Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
CARE OF THE WHEEL
Pointers and Suggestions Of Value
to New Bicycle Riders.
HANDLE BAR AND TIRE
How to Ease the Machine in Going
Over Rough Places.
GET INTO THE COUNTRY
GET INTO THE COUNTRY

A few suggestions as to the care and adj
justment of a Wheel may not be out of place
here. Many riders Use the machine as ad-
or bought. and if discomfort is felt they do
not know how to remedy it.
An important point is the reach" or dis
lance from saddle to pedal. Care should
be taken not to let the leg be at full
stretch. but to have free play during the
entire stroke. The rider should be able
to rest the instep on the pedal when at
its lowest point without Strengthening the
leg. With short reach you can stand
on the pedals, back pedal. ride long dis
tances and control the wheel very much
better, and you will not be bothered with
the distressing WEAKNESS known as the
bicycle knee" Be careful, too, that the
saddle is not tilted too much. All good
saddles are adjustable in this respect. If
the pommel or front end is tipped too high
there is great discomfort in riding as well
as tendency to slide off backward; If
tipped too low you are in danger of going
down on the frame. The best plan is to
have 1t level, or nearly so. If proper
adjustment, removing all friction, cannot
be secured. different style or make of
saddle should be obtained immedia telv
For ladies even more care should be taken
Many woman has been deferred from
riding because on her trial trip the reach
was too long or the saddle proved unbeara-
BILE.
Drop of the Handle Bar.
How often wheelmen are seen riding with
forearms horizontal. the handle bar being
elevated to point about opposite the chest
such riders will never accomplish anything
on the wheel, for they have no control OF
fha zfa
until, sitting erect, you can reach the grips
with straight arms. For hill climbing the
best riders claim that he handles should
be low enough to give a moderate lean to
the body. and the arms being straight, a
tremendous leverage on the pedals is OBJ
tained, which will carry you up any ordi-
nary hill with very little effort. Drop han,
die bars are valuable in rough and sandy
places, where additional weight forward is
needed to steady the steering wheel. There
is, of course, a limit to the amount of drop
desirable. 1t is not necessary to have your
back horizontal and your hands on level
with the pedals; but the road riders like to
put the handle bars low and get down to
their work. You do not need to have Nbld
of the handles at all times. Sit erect, and
take the bar at its highest point, near the
center. One hand will do, as a rule the
wheel is very sensitive. and on good road
or concrete will respond to the slightest
touch, or to the swaying Of the body. Then
when approaching bad road, in speeding. OF
weight forward, take the handles firmly
and you have a control of yolr wheel which
nothing short of a brick wall or a locomo-
tive can destroy.
Well-Blown Tires.
Keep your tires blown up tight. The rear
tire should be so hard as to spread very little
when your weight is on it; the front tire
bit softer Take hold of the rim with both
hands and press the tire hard with the
n ~ lf<rl,@
tight tires there is much less liability OF
puncture and the wheel will run easier. there
being less friction of tire against the con-
crete.
repair kit. Some weeks ago, while on the
road near the city, l met wheelman de-
spondently pushing his wheel before him.
and on inquiring the trouble was told that he
had punctured, that he carried no repair
kit and that If he possessed one he would
not know how to use it. Fortunately for
him his tire was of the same type mine,
and in ten minutes l had the wheel ready
for riding. But had his tire been of a differ
ent make it would have meant a three-mlle
tramp to repair shop. 1t cannot be too
strongly urged that all wheelmen should
carry, at all times, tools and repair outfit,
and should learn. before going on the road,
how to find and mend punctures. The opera
ton is an extremely simple one and can gen.
orally be learned from the book OF instruc-
tons accompanying the wheel. But II this
does not make it clear go to your dealer or
to a repair shop and pay, if necessary, for
lessons in this most important branch of
wheeling. There is nothing more provoking
than to be fetched up ten miles from home
with fiat tire, with no mending outfit, and
the prospect of a long, wearsome walk
home. For long tour it is well to carry
plenty of patching rubber Tor plugs and
several tubes of cement.
The Gear. T.
The question of gearing is much discussed,
and there are firm advocates for both sides.
With a low gear power is increased at the
expense of speed; with a high gear speed is
gained at a corresponding loss of power.
But as momentum is such an important
factor in riding, and most hills can be
climbed easily if a good start is obtained, a
high gear is preferable-say, 20 - incnes.
With six and one-half or seven-inch crauks
this gear will give many advantages espe-
cially in rolling country where a rapid rush
down hill will carry the wheel to the top
of the following hill with little or no effort.
The Ankle Action.
Constant attention should be given to the