The Seven as a (very) second car

[Bob Culver]

Intuitively, with the rear wheels acting as anchor, it is hard to figure why 2WB cars are neverthelss prone to spin. (A locked wheel is just a rectangle of lubricated rubber with little or no directional preference so is free to go sideways.) Many quite expensive cars had relativley primitive cable and pulley systems little better than the Seven (Riley, Bugatti). He mentions but not very clearly many cars including Model A, Ford Y, had a pushrod through the centre of the kingpin. 
On the occasional narrow unsealed winding road with blind corners as common in the 1920s, can get a mighty surpise in a "modern". I have encountered cattle in the roadway, stationary trucks, but worst of all is the city type in a 4WD. With 2WB  there must have been many exciting moments. Perhaps it is why so many cars ended in ditches. it was a requirement here to sound the horn.
Comparison is easier if expressed as % of 1G stop, about the limit for older tyres on smooth surface. 1G is 32 ft per sec per sec. 
decel=speed squared /2xdistance in feet.   30 mph is 44 fps. Hence the limit around 31ft from 30 mph. Until very recently 50% was considered reasonable, and any better  dangerous for buses!! It is the legal requirement for laden 40/50 ton outfits which tailgate  cars.  The Seven road tests acheived a wide range, but the pre girling often less than 50%. The Girling  70% and better. The 21ft from 30mph is  an error unless on a surface like a gear cog.

[Tony Press]

I know Wikipedia is often questionable but-

“Carbon black [a fine manufactured soot] was added to the rubber compound in [circa 1917] and produced a tenfold increase in wear resistance.”

Another source notes carbon black was used in tyres during the first world war.

"The market for carbon black exploded after World War I. Until then zinc oxide reinforced the rubber in tires. When the production of brass for shell casings consumed the available zinc, chemists chanced on carbon black, which worked even better."


I would think that Austin Seven tyres would have been 'black' from quite early on 

[Bob Culver]

White "rubber" tyres were often fitted to quite cheap bicycles in the 1970s. Judging by the way it perished probably rubber.Tyre life for very early cars was very short, and not good  in the 1920s.

[Austin in the Shed]

My Raleigh RSW 16 (Circa 1970),was fitted with white tyres and I remember they didn't last that long.I had an accessory speedometer fitted on it. I fitted the Raleigh Wisp moped tyres which were black and these lasted around 2,000 miles,about as long as the speedo cable.

[Steve kay]

Since it is a quiet Saturday morning and the workshop will happily wait ten minutes to be opened, perhaps I might be excused a RSW anecdote. It was by a country mile the most awful bike I have ever owned. I was given one by a lady who had received it as a present from her husband, and who rode it to the village shop and back once. It came to me in as new condition and with all the paperwok, so a historical treasure. I cycled across town for a lift to a Veteran Cycle Club event from a friend, who I swiftly persuaded to take me back to my shed to collect a different machine. I reckon that I managed to get the mileage just into double figures. Eleven miles in twenty five years! It is no surprise that a quick approach was made to Sir Alec to allow Raleigh to build Moultons. There had been an burst of enthusiasm for collecting and riding small wheelers. When chaps in car parks discuss torsional rigidity, or the lack thereof, some people want to make comparisons with the Maxi, if your car is more rigid than a Maxi it's OK. My experience is that the unsurpassable nadir of torsional flopiness was the Airframe folding bike. It had more sliding nylon joints in its short wheelbase than you could shake a stick at. Relating to the RSW 16" I await Bob Culver's comments on the desirability or otherwise of big section low pressure tyres, no fear of locking up hub brakes.

[Austin in the Shed]

My RSW clocked up something like 4,300 miles I think. It only went for scrap when we moved 8 years ago. After years of no use I went for a ride on it,the following day I felt like I grown muscles  like Popeye ! Petrol power,much easier.

---

Getting back to the Seven as a second car I was working on something away from home,listening to the car radio while working. Come to start the car to go home the battery wouldn't turn the engine over,Hadn't got the mobile phone to get help.
So walked home and got the box saloon , spare battery and jump leads to get the modern going.

[Bruce Nicholls]

I had an RSW 16 and used to ride it the 2 miles to school rather than make the infinitely more dangerous trip in my fathers car. It was not the best bike I have owned and was replaced with a 2nd hand Raleigh Wisp moped a soon as I was old enough. This was duly replaced by my Austin 7 when I passed my car test 3 weeks after my 17th birthday.

[Steve kay]

Nowif you'd kept a Brompton, a Bickerton or even a BSA para folder in the modern, you could just have cycled home for the Seven. If that doesn't start a flood of pictures of bikes on the luggage rack....

[Austin in the Shed]

Something similar

[Tony Press]

My RSW clocked up something like 4,300 miles I think. It only went for scrap when we moved 8 years ago. After years of no use I went for a ride on it,the following day I felt like I grown muscles  like Popeye ! Petrol power,much easier.

---

Getting back to the Seven as a second car I was working on something away from home,listening to the car radio while working. Come to start the car to go home the battery wouldn't turn the engine over,Hadn't got the mobile phone to get help.
So walked home and got the box saloon , spare battery and jump leads to get the modern going.

Given the newer cars reliance on weird electronics I thought you had to get the RACV or similar to change the battery !