CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1917, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

SEWS AND UOTfiSS. There are liiauy signs, says the Auto Oar (Eng.) that engineers interested in tho future of the automobile are becoming more and more convinced that the. portion of the car most open to improvement is that which provides for varying the speed ratio of the transmission. The motorist takes the same view, though lie is perhaps move emphatic and, shortly put, his views may be set forth in the statement we have so frequently heard made that the gear box js the worst part of the modern ear; and so it is by universal consent, both of the engineer and the average user. Tt is not 'Without reason that the average gear to-day is frequently referred to as the clash gear, as in the great majority of cars it is only by skilful double clutching and good powers of intuition on the part of the driver tliat a quiet change is ever made except by accident, and even then the most skilful drivers are apt to bungle a change at times, while if you move them from one make of car to another they will change very gingerly for the first few miles, and probably make one or two bad changes, until they have got the hang of things and know just what the engine is doing in relation to the gearshafts. The present sliding gear asks too much of the average man, because it neccssi-' tates that he shall be able, by what appears to him to be absolutely uncanny intuition, to know just how much to speed up his engine when changing down and double clutching before moving the gear into engagement. He must also know by the same uncanny sense how long to, wait in changing up. Quite apart from the improvements in engines owing to aeroplane practice, and in chassis and running gear generally on account of the experiences acquired in the war, there is no doubt that the greatest changes are likely to be macje in the change speed-gear in the comparatively near future. At the moment we know -of two gears, yet on the market but both possessing extraordinary possibilities; one of the electro-mechanical type and the other purely mechanical, hut both of them overcoming any difficulty in changing gears. It is early to say yet whether either or both of these gears will meet a successful manufacturing future, hut we have every reason to believe that they will do so, and, even if they fail, undoubtedly some other devices "more or' less similar will be introduced. Those who have not experienced it can hardly conceive the extraordinary delight and satisfaction of driving up hill on a car in which the gear changing is absolutely easy, and which one can change up or down as the exigencies of the climb demand without the smallest hesitation or anxiety. To keep the engine at one telling speed from bottom to top of a good long varying climb, merely changing gear as requisite without a sound, is an experience tha't will not readily be forgotten, as it is so different in every way from the disconnected climb even of the most expert gear changer. This is what both devices we have referred to are able to do, and we believe that one of them at any rate, possibly both, may revolutionise gear-. eiianging mechanism. It is hardly necessary to add that, other things being equal, the line of least resistance is the mechanical change speed rather than the electrical. Failing the mechanical the electrical will become popular enough, but it will always take second place if a purely mechanical device can be found which will accomplish all that the electrical gear is able to do. The manufacture of a type of car suitable for local conditions has been commenced by a concern in Japan. It is .stated that it is a lOh.p. vehicle, fourseated and designed to run on paraffin. The price is equivalent to about £l2O. Considering that Denmark is a strictly neutral J?ower she is nevertheless suffering manjr of the disadvantages of a belligerent. Thus the use of motor-cars is forbidden between 12 noon and 0 p.m. and at other times the maximum distance they may travel on week-days is 25 miles and nine miles on Sundavs.

An interesting comparison of braking efforts is found in the fact that in some tests on the Pennvslvania railroad (U.S.A.) made in I®l4, the best stopping time for a train running at 60 miles an hour was ■22%secs., the train being pulled up in 1(100 feet, or rather less than onefifth of a mile. A car travelling at the same speed could possibly, at some risk to the driver and certainly to the tyres, be pulled up in 100 feet.. Much, however, would depend on the condition of the road surface and the weight of the car. A safe distance for stopping at 00 miles per hour would be 300-400 feet on a straight course.

There has been considerable discussion in the English Cycling Journals as regards the production of a super-bicycle, a machine of the highest efficiency, the best possible material and the lightest possible weight. Twenty years ago the high-grade British bicycle was one of the finest engineering productions in the world. A stripped road racer weighing about '2S or 24lbs would stand the severest strains, and many a crack used on the roarl a path racer weighting about 211bs. At that period the really grade steels which are in use to-day in connection with motor ( cars were unknown. The steel then available, would now-a-days be regarded as of very poor quality, and' it was for this reason, largely, tjiat the earlier motor cars were so inefficient and broke down so frequently. The improvement of quality in steels has been most apparent during the war, and it is expected that the post? war ear will be very materially lightened, due to this fact, that there will be a considerable reduction in the weight of metal used.

■lf similar steels were used for bicycles there is no question that the weight could be very materially reduced without sacrificing strength ov rigidity—in fact, both would probably be increased. The amount of steel used as compared to a car is eompartively trilling, and the adoption of these liigli-erado metals in bicvolcs would not result in a substantial increase in price. Taking it '.iltoget'.ier, the super-bicycle would no doubt be considerably more expensive than the standard type, and would need greater skill and attention in manufacture, but there must be thousands of riders who would uladlv pay the extra price for a perfect bicycle. One or two of the' leading Unglish manufacturers have for many years made a super-bicvcle. as far as material and workmanship are concerned; both were perfect in theso part' enlar®, No serious attempt was, however, made to reduce weight or, so lr. as we can make out, to educate tlie pi; 1 l ; c as to the advantages resulting fro; using a machine of outstanding quali. • We should thinK that these firms wo.d have a unique opportunity after the \vs of developing such a trade. The ju.' chine would defend largely for ihe. sulceu»' ">n fllub men, more especially those

i who indulge in speed riding and road races, and consequently should 'bo specially designed to suit this class of rider. At present their needs are largely catered for by small, local manufacturers or assemblers, who njalke a speciality of the work. These machines, however, with trilling alterations in the equipment, would prove equally suitable for the ordinary cyclists who have no ambition to tmvei fast but every desire to ride with a minimum exertion. Development of | such a machine would gradually raise the standard in demand by the' general public, and materially benefit the cycle j industry. ' \| A great effort is being made in Kng- ; land. to meet the agricultural situation resulting from the shortage of labor. Some 2000 motor tractors have been brought into operation and are to work : night and day during the ploughing season. This ,means that relays of drivers ' would be necessary and to obtain same .carists and motor cyclists are being urg- . ed to volunteer their services. The rate 1 of pay fixed by the Board of Agriculture , for drivers of the motor tractors is 4s ; per shift of eight hours with a bonus > of sixpence per acre ploughed. Week- j end service is asked for from motorists ■ who could not get away by the wee!;. A section of Battersua Park, London, ' has been set apart as a training ground, so that motorists could obtain some ex- I ■perienee in this class of work.

There would he less side skidding if cyclists would realise the fact that the 'driving impulses are applied alternately on left and right, so that when one pushes the right, pedal there is a tendency to slip to the left and vice versa. For this reason when the rider is on a sloping road and the surface is dangerously greasy, he should apply most of the power on the pedal which is lowest, so as to counteract the tendency of the wheel to slip down the slope. On a flat surface he should pedal as smoothly as possible, using his ankles so that the pressure may 'be uniform, and should grasp the handles lightly and give the machine its head to a certain extent. Tt is a fatal mistake to try to abruptly counteract a sideslip. It is better to adopt motor practice and to allow the machine to travel for a brief period in the direction in -which the skid has deflected it until the wheels regain their adhesion with the read surface. A front wheel skid is always more serious than a rear wheel one.