impressed him was the neatness of the English cyclists in their costumes. Practically every cyclist wears a Norfolk suit, and the unsightly Australian habit of tucking the trousers inside one's socks is conspicuous by its absence. ; Thei military value of the cycle and cyclist is now fully recognised by thfe British War Office, and the English Army are numerically stronger in this branch of the service than any of the great Continental Powers. But their superiority does not lie only in numbers. Efficiency counts for something in the serious business of modern warfare, and the English cyclist soldiers are second to none in this respect. During the recent English manoeuvres over rain-sodden country' the cyclist battalions greatljr, added to the reputation they gained law year.' Their mobility has beeVi a revcla'ticfri, 'and their general knowledge : of road 6raft, their skill in scouting, and Itheif'adaptability' to air kinds of service ■ahd'all I 'Wnditions of transport have shown in a convincing manner that no, i defensive fprce of the future can bfl ; contemplated without'its quota'of trainled cyclists.