1908/01/25 Auto-Cycle Union Trial
1908 January 25th.
Report.[1]
Motorcycles Severely Tested.[2]
The machines the Autocycle Union's Quarterly trial on Saturday were put to an exceptionally severe trial, the weather being so bad that many competitors were brought over by sideslips and others had yo stop from various causes. The course was from Uxbridge to Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Dashwood Hill, Wheatley, Islip, Banbury, Bicester, Aylesbury, Berkhamsted, Chesham, Amersham, and Beaconsfield back to Uxbridge, a distance of about 125 miles. There were 25 starters in the motor bicycle section, including a lady competitor, and two starters in the passenger-machine class.
Mud was thick upon the roads, and was kept damp by a heavy mist which hung close to the ground. There were also numerous runts which proved a trap for the motor cycle wheels. The weather was cold, and there were many stops for frozen carburettors. There were three or four cases of belt trouble, and in two instances moisture in the magneto was a cause of stoppage. Eleven riders finished within schedule time, and their records will be examined in committee to decide on the non-stop runs. The lady competitor, Miss Muriel Hind, was twice victim to side-slip, but rode with considerable pluck, and made the fastest ascent both of the timed hills, the first three in each case being as follow:
Dashwood Hill.- Miss Muriel Hind. 5 h.p. Rex., 1 min. 14 3/5 sec., 1; F. W. Applebee, 5 h.p. Rex., 1 min. 16sec., 2; J. Marshall, 3.5 h.p. Triumph. 1 min. 17 4/5 sec., 3.
Gore Hill (Amersham).— Miss Hind. 1 min. 37 4/5 sec., 1; Marshall, 1 min. 38 3/5? sec.. 2: Applebee, 1 min. 39 1/5 sec., 3.
Riders included -[3]
- Miss Hind - 5 h.p. Rex
- F. W. Applebee - 5 h.p. Rex
- J. Marshall - 3.5 h.p. Triumph
- W. G. McMinnies - 3.5 h.p. Triumph
- G. Lee Evans - 3.5 h.p. Rex
- E. J. Browning - 4 h.p. twin-cylinder N.S.U.
- J. Stuart Shaw - 5.5 h.p. Phanomen
- M. Geiger - 6 h.p. N.S.U.
- E. W. Haswell - 6 h.p. N.S.U. with sidecar
- W. Smith - 1.25 h.p. Motosacoche
- H. Newey - 3.5 h.p. Lloyd or A. Newey
- G. L. Fletcher - 2 h.p. Moto-Reve
- A. D. Draper - 3 h.p. Triumph
- J. P. Beck - 2.5 h.p. Fairy
- P. H. Trotman - 3.5 h.p Triumph
- A. G. Peppercorn - 2.75 h.p. Anglian
- E. W. Brighten - 2.5 h.p. Ariel
- H. Fuller - 2.5 h.p. Diamond
- W. H. Wells - 5 h/p/ Vindec
- J. V. Robinson - 1.25 h.p. Motosacoche
- O. Mitchell - 5 h.p. Vindec
- F. W. Barnes - 3.5 h.p. Zenette
- S. Browne - 6 h.p. Lurquin and Coudert
- W. M. Partridge - 6 h.p. N.S.U. with sidecar