The herald., 1895-06-09
TREAD AND GEAR
ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
IN A BICYCLE

Tread and gear are two subjects that
are ever uppermost in the conve rsa-
ton of the cyclists. Few of the new
crop OF cyclists understand what Is
meant by gear. The wheels OF bicycle
are twenty eight inches in diameter.
AS the driving sprocket which is at
tached to the crank axle is lessened or
enlarged in size, the gear is increased or
lowered. In order to determine what
gear is fitted to any given machine all
that is necessary to do is to find the
rear wheel. and divide the product.
which is in inches, by the unmber of
teeth in the rear sprocket. The quo
tient gives the exact number OF inches to
which the machine is geared. 1t neces-
sarily follows that the higher the gear the
m ore difficulty IS experienced in propul-
sion. The advantage of a high gear is
really only experienced when travelling be-
fore the wind or on level roadways.
There is physical danger in the use OF
high gears by those who are not robust in
health or strong in limb. Even few
inches make great deal of difference
with ono well acquainted with the exer-
else of cycling. The tendons in the knee
are subjected to severe strains and soon
leave the rider with a feeling OF numb
ness in the knee cap. which spreads down
ward through the calf of the leg into the
foot. AS soon as the knee aches it should
be regarded by the novice as a sign that
the gear requires to be lowered. Hardy
riders can safely use high gears and are
proud OF their ability to travel over all
sorts OF surfaces and in all sorts of wealth.
er with them but experienced rid ers. who
have got bravely ovver the fever of riding
with high gear, prefer to use one which
moderately taxes the powers.
A machine geared to sixtyfour inches is
about right for a man OF mature years.
Boys and girls who are yet in the
formative period of life should
not ride machines geared as
high as this, but should use gear as low
or lower than fifty-four inches, otherwise
their limbs are likely to be subjected to
excessive strains and the bone formation
will not be regular in shape. Women as
class ought to be satisfied with a ma
chine geared to sixty inches. OF course
there are some of the fair sex who are
stronger than the others who can use
gear in excess of this. ALI that Is here
written applies to such fiat lands as are
to be found in the vicinity OF Chicago
There are portions of this country, such.
for example, as st. Louis, where the
working of machine geared to sixty
four inches is regarded as excessively try
ing even to the strongest of riders, for the
country around there is hilly. 1t is not
uncommon to find practiced road riders
in Chicago using seventy two inch gears.
Tandems for road work will stand gear
ing to.eighty inches and upwards and not
inconvenience the riders in the least.
Tread is variously defined. Actually it
is the distance between the iHnerm ost
points of the feet as they revolve upon
the PEDALS. Some makers insist upon
saying that the tread of machine is the
distan ce measured over it's crank axle. A
few years ago it was no uncommon thing
to find the tread of machine upwards
of seven inches. Last season there was
a popular demand for the narrowing of
the tread. Some makers complied with
the prevailing inclination. but others
m erely narrowed the width of the bot
tom bracket without actually diminish
ing the width of the tread itself. One
maker. however, has now accomplished
the marvel of making a road machine
with tread no wider than four inches.
and there is unmistakable approval of
this narrow width of tread. The danger
of narrowing the tread of a bicycle is
that the frame of the machine may be
weakened at the spot where it is essential
it should be strongest. No harm can
come from the narrowing of the tread.
however, il the makers will only preserve
a proper distance between the bearings
on the crank axle, which distance must
be proper. first, in order to have easy
running parts, and next in order to afford
proper support for the tubes leading to
the crank bracket.