The record-union., 1896-02-29
CARE OF THE WHEEL.
Some Valuable Suggestions to Owners
of Bicycles.

of Bicycles.
1t will pay those who have good
wheels to take proper care of them, and
even a poor one will last all the longer
and give better satisfaction if care
fully looked after. In the average BIZ
cycle there are about 40 steel balls.
These are generally distributed as fol-
lows: Front wheel, 16; back wheel. 1S:
crank shaft, %; pedals, 20 each: front
steering head, 40 These are of diff
ferent Sizes those used in the front
wheel generally being one-sixteenth of
an inch larger than those in the back
the balls in the pedals are about one
elgth of an inch in diameter.
With such number of points at
winch there may be friction it will read
lily be seen that even the smallest imper-
Iectlon would have a very material eff
Iect upon the running qualities of the
Wheel. For this reason more care is
taken In their manufacture than that
OF any other part of the wheel.
The perfect bicycle ball must be alb
soiutely exact as to gauge 1t must be
highly polished and it must be so hard
that even an emery wheel will have but
little effect upon it. The manufactur-
ers have been experimenting with this
article ever since bicycle-making began
to be an important industry. At first
It was thought that small balls and
more of them were better, but the size
has gradually increased until now some
firms make them up to seven-sixteenths
of an inch in diameter and it is gem
orally conceded that within certain lin
It's the larger sizes give the most salts
faction.
The other parts of the bearings are
also very important, but perfection i'm
them is not SO difficult to secure as in
the balls. The ball-cups on nearly If
not quite all machines are forced into
their places in the wheel. pedal or
bracket by hydraulic pressure and are
practically as solid as if they were
brazed or welded to the part in which
they fit. The cones which press the
balls into their places in the cups are
removable, and in case of any imperfec-
tions can be easily and cheaply re-
placed
Perfect bearings should be the last
things to wear out on a wheel. and years
of use should only be evidenced by a
bright streak in the ball races showing
where the balls had run. While all
wheels are now fitted with what are
claimed to be "dust-proof'' bearings.
such thing has yet to be devised, and
therefore the bearing needs frequent
cleaning. 1t is not necessary. how
ever, to take apart the bearings in order
to clean them. but benzine poured into
the oil-holes does the work as well as
if each individual part had been wiped
with a clean rag.
To clean the bearings in the bracket
the best way is to remove the saddle
post and pour the benzine into the tub
ing, which will generally be found to
have a small hole in the bottom which
admits the benzine to the bracket. This
should be continued until the benzine
runs out perfectly clear, indicating that
all the dirt has been removed The
bearings, especially those on the back
wheel, should not be adjusted too tight
ly. but should be loose enough to allow
very little side motion.
Most of this years wheels are
equipped with large brackets and large
hubs, which, together with the large
tubing, give the wheel symmetrical
appearance.