New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23

! After that. the crowded thorOughfares may be
visited with reasonable security 1t Is likely that
various accidents in the spring will impress the
need Of caution by new riders.
One inevitable effect Of this increase in the
number of wheemen will be the stopping Of
| "scOrching" on thoroughfares that are much
used. The police along the Boulevard last sum-
mer were far too enient with the persons chiefly
youths who raced up and down. often in packs of
eight or ten. The policemen who are mounted on
bicycles have had a good effect. and doubtless
! their number will be increased. The laws are eX-
plicit enough about speeding In the streets, and
as the crowds increase the danger there will be
stricter and stricter enforcement Of them.
Every careful observer of the evolution OF the
bicycle for the last three or four years must nave
noticed the immense improvement that has been
made in the pedals. A comparison OF the PEDALS
on an up-to-date machine with those used, say
on the wheels of 1894. is both interesting ana IN
structive This is especially the case with those
pedals with rubber attachments The rupDer
pedals Of two years ago were heavy, AWKWARD
and clumsy affairs. and compared with those Oh
the present time seem ten years rather than only
| two years old. The rubber was irremovabic' ana
| there was no such thing as converting rubber
| fitted into a rat-trap pedal, or vice versa Now
| the rubber parts are attached by two niue oolts
and IT IL only matter OF minute OF TWO u pTt
|
| are made with much less Sharp-pointed teeth
than formerly. with the result that the shoe sore
| is not quickly cut and worn away by 'hem' ne
| nut on the inner side OF the crank hanger mas
| been done away with in order TO secure narrow
ness of tread; the pedal has been much reduced III
| weight. and at the same time Is strohE eIousn
| TO stand all ordinary usage. The bearings are
| much more securely protected than formerly, ana
little oil is required to keep them in good cohdi-
ton. 1t is said by those who know that ,, crop
| or two of oil will keep pedal IN Sood cohuI'loh
| for four or five months.
| AS a rule. it is only scorchers who use toe
| clips but some conservative riders VINO nave
| tried them assert that there is decided advan-
tage in having a machine equipped with them'
| and that the slight additional weight Is more
| than counterbalanced. OF course. rider who
! has provided himself with toeclips may use
| them or not az he chooses. 1t is contended that
| the advantage in them for the average rider lies
! I'm the fact that he is easily able TO exert more
| mower going up hill and also that he can apply
! much more force in back-pedalling going down
| hill. VIII r. Ptman the veteran. believes that
| with toecips brake is not necessary
The ammonia pistol" which was referred to in
! this column a few weeks ago. has been success
! fully tried by a rider who greatly annoyed
! by q dog that made great TODD every time ne
| passed a certain house. The nuisance became 50
! great that he resolved TO resort II the weapon
though he was exceedingly averse TO doing the
| dog any injury. Armed with the device he ap-
| preached the place OF the dogs inevitable ap-
pearance with the hope that FOR once he would
| abstain from his accustomed practice. This hope
was disaDpointed. and the "pistol' was let drive,
| whereupon the beast off bowling. The rider
| naturally had considerable curiosity as 10 Wnat
would happen the next day, and kept close Look
| out as he approached the dogs deInesne. Inc
| animal was on deck as usual. but at sight Of the
bicycle he came into the road slowly. win tota!
| absence of his usual efusiveness and actually
inspected the b!cvcle from distance. with MS
head and face as far from II as possible. IL was
evident that he had not been In the least harmed
by the dose he received on the previous day. ana
aDDarently a few repetitiOns OF IL al reasonable
intervals would have the effect OF making him
cease 10 annoy riders OF the wheel One rider.
at any rate. is convinced Of the efficacy Of the
ammonia pistol
Bicycle tours for the coming summer are al
ready being planned especially where party Is
10 be made up for tour in Europe one such
party Is to start about the middle o, June ana
return at the end Of September and the route L.
TO include England. Northern France. Holland
and Belgium. The cost Of the tour. including all
expenses. is fixed at $3.50. Win conscnial
party. not too large, II Is easy To sec that most
delightful summer may thus be spent
They have a level-headed Mayor in Somerville.
Mass 81 have sometimes thought" he says.
that 1t would be a good preliminary discipline
for superintendent OF streets In our city to give
him bicycle, and compel him to ride about
twenty miles a day along our principal thorough
fares" Truly in no other way could such an Off
cial acquire accurate and comprehensive an
understanding OF the conditions with which he IS
compelled t. deal The idea is not original with
this Mayor; il has already been adopted In this
city where the foremen Of gangs Of strcet-clean-
ers were mounted wheels some time ago
Said a wheeman OF middle age, who has no
sympathy with scorching, but IS content to jog
along at steady gait, and who rides almost
every day when It IS possible TO go out: 1T
seems to me that some Of the manufacturers are
making their municipalities entirely too conspicu-
GUS Now, If l should go and buy carriage. l
should find the makers name on a small and IN
conspicuous plate on the axle, where II
would attract attention. and would. in fact,
not be seen by any who didn't take par,icu-
lar pains to look for II. On the other hand. on
every bicycle the nameplate is a most conspicu-
Gus object, and some OF the 1885 models ii Is
positively obtruslve ! don't why this should
be. A nameplate s all right. " course, out In
my opinion II should be modest and retiring. At
any rate | shouldn't want wheel with plate
that could be identified half block more
away" The complainant seems to have over
looked the fact that most riders proud Of the
particular style OF wheel they USE and are
perfectly willing that all the world should know
what IL is. At the same time, namcplate sew
eral inches IN length WOULD undoubtedly be
offence against good taste.
TIE NEW NORTHERN P4CIFIC ORDER.