The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-05
CHEAP WHEELS TO GO.
High Grade Bicycle Nanufact-
urers Effect a Compact.
Makers TO Drive the Low Priced Ar
ticle From the Market.


The. manufacturers of standard wheels
have taken energetic action to exterminate
the cheap machine and adopt system
which will be effective In keeping the low
priced bicycle from becoming competitor
again.
The Pope Manufacturing company, the
Gorhully a. Jeffery company and other
leading makers OF high class bicycles have
been at work for some time trying to do
wise scheme by which the influence Of
cheap bicycles could be checked They
woro assisted by other manufacturers, and
tho movement eliminated at a meeting
held In the Hotel Waldorf, New York
What was supposed To bo nesting OF
wrought iron pipe manufacturers was real
ly meeting OF the manufacturers Of BIZ
cycle tubing. There were representatives
present from each Of the le firms manu-
featuring that class Of tubing and q com
pact was entered into which will drive out
the cheap wheels.
The bicycle manufacturers and tube
manufacturers hold common grievance
sgainst the nnakcrs OF the low priced
wheels. The cheapening of bicycles as
complete machine also had cheapening
effect upon the price OF tubing, so that
tubing from the combined demand for
material the results were less satisfactory
from business standpoint than without
the numerous shops where tho cheap ma
chimes were made.
The manufacturers call their competitors
"assemblers. BY that they mean the
producers Of the low priced wheels assem-
bic the various parts and without actually
Inv ti,,x m tol that
has driven the standard machines to the
wall in the fierce competition. during the
season just closed.
To make handsome profit on bicycles it
was only necessary for man to equip
small shop somewhere with drill press,
lathe and some other simple apparatus
which in the hands of skilled workmcn
would be sufficient to perform the work.
The tubing would be bought at one point,
the sprocket wheels and chains, handle
bars, rims, tires, spokes and other parts at
different places, and then be joined into a
finished wheel. The bicycles In most cases
were good, solid machines and stood the
test against the grade whee.s.
A serious consideration was that the
buyer might not be able TO secure dupli-
cate for broken or damaged part, because
chine would be out Of the business. Some
of the speculators only calculated upon
making and disposing of a certain number
of bicycles, and when that was done they
retired on the profits made.
The effect of such traffic was to burden
buyers with wheels that became white
elephants, because the damaged parts could
not readily be- duplicated and because the
"assembling'' was not performed with the
care that is always taken by tho standard
manufacturers. The buyers OF such wheels
have been compelled TO make continual re-
pairs or throw their mounts away, and
many did that TO escape the perpetual an
noyances incidental TO breakdowns.
The object of those attending the New
York meeting was to drive out such man
ufacturers and to protect the large capital
invested In complete bicycle factories and
tube mills. Without the tubing 1t will be
impossible for the 'assemblers" to make
any more wheels, and the manufacturers
entered ipto compact which practically
makes the business a trust
Each of the l2 firms making bicycle tub
ing bound itself not to sell tubing to any
except tho regular bicycle makers. In ad-
dition the makers Of othor parts gave q
the subscribers TO the compact
Every part of the standard wheels is
under patent, and tho combination has Sc
cured n number of special part patents and
entered them into the compact which
completely shuts out the cheap assemblers.
The manufacture OF bicycle tubing is thor
oughly protected by patents, and the as
semblers will not be able to secure the
most essential material for their product
The tubemakers wero opposed to the as
semblcrs, because the work of perfecting
tubing hos taken years and cost large
sums Of money for experiments. The proc
esses have steadily lightened the weight
of bicycle frames until the weight is al
most 90 per cent lighter than few years
ago. The tensile and lateral strength has
been raised until the standard bicycle tub
ing Of the present day Is practically inde-
structiblc.
In addition to thus depriving tho as
semblers of material here il WAS voted at
the meeting 20 send an agent TO England
at once to make arrangements there to
prevent the shipment OF thbing to the
United States The arrangement will be
reciprocal
The success of the agent will have much
manufacturers in rearranging the price Of
materials and announcing the increased
cost of high grade wheels for next season.
One of the Pittsburg men interested in
the compact said the Amer AN manufac-
turcrs really have no competition in the
foreign mills. Tho processes and machin-
cry hero are so far I'm advance Of the for
cign practice that tho American tubing
has no equal.
Ho said the parties TO the compact will
advance the price of wheels next season
without fear Of the cheap machine. Tho
past season has been hard one on the
standard manufacturers. The action at
New York, he said, will probably cause
temporary boom in bicycles during tho
coming winter, but he does not believe 10
will benefit the assomblers' wheels still in
the market.
He said tho only way 10 let the assem-
blers out Is for them 10 build mills and
factories and engage In the business ex-
clusivcly, and tho capital required will
prevent that. Chicago Times Herald.
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