The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-11-14

Greater speed than n Locomotive.
The "nonaplet," bicycle built for nine,
is the latest apparently successful crea-
ton Of Alfred Thompson, California
inventor. 1t il claimed for this new mon
ster that, manned by crew of athletes
accustomed to its use, the truly phenom.
email time Of mile in twenty seconds can
be made on the machine. This would be
at the rate OF three miles . minute and
at fight twelve seconds faster, han tn 9
fastest mile ever made. CHARLES Hogan. a
New York Central engineer, having
driven his engine q mile in thirty-two
seconds. This new flying machine. if
the term may be used, is built Of alumni
mum and weighs only $50 pounds. Ithas
thirty-inch wheel and will be gesred up
to 225.
Herein lies the secret Of its phenomenal
speed. A "qusd," or bicycle for four,
manned by the Selmar-Smith-Jones
Davis team, made mile in one minute
and thirtyfive seconds even, or one half
second faster than the horse Salvador. the
holder OF the worlds record made at
Monmouth Park Aug. % 1890.
The best mile ever made on a bicycle
was by Edwards OF California last Spring.
On this occasion he was paced by the
quad" team above named. The object
OF "paclng" cyclist with tandem or
quad" is to break the wind for the racer.
He follows closely in the vacuum thus
created, and thus has the advantage of
suction as we'll as absence of wind resis-
lance. The time-l :35-- made by the
quad" is thus better than that made by
Edwards.
This QUAD" was geared at 80. As the
speed increases with the gearing it will
not be difficult matter to calculate the
normal speed Of machine gesred at 225
to be mile in 3S seconds. From that
point the skill and speed of the riders
must enter into the calculation.
In order to understand the possibilities
Of this wonderful machine it is necessary
to know what 10 meant by the term
bicycle gear" The gear OF a safety
having wheels twenty eight inches in d.
ameter is arrived at by dividing the
number of teeth in the large sprocket,
by the number OF teeth in the small sprock.
ct which is on the hub Of the rear wheel
and multiplying the quotient by the di
smeter of the wheel. For instance, Is
(teeth OF large sprocket) divided by
teeth of small sprocket) equals pa
this multiplied by 28 diameter of wheel
equals SO, the diameter in inches Of ar
imaginary wheel, each revolution OF the
pedal OF which would cover lateral dis.
lance Of 1913 feet.
The circumference OF a wheel OF 63 inch
gear is 1902 inches; the circumference
of the circle described by the foot on an
8-inch crank 10 50.26 inches. For each
inch travelled by the foot there is pro.
gression OF the wheel OF 3.94 inches Were
the crank 6Ja inches the progression
would be asa inches. The apparent gain
by the long crank in power is therefore
nullified by the greater foot motion.
By comparison it will be noticed that
II an ordinary 27-inch wheel OF 63 gear
covers 168 feet with each revolution Of
the pedal, wheel geared to 1889 would
with each revolution Of the pedal cove,
three times the distance, 491s feet. l,
would be impossible for less than nine
ordinary men to furnish the short stroke
or high power necessary to maintain the
225 gear.
A claim that 1t is safe is not advanced
for this bicycle, but that it is to make the
horse seem a snail. The men who will
ride it will actually take their lives in
their own hands. In proof of this are the
accounts of the Selmar- Smith Jones Davi.
QUAD" team performance in California
The Wheel, of New York, says that wher
the team made their best time, half &
second better than the fastest horse, aftel
making their mile they could not stoF
their machine. At the awful speed they
dared not attempt to back-pedal, for fear
OF being hurled from the seat and dashed
to pieces, and the machine ran seyera
miles along the straight level road.
When the riders alighted from their posi-
tons their faces were blancbed the hue o
death, so great had been the nervous
strain and the fear of an accidental
ways imminent-which would pitch then
to destruction. All four of the strong
skillful wheelmen were so Frustrated thai
they did not attempt to ride for weeks.