The Washington times. (Washington, D.C.) 1894-1895, 1895-06-09
FINE POINTS OF BICYCLES.
Facts About wheels Which the Nov

Facts About Wheels Which the Nov
ice Is Not Apt to Consider.
The makers of bicycles. like sheep, are
all following the lines laid down by the
first safety propelled by pedals; the
changes and improvements since that time
have been in details only. Those who at
tended the 1895 cycle show at Madison
Square Garden, it is quite safe to say,
saw the science of wheel making practical
ly perfected and the three grades of manu-
facture established-high, medium and
low So far this year the medium grade
wheels have sold the best, chiefly owing to
the slight difference in price between them
and the high grade, and because there is
nothing in their outward appearance to
indicate the grade to any one but the hi
cycle eonnoisseur. Fine enamel and good
nickel plating covers multitude of sins.
This year there are no less than fifteen
points to be considered In purchasing a
wheel, and they may be enumerated as
follows: 1, tread; 2, tubing; 3, frame; 4,
chain; 8, gear; 6, sprockets, z, tires; 3,
spokes; 8, rims; 10, bearings; IL, wheel
base; IL, crown; 10, handle bars; IA,
weight; Is, pedals. The first and the
twelfth are practically the only strict new
ones this year. The tread-that is, the dis
lance thepedalsare apartcross wise-should
not exceed five and one-haf inches, for it
has been found that greater speed Gun be
maintained when the feet are revolving
closer together. This principle was intro
duced on racing wheels last year with
great success, and is now to be found on
all roadsters.
The crown is located where the two forks
extending down to the hub OF the front
wheel are fastened to the bottom of the
steering post. Some very severe strains
fall on this point, and this years improve
ment consists of O double cross piece
through which the steering post runs.
This years wheelbase is about forty-five
inches With the wheels this distance apart
q great deal of jolting occasioned by rough
roads isunnoticed.
In short, the features of your wheel this
year should be as follows: Four to IL
inch tread, seamless steel tubing, rein
forcing at the joints and giving forth
healthy ring when struck with lead
pencil, high frame, solid block-steel chain.
narrow pattern, gear optional, according
to- roads intending to be ridden: straight,
round sprocket, elliptical and dished
sprockets not being success as made last
year; single tube tires, tangent spokes,
wood rims aud second growth ash, tool
steel bearings with large balls, 45-inch
wheel base dropped handle bars not more
than eighteen inches apart, weight not
more than tWenty-three or less til3n seven
teen pounds. This is about what you should
find on a strictly high-grade wheel
The tire question is perhaps the hardest
of all, but one thing is certain. The tire
should be either single tube or else have
an inner air tube that is not endless, in
order that a smooth motion of the wheel
may be insured. Orange as it may seem,
the air, when confined i'll a tube having two
ends, is forced at each revolution of the
wheel TO one of these ends and becomes
practically q lump, as though the tire
were filled with liquid. On a smooth
road this lump is particularly noticeable
and decidedly disagreeable York
World.