The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-26
THE BICYCLE TRADE.
Review of 1895 Business and
Prospects for Next Season.

Review of 1895 Business and
Prospects for Next Season.
There is a fierce rivalry among the many
bicycle dealers and they disagree on many
points regarding machines, but on one all
are harmonious, and that is that this has
been the most phenomenal season the BIZ
cycle trade has ever known. From tabu-
lated approximations made by representa-
tives of the large Eastern factories the out
put shows for this season the total humble
OF wheels sold to be at least 100000. The
average retail price is SIS, and at this rate
the sum produced is over $50 000, 900.
A great many of the factories are doub-
ling their capacity for next year and the
number of the factories will be largely in
creased.
The great impetus to the trade was car
RED by women taking up cycling to such
an extent.
1t is safe to say one fourth of the wheels
sold this year have been purchased by
women, and this marvellous increase in
the sale of ladies' wheels has surprised
everyone in the business. Bicycle schools
have sprung into existence and now claim
rank among grammar and Latin schools
The bulk of the trade for this year is
over, for two reasons. First, because pur-
chasers wish to see the '96 models, and
then cold and damp weather is coming on.
! In all probability the '96 models will be
| heavier than this years, for the people
who built very light machines are going
| to make them heavier The manufac
| turers have saved weight by substituting
wood for steel rims. The wheels are not
only lighter but stronger and tires are also
| much lighter than formerly.
| The trade in wheels in the East is much
| greater than in the West, with the excep-
ton of Chicago. There are many more
-l,O4 Ie c111 ! l. - l.
Ohio is the best Western State for the
track. 1t is spreading all over the West,
however, and managers will have to hump
| themselves to keep from getting more be.
hind in SO than they did in this year.
Probably by the first of April every man.
ufacturer will be unable to fill orders for
mems and women's wheels, and there will
of course be flood of cheap wheels, but
strictly tirst-class machines will be as scarce
as they were this year.
Weight touched bottom this year and
will be increased next year, as a rule. The
English manufacturers have had fal more
experience in safety building than those
here, and they do not consider it policy to
put out road wheel weighing less than
twenty-six pounds, and yet they built
seventeen-pound safeties as far back S 1889,
but they never put them out as road
wheels.
The trouble with our manufacturers is
that the popularity of light wheels led
| many who were new in the business to
build extremely light machines regardless
of the lasting qualities of the wheel The
limit was reached this season and the ten
dency will be upward. With the present
knowledge of the science of wheel building
satisfactory bicycle in every particular
| cannot be built to weigh less than twenty
pounds, even for light rider.
The spread of the bicycle fever has had
marked effect on the rubber trade in this
country within the past year or two, and
| especially within few months. The rub
| Der required for the tires of BICYCLES
amounts in the aggregate to hundreds OF
tons annually, and the demand for it in
creases in geometrical progression.
1t is said by well-known rubber man
that the bicycle business has made diff
| ference within eighteen months of proba.
bly, S., 100000 to the crude rubber trade.
Figures of the amount used by the BIZ
cycle trade are difficult to get at, but it is