1907/04/17 Auto-Cycle Club Trial
Note: This is a sub-section of Auto-Cycle Club Trial
Held 17th April 1907
Report[1]
The Auto Cycle Club held one of its useful quarterly trials on the 17th inst. over the usual course, travelling from Uxbridge to Banbury rid Dashwood and Diddington, and returning by Berkhampstead and Amersham. A special class was devoted to light-weight motor bicycles, Mr W. Getting having offered a Prize for this type of machine. The weight limits were placed at a maximum of 110lb. unladen for the bicycle, and a minimum of 161lb. for the rider, which we think about 10lb. and 20lb. too much.
The hill-climbing tests were distinctly severe, viz., to ascend Dashwood Hill without pedalling, and to restart from rest on the steepest portion of another hill and ride to the top without pedal assistance. The entries for this this were small but representative, comprising a 1.75 h.p. F.N., two 1.25 h.p. Motosacoches, a 1.25 h.p. N.S.U., and a 2.5 h.p.Fairy.
The F.N. with bag and tools was nearly 2st. over weight, but it was the only one to cover the course; it climbed well, and suffered from nothing worse than a defective sparking plug. The others weighed from 92lb to 98lb. The N.S.U., which is very similar in many respects to the Motosacoche, did not start, as its rider was called back to town on business. The Fairy, with its comparatively high power and low weight (101lb.), should have done well, but unfortunately retired at an early stage. The heavier of the two Motosacoches did very fair time on Dashwood 2min. 49.2sec., just 0.4sec. better than the F.N.— but it was pedalled very considerably.
The other motor bicycles were included in a single class, and numbered a baker's dozen, the unlucky thirteen falling to the only lady competitor, Miss Hind. Her motor cycle was not in a good temper, and she retired at Wheatley. M. Geiger did the best time (1min 11.4sec) up Dashwood on a 6 h.p. twin-cylinder N.S.U., and suffered only one involuntary stop on the 126 miles run. The two Rex motor cycles, a 5 h.p. twin-cylinder and a 3.5 h.p. single, both did nonstop trips, and accounted for the second and third places in the hill test, doing 1min. 12sec. and 1min. 45.2sec. respectively. A 4.5 h.p. four-cylinder F.N. ridden by Mr Stote Fox had a clean sheet, and tackled the rises in capital style, but another suffered from obstructions on Dashwood Hill, and apparent other troubles, as it did not return to headquarters within the maximum stipulated time.
A 10 h.p. Lagonda, 9 h.p. Riley and 5 h.p. Kerry-Abingdon made up the passenger class and all did non-stop runs. The times up Dashwood were 2min 10.6seecs. 2min 25.6secs, and 3min 32.8secs respectively. All three were good performances and the last especially meritorious in view of the low power.
Autocycle Club Trial.[2]
Particular interest attached to the quarterly trial of the Autocycle Club, held over the usual 125 miles course, starting and finishing in Uxbridge, yesterday, as there was a special lightweight class, for this there were five entries and four starters. None of them, however, made non stop runs. The 1.75 h.p. of W. Teamaar had only one stop, but the others retired. The best time up Dashwood Hill was made by M. Geiger's 6-horse N.S.U., his time being 1 min. 11 3-5th secs. O. C. Godfrey (5-horse Rex) was second in 1 min. 12 secs, and F. W. Applebee (3.5 h.p. Rex) third in 1 min. 45 1-5th secs. The following made non stop runs:—
Motor bicycles, R. S. Fox (4.5 h.p. F.N.), O. C. Godfrey (5 Rex), G. D. Hamilton 3.75 N.S.U., S. Foreman (3 G.B.), W. G. McMinnies (5 Vindec), and F. W. Applebee (3.5 Rex).
Passenger machines,M. W. Randle (10 Lagonda), G. Aldington (5 Kerry-Abingdon), and C. A. Ringwood (9 Riley).