CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 21 February 1913, Page 3

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES

Paul Didier, a well known Fsvnch cyclist, has succeeded in flyirg a distance of 10 feet on a bicycle fitted with planes. Didier accomplished his jump over a rod eight inches off the ground ill public at the Pare tics Princess Track, Paris, and thereby won a prize of £'Bo offeree! by the Peugect Co, His achievement 's .1 Ir,n - » VI V ''- 110 '- IC * L accomplished towards flying ...\ u !}i<"-v----cla, hat it is one thing to leap through the air on a cycle that has no propelling force on losing contact with the ground, and another matter to sustain the machine, in space at will. Sir Hiram Maxim, the well known inventor, is one of the oldest investigators of human flight, and when interviewed after Didier's night, expressed the opinion that "a Cyclist will never fly by his own power." The reason given is that r.o human being i s physically strong enough to copo with the enormous muscular strain that would be necessary before a man could develope sufficient power to keep himself afloat in the air. It is interesting to note that .Sir Hiram, who is 72 yearsof age, has been a keen cyclist all his life and that it was only last year that failing strength compelled him to give up the wheel. Many motorists in this country expect too much from the tyres litted to the driving wheels of their cars, especially when the conditions of our reads are taken into cor.Lideration. On "the fine English roads from 3000 to 5000 miles is considered to be about the average life of driving tyres, ranging from the former figures for heavy cars, and the longer mileage for light cars. In the recent tyro trial which came .much before the English public, four sets of well known makes of tyres, were driven to destruction on English roads on a heavy car, and the grooved Dunlop tyre, came out on top with a mileage of 3789 miles. The next best figures were 3272. Taken right through tyres can hardly be expected to average out as good a mileage in this country, as in England, and anything over 3000 miles should be deemed satisfactory. Of course a lot depends on the road conditions, load, speed, and not least, the driving. In some cases owners of cars are at a loss to account for the rapid wear of the back tyres. The probabil- I ity is that this is solely due to un- ' skilful use of brakes andclutch. Gradual and easy action in these details is essential if you want to keep your tyre bill down. The popularity of wandering a wheel over the face of the earth shows no signs of diminishing. The latest globe-circling cyclist is a one-footed wheelman from Texas (U.S.A.) who is endeavouring to win a £2OOO prize, the conditions being that he must cover 20,000 miles in various countries in 2 years, earning his living en route. His itinery includes 7 Australia. It is estimated that £12,000,000 is spent annually in Great Britain for petrol and motor tyres alone. This is for the running cost only, and is exclusive of driver's wages and other expenses incidental to motoring. An American Motor Car Manufacturing Firm annually award* a set of cash prizes, to the chauffeurs having the best upkeep record at the end of each year. This years first prize of £2OO was won by a chauffeur who had driven 26,987 miles, with no repair expenses other than tyres. Tlje second prize of £IOO was won with a tally of 22,928, -without- any expense. This is certainly .an excellent Idea for keeping down cost of mechanical repairs, and to ensure careful handling of a motor manufacturer's outfit.