New-York tribune., 1895-12-15
N THE CYCLING WORLD.
,,-,rrELs ARE FAVORITE CHRISTMAS
GIFTsA
.ur FUTURE OF THE PAID RACING TEAMs-THF
NATIONAL l. A. w. AsSEMBLf-PtNCrtRE-
PROOF TIREs-soME BROOKLYN
PAVING PROBLEMS.

his VIII De unusually anu " NViHS
.s,s statemen; one need only go to any dealer
- ask him about 1t. Said one yesterday:
.1,,s tine last year there was little or no de-
"a for wheels, but the way we are getting
a,aers for them just now has fairly astonished
s trade Most Of the orders for bicycles are
,,- lads and young misses. although we are
auine wheels for the older folks as we'll 1t
,ooks io me rs If the wheels are being ordered
Gov Christmas gifts. and it looks as If Kris
xrngle will have his hands full making proper
aeuveries This time last year the new models
vsre not on the market but at present most OF
.ha manufacturers are prepared to deliver new
machines on days notice. This move OF put
,sng the new models on the market Will ! think,
a. much To check overproduction. They tell me
,bar there will be over eight hundred new firms
&, the field next year. SO YOU can see that over
rosucti1n will he an important question with
tbe makers for some time to come. believe
,ha. there are more new wheels seen on the ROADS
Az present than was the case IN March las''
The annual National Assembly of the League
.. American Wheemen. which will meet in
February probably at Baltimore promises to be
,hs uveliest one in the history Of the organiza-
,ion More important topics are to be under dis
cusson than ever before. and the assembly may
be in session for several days. The efforts of
the Board Of Trade to abolish Class b. to do
swav with racing teams and 10 abandon the
National Circuit. will be settled at that cOnven-
t,on II the league faVOrs such an idea then X
can be done but if the League Of American
Wheenlen does not favor the plans. then the
Board Of Trade. financially powerful as II l.,
will have some trouble In carrying out the edlct
issued last week These two organizations,
working in thorough harmony, can accomplish
much H. however. they should decide 10 pull
IN opposite directions, there is likely 10 be
pretty mess in the cycling world before the out
door season of 1896 is well advanced. The League
OF American Wheelmen needs the financial
strength Of the Board of Trade but then the
manufacturers need also the support OF the
league There is great deal OF romance IN the
League of American Wheelmen, and the WlGe~
awake makers realize the fact. II all the manu-
facturers We're members Of the Cycling Board OF
Trade then the weight Of money might be able
- crush all opposition but me Of the most in
fuential manufacturers do not belong 10 IT,
There are those who think that the recent
edict against racing teams may go the way of
the six months guarantee plan. The board has
found II impracticable to enforce the guarantee
rla7 for next season. and In consequence the
old ono-vear guarantee will go with most Of the
machines There are two sides. Of course to
every auction but if the public alone is 10 be
considered there is no doubt which guarantee
rian the purchaser Of a bicycle would prefer
That the Cycling Board Of Trade was sincere in
wishing 10 discontinue the hiring of racing
teams is not disputed but whether II will be
able TO carry out the plan is a gray h3rse OF
another color 1t is said in soma quarters that
some makers are even now signing racing teams
for next season and this may be the reason
why the Glass + men and the professional riders
heard OF the action or he Board OF Trade with
such unconcern. The chances are that II all
the large firms outside Of the cycling Board OF
Trade decide 10 put racing teams IN the field
the others in self protect IN, VIII have to do the
came thing. Sc il can b. seen that the death oI
Class = is not certain unless the League OF
American Wheemen says SO And even then
II does not mean the discontinuance or the
National Circuit. for that circuit could IN al an
probability. be run on professional pan WIN
Just as much if not with more. success than II
could a semi-professional basis
Some one asks why 1t is that the barrel hub
to which reference was made in this department
e week ago. finds special favor in the eyes OF
the bicycle manufacturers. or if there Is any
reason beyond the fact that its cost Is trife
less than that Of the smaller hub. The answer
hased on p statement from an authoritative
source. is that with this hub larger balls can be
used In the bearings and thus the points or con-
tact reduced in number and the friction some
what decreased. That is the claim made in be
half of the barrel hub but il is easy to see that
this process Of reasoning might be carried 10
the point of absurdity and the size both OF hub
and balls soon increased to ridiculous extent
The question Of a puncture proof tire will not
down While some bicycle men assert that il is
impossible to make tire that Will resist
tact with nails glass etc. and at the same time
render good service. making riding easy and
furnishing the necessary elasticity. there are
those who assert that the problem is already
solved. or at any rate approximately near
satisfactory solution. one plan Is TO make the
wearing surface Of the tire Of stout leather, or
q encase a layer OF leather in the rubber; an
other is to mould a beading Of rubber on the
periphery of the tire which will come in con-
tact with the ground while protecting the more
fr,u ucb
other device now exhibition in this city, in
cludes a layer Of cork between the folds Of the
rubber tubing. a cross section Of the tire shows
the cork 10 be crescent-shaped and about one
third OF inch thick in the widest part. 1t is
inclosed between two castings Of rubber each
Of which is a seamless tube. except where they
are separated by the cork they are closely
Joined and form in fact single tube. The cork
lining lies Immediately within the running
surface Of the tire and IL is obvious that - the
surface is cut torn. the inner tube will pre-
vent any leakage Of air. II is contended that 1t
is virtually impossible 10 drive nail or tack
through the cork as 20 penetrate the inner
iuDe and ruin the tire Apparently the chances
ol sucn d mishap are smdH. one % Ihese tlTes
car be seen in a window in Broadway into
which nails and tacks are driven without IN
melting any serious injury man VINO mas
ridden Of them says
II is the most comfortable tire that ] have
ever tried. The cork adds only little 70 the
cushion are retained The puncture- proof
quality does not seem to interfere IN the least
with the resency OF the tire. And II seems 20
me that N has one advantage that Is likely 10
make IL a speedy tire. Ar ordinary tire hattens
considerably from the weigh; Of the rider even
Nhen blown up hard and pneumatic tire can
De made SO hard as 70 be almost as unyieldinS
as cushion tire Now. with the cork-protected
ure the point Of contact with the ground Is very
narrow and the amount Of friction is thus re-
apucsd IN this respect this tire is IKE the Ola
hard tire il Is now called, and J believe all
viii admit that il is a real advantage
Ihe man quoted was. Of course talking for the
ure IN question and his opinion cannot be re-
earded as unprejudiced. An unpreJudiced OBJ
Server however. will be inclined 10 admit that
d hir,,r,. a saIN and fhat