New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06
spread when the plans outlined are caii'eu '''''

cousa ~ grave trouble and one may SUSPECT
that he has been the victim Of slight puhc'ure
when all the trouble is in the valve y" maj
TOR how the valve is constructed an esse"'i"'
mart ~ every one is n rubber washer AS every
body knows rubber will, in the course OF Few
months lose it's quality and become ueau'
and when this happens it Is not strange ''"'
the valve fails 10 hold air. Some waves are 81
constructed that a rider with the least degree
of mechanical skill can remove the pl"nsei III
case Of necessity and apply new washer thus
,Lirg tho valve alright again; and, so far
as riders are concerned, such valve wou'u
seem tn have points OF superiority over any
other A widely used valve however. Is so
made that the plunger and washer can only ne
got at from the inside-that Is, by the removal
Of the entire stem, job which no one Out d
regular repairer would undertake: Inc repair
men as a rule speak highly OF this valve now
far their opinion is formed by the fact that ~
clists must come to them In case rep tIanniIv
necessary Is a matter for conjecture. flapp1sS.
the valve in question does not get OUT Vi , ~
readily. Many valves are constructor WIN
coil spring to hold the plunger In place o'htiS
accomplish the same end through the eia IT.
power Of the rubber forming the piuneer. NJ rnJ
pressure Of the air when the pump Is aPPn''
compresses the spring or stretches tne ruppe''
allowing the air to pass into the IRE anu VIZ
air pressure Immediately restores thc pluns1
to its position. with the washer neid uSH''S III
place Riders have been known. when some
thing appeared to he wrong with waive. ~
put drop Of oil in IT. forgetting ina, the ~
of oil on rubber is anything but good ana ma
a valve Is never In need Or oil 10 MAKE WIN
properly The cap OF valve is common! an
essential part of II. although II ought not 10 pe
At the same time. ii will often happen tnat -,
valve which when tested with the cap OH. VIII
show a slight leakage OF air. VIII be louhu an H.
tight with the cap firmly screwed III p,a,e. ~
fact the caps Of some valves are PROVIDED WIN
n rubber lining at the inner end. SO as 10 make
as tight a Joint az possible In any event, ~ -
has been lost since dust and dirt are sure |"
enter and be the cause bf trouble
The old idea that the front wheel OF bl-
cycle ought be larger than the rear one APP
pears to have gone out entirely. only TWO OF
three years ago IL was contended by both manu-
facturers and riders that with the ftont wheei
two inches larger than the rear one greater
steadiness was afforded to the man in the sad
die and the tendency Of the machine to woppIe
was materially diminished. 1t was not an I'M
common thing then to see man riding a pi-
cycle with n 2S-inch wheel behind and 3o-inch
in front while in the cases of some womens
wheels % and % inches were frequent Su'h
hicvces are rarely seen nowadays II Is true
that tho makers Of cyclometers, many or them
at any rate. furnish distanc" measurers lor
both 2S-inch and 3O-nch wheels. but the ue-
mand for the latter is small TWenty-elght
inches has been shown 10y experience To ne
tho most satisfactory size for the wheels OF
"safc.v"-how rarely that word is used nova
days. by-thc-way-and II Is not probable that the
future development Of the bicycle VIII prlns
about any change in this respect
one does not need to go far back In memory
! To recall the time when the first 'safeiios "'r"
seen in the streets. and attracted even more at
tentlon than do the old high wheels that are To
be seen semi-occasionally even now. one II the
early riders 81 safety in this neghborhood was
a mar Of full gir,h who wore a heavy beard
and he tells with glee how the street boys ~ tha'
period used To greet him with such cries as
"Uello sawed off, and There goes whiskers
on a little one" 1t ia hard for one who sees the
army Of cyclists Of the present time To believe
that ten years ago the few riders then In "Xist-
ence rode high wheels" with hard tires. with
the execution ~ n small number. who were con
tent with the old fashioned Uici' j" IN" hish
wheel came to be called the "ordinary att'r IN"
introduction Of the safet:. and that naih' sun
odheres 10 II IN the minds ~ riders OF me Garner
reriod To the new generation Of cyclists that
word sounds strange and they speak 81 II 'hly
rs the high wheel" and wond": now any ono
could bc willing 10 ris', his life In mounting one
Most Of IN. "ordinaries nov In existence are
slowed away I'm cellars or garrets or stables
and I'm anOihc- AZ or two no on" Will p' SO"
! riding one ~ them In public. II * singuiar
fact however that a f'w 81 the riders "l me
/ old stvle wheel hav" n".er taken 10 the safety
which they regard IS altogether 700 easy
I 'fThcres enough excitement dif'hl IT, H'''
one ~ them in speaking 81 his adventures III 'h'
DAYS that were There vas an element OF IAN
ger I'm riding IA high wheel mat was very i"'
mating but there Is nothing ~ mat IN inc WIZ
that all the boys and most - IN" girls no" roe.
Thor. IS no excitement about II. such as ""
used to have when real 'hcadcrs we're lK'F /"
occur at any moment, nave nave n', onh 49,
sand aside and let the army " wheelers "f the
present day roll by.
Nm orv ~ the nuch-rddon roads around the
r,e,ronoIs the number OF places which have
srr,nc mn in the last year or two To provide en-
,.r,a,nmcnt and refreshmcnt for the riders "i
IN. ,,beel f. phenomenal. Their" were good
many OF them last year; this year tn" nun''r
/ has ot least doubled Some OF them are simply
rude stands los the roadside. which dispense
soft drinks" chewing gum cigars ana cigar
ettcs: others are full-hedgcd saloons. SUI ''h''s
are hotels In all that the word implies wh'r" one
can procure a good meal and get c'hi"r'a''
lodging for the night. II necessity arises h'-
uair shors also abound. and at not i'W "i the
so-called "whcelmen's rests II Is no uncommon
thing FOR pumps. oil and lubricants 10 De sup
rlied for TN. free use OF guests, or Tor the
urico Of a tip to the attendant. who Is on mana
>, r,,h ,b.. dust OF the bicycle while its owner
/ conf ,rtably sips his cooling drlhN' III P'"'''
further removed from the centre OF metropolitan
! NE the advent 81 the bicycle has had per,
! cc,tihl. effect in the rccrudcsccncc OF the old
tim. inn which had continued "A pre'ari"uS y
istenc. during the period since IN" staEec'a'h
/ brought people l. its door and money /" inc pr"
J ,,r,o,,r,a cnfr.rs In country villages remote
from railroads. though many OF the s"-'a'en
hotels are still shabby enough In their appoint =
rnenfs and cuisine. but there Is n" d"un, mat
,'i,h tho dcvelopment ~ good roads and the IN
/ ,r.a.o - tourists on bicycles they Will be com
nelI,d TO pull themselves together ana look
alive" for the custom that may cause "'hor INNS
ri la
| and demand will govern here as elsewhere
7, ,s time for a crusade against nerdlessly
! toad sourdirp bicycle bells. No excuse can be