CYCLING AND MOTORING

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10712, 2 October 1912, Page 3

CYCLING AND MOTORING

Notes' by tho "WAG." During recent wars remarkable advance (, ; ;s been made iu tlio flexibility of tr.e petrol motor engine, Nowau;n>, a motorist can travel jcr hoim; iit a :iiac over undulating country without Having to touch the change year lever. A general all-round improvement in the engine-magneto •and carburetter has brought .about this result. No' better evidence of the flexibility of the present-day car can l)e cited tlnui the recent wonderful performance established in England on a G-cilinder car. which was driven from Loudon, down to i an'l'..; Em!—the t.or.'tlu'i'ji-most point in England—thence up to John-O-O !•<;«■<■.-, —Northe'-un:ost point in Scotland— and back to London via K'iinbnrgh, a total distance of 1928 miles, without once getting off the top gear. The route included some of the hilliest country in Great Britain. 1 The petrol rinsumption for the run was practically 2-1 miles to the gallon. The same car at the completion of the trip attained a rvced of 77 miles an hour on Brooklanda Track. This test was officially checked and observed by the Eoyal Autoirchile Cub of Holland. The Taur de France—the longest and mo.;;t strenuous cycles road race hold in the world, resulted this year in a. win for :i young Belgian rider, named Glide Defraye. who earned a sum of nearly £BOO, including prizes and bonuses, by his hard riding for the month, over which the race was spread. This great contest attracted all the leading long distance road cracks of Europe. The gate money at the Pare de Princes Track, Paris, where the race finished, amounting to £ll2O. which convoys an idea, of i the hold road racing has on the French; people. I. E. iMunroe. the well-known Victorian Boad Eider, who in 190S) established the fastest time in 'the Dunlop Go's big road race from Warrnam-bool-Melbourtte, and put trp a record for the course, which stands t'Ml»" bv riding the Wo 'miles ji> * ' 12 imirs. 51 .sees, b»' ' hours Great Bn.taia>' " l *° n tfl " ri " s v " ,l a n, °tor cycle. Munv>, .-' ' leen amazed and delighted the perfect condition of the English roads and quite realises what a. task the Australians were set by the Dunlop Company, when they offered a £2O nrize to the first Australian rider who bettered L. Meredith's unpaccd out and home 100

mile's road record of 4 lirs. 52 mins. ■!-ssop. Mnnro accompanied by an Australian friend, is returning hc:no via America.

As far back as 100!) great things J ■were predicted for an auxiliary motor for use as an attachment to the pres-ent-day bicycle. Difficulties in construction, which likvo prevented this device, known as the "Auto Wheel" from bei-ny marketed, are nov/ to he overcome, and this auxiliary .attachment is now for r-nto i" Kwilanc?The "Auto-wbepl" which is 20 ins. \ in diameter, is fitted close up to the ( nVfit-h:md M'do of the back wheel. I two rods be inn; clamped to the back ; fork and chain stay, allowi'nrr of easy detachment when required. When the bicycle, is inclined, a,s when Lurninu; a corner, the attachment takes the siH'ie aiif.de with 'this ground. and the planes of the hack wheel and the I auto-wheel .are always parallel to 1 cne another. in its latest form i\o dimeulty is found in making it hold the road continuously and secure sufficient prip >f the surface. An experimental model, Aveighinp; only ] '.?B lb. wr.v found to bo too Ihdit, and the attachment in its present form weighs about 3-t lb. I'lven on wet asphaft there was no siffn of slio. Two controls only are necessary, the throttle, mounted on the rljrht hand- ; le?-bar, and the exhaust valve lifter, mounted on the. left. Both operate through Bowden wires. Petrol is \ carried in a tank mounted above the ( mud-guard. The engine gives 1 h.p. An automatic inlet valve is used, and though adopted chiefly on the { score of convenience in design, seems to give quite satisfactory results. The lubricator is automatic. The. "Auto-wheel" is not intended for racing work, but will propel, n 12 sto"p. rider at an average speed of US miles an hour, whilst a speed of 20 miles an hour can be attained ci the. level. The motor is easily started by the rider pedalling the bicycle. The cost in London js £lfi lfis.