Evening star., 1896-09-19
CARE OF THE WHEEL.
A Rider Should Be Familiar win the
Principles of It's Contraction.

A Rider Should Be Familiar With the
Principles of It's Contraction.
IT is lust as easy to have a bicycle run
ming as smoothly and loking as well at
the end of the second or third season as IL
is at the end of the first year, PROVIDED
proper care and attention Is gwen H. ne
question is often raised as to how to ae-
| complish this. When the bicycle is bought
new the dealer will be very apt to tell you.
nine times out of ten. that it will run bet
| ter after it has been used short while.
The same principle that applies to bicy-
| Gle in this respect applies to all other ma
| chinery The parts are new and only get
| into running order after the neWness, SO
| to speak, Is worn OF.
| AS soon as all the parts work oeesher
| and get worn into place the macnine runs
| smooth. The bicycle is fragile thlng ana
| should be looked upon as such on an oc-
| casions The factor of safety In It's CON
| struction is only one to one ana nan.
| that Is, it is constructed ON lines calculateI
| to bear one and one-half times the weight
! and strain Of an ordinary rider IN me me
| chanical construction this Is the SIN iileSl
| factor of safety used. Yet some people
| handle bicycle as though 1t were stein
| engine or a reaping machine. This is prin-
| cipaIly the reason that some machines 90
| not last over one years service.
| Another reason can be attributed 20 'ae
| ignorance of the riders, who DO not kno"
| the CONSTITUTIONAL parts of bicycie' iet
it get out of order and r1de II IN Una. .,r, eo,,
| dition Unless all the parts are properly
| adjusted the best OF machines will soon go
| to pieces.
Dust I'm the Ball Bearings.
1t fs lust as easy to take care OF Wneei
| as I. ia to ride it. If five or ten minutes
| each day were spent in cleaning 1t up Tue
rider could keep the wheel looking IN eooo
shape Generally when new wheel Is
purchased an unusual amount Of care is
bestowed upon 1t as first. but as soon as
| th. novelty of the thing wears on the bi-
| cvcle is completely neglected. Though the
cleaning Of the frame and the spokes may
improve the appearance OF tue "heel, ~
improve it's running quahtles .ne ~olS nas a
TO he carried on farther. Although so ad-
| vertised there are but few. II any, ma
| chimes constructed with absolutely DUST
| proof bearings.
the ball chamber, either by way OF the
bearings or by way of the oil holes, and
there mix up with the oil and completely
| clog the entire chamber, preventing the
free action of the balls This is the case
| where tn, machine Is never attended TO-
| One way to prevent this Is to frequently
flush out all Of the ball bearing chambers
| with a liberal dose of beuzine, coal oil or
| gasoline.
This could be done about every two
| weeks the ugh every three or four months
it would be a good thing to take the ma.
| chine apart and completely clean the ball
| chambers and balls, SO as to leave no DIRT
at all. In replacing the balls good plan
is to use plenty of gasoline. which. being
heavier than OIL does not wear away SO
soon and lessons the friction.
The chain should receive as much atten-
ton as all the other parts Of the wheel
put together. This is the part where three
, fourths Of the friction OF the whole wheel
| occurs and this being the fact it Is obvious
why it should be kept cleaned. Construct
ed as It is. one link in the chain working
| hard is apt to cause q grinding noise. which
| | is very hard to locate. Especially when
the chain gets wet the water gets in be-
| tween the links and there rusts, making
: the machine work hard, pull hard and
| grind hard.
To Clean the Chain.
Though the liberal use of oil on the chain
| is largely recommended, the writer thinks
very little of It, Perhaps the best way to
clean a chain IS TO take it off at intervals
submerge it in gasoline and set fire to the
3 fluid letting 1t burn itself out. All par
ticles of dirt will be removed, and the
chain will look like new. Replace it on the
wheel and rub with graphite. and 1t will
be found to run smooth Soap fs not
| very good chain lubricant, though a good
= | many riders use 1t in cases of emergency
| especially when out on the road, when the
{ chain begins to grind. Keep the chain free
| from dust and the teeth Of the sprocket
e wheel cleaned, and you will have very little
difficulty on this line.
When taking the wheel apart be sure yo,
4 | do not get the parts mixed. A person cal
= | hardly be considered a rider until he un
derstands the principles on which the whee
| is constructed. In taking out the ball.
| from the bearings at the axles and tn,
head of the wheel Is comparatively cas-!
= task. but the ordinary rider generally find
i stumbling block when attempting to ge
e at the bearing Of the crank axle.
The pedals come of easily. but the cranl
d | key pins are generally driven home 81
f tightly that 1t is hard to remove them
h After removing the nut at the end of tn
q mer as 1t is apt to blur the threads. Piac
i a support beneath the machine to proven
straining the machine. and hit the head "
the pin with a rawhide mallet II one cal
be obtained. A block Of hard wood and
r. hammer frequently answer the purpose
!, | and oftentimes a hunk of lead can be sub
/ stttuted for the block of wood. If whe
y flushing the bearings of the crank axle tn
oil hole cannot be found. or II filled u
d with dirt, remove the seat and saddle pos
and pour the benzine down through tn
frame.
'r To Prevent Rust.
If the nickeling Is frequently rubbed dow
with q flannel rag there is no danger Q
rust. Under no circumstances let waite
: dry on the surface, as that will surel
d start a small speck of rust, which wi
/, gradually grow. The spokes can be treate
l. In the same way. though on account G
| their size 1t Is hard to keep rust off.
le an oiled rag Is used on them 1t will Otter
,e times For the frame Of the wheel whe
lr enameled do not use OIL Take wet ra
a and wash off all the dirt and then dry wit
Is a cotton or cloth rag. Oil has a tendenc
ie to soften the enamel.
r AS regards the adjustment Of the bea,
'r ings that Is a matter that requires more o
re- | less skill. If the wheels will shake in tn
ie | frame the bearings are too loose an
ID should be frightened or otherwise they wi
wear unevenly. On the other hand, do nc
| have the bearings too tight A good illus
tration of a perfect adjustment is when tn
wheels will move On their own accord whe
| lifted from the ground, the weight of til