Round Up

ROUND UP

BY JOE PARKHURST

WHILE THERE probably are many tougher hills than the Matterhorn, located in Saddleback Park in Orange County, Calif., I’d wager few have had as many would-be conquerors as our humble mound. Not long ago, we decided to enhance the hill’s image by offering $50 to the first four-stroke, and a like amount for the first two-stroke, that reached the top. We then ran a Caterpillar tractor with a hydraulic blade down the slope. The Cat softens the surface, making climbing all the more difficult. Several had made the summit previously, and the surface was getting very hard, improving traction.

A large crowd gathered at the top by mid-morning, waiting anxiously, if not to see a bike or two make it up, at least to watch the Cat go down. It was almost anticlimactic, the Cat operator made it look so easy. First to try the hill was the venerable Malcolm Smith, probably the best long distance off-road racer around. After seven tries, he succeeded on his Husqvarna 405, the first two-stroke ever to reach the top. Right behind him, but with fewer tries, was Jerry Dunigan, chewing on a cigar, riding a Triumph 650 Metisse. Others are still trying.

CW SALES IN ENGLAND

Chater & Scott Ltd., 530 High Road, Chiswick, London W4, our sales agent in England, has just launched a campaign to distribute CYCLE WORLD to certain newsstands throughout London. They also are equipped to accept subscriptions; the rate is 3 pounds sterling per year. The firm stocks many current and back editions, and is represented at all major race circuits in England, ready to arrange for subscriptions or single copy sales on the spot. Jolly good. \o\