New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
IN THE CYCLING WORLD
THE EXTENSION OF SMOOTH STREETS.

u,uurr.ury MAYOR wURsTER's POSITION
,c,s,.r,ox AFFECTING BICYCLE RIDERS
conar,, Co,Iis's recommendations to the Board
NJ Estimate and Apport!onment ior lep"'"e
streets with asphalt are OF extreme irhPoi 'a"Oe "
wheelmen Indeed, they seem to nave peeh o'o
tated largely by desire to add 10 the pieasu''
and convenience of cycling in NeW-ioih wy
There are, OF course advantages acci u'ie ~
others from the extension OF the aspha'. pa''"e,
hut cyclists must feel that the next batch OF
improvements will be made with speciai iei''
ono. 70 their needs OF the amount OF money
available more than half. or s66OOOo. VIII De en-
rended on First-ave from Twentieth to One-nun-
dredand-ni nth-st This will give a me hol u.
and south route for those on the extreme eas'
side of the city Then Madson-ave rom Ui,e
hundred andtwenty -iithst 10 anu upper
E'ifth-ave which Is now much useu Ny o!'.,,s.a.
The West Side offers the most a'a '.i, az ,and
TO bicycle riders but these two cha's. r - an
to keep those living east OF flIlh-a'e' ''0 vs.
their own side of town
Rut the West Side will be we'll cared Tor. Mos'
important will be the provision Tor a" asp""''
route downtown. For this purpose H's ''
,ron, 1,h,rtoanth-st. to Hudson and Hudson down
to Chambers-st.. will be repaVeo. ine "o'N -
riybth-ave IS 10 cost $500 and in Hudson-st.
tinuous asphalt from Harlem to Champers-s'''
49,, .,,,, ,roh,er, in connection with riding down
.. hrs,pess viii he settled. Then the east side OF
IN. boulevard from Ninety -second-st TO one
Observation-Disclosures will also be laid Win
asphalt This left undone Oh acuou , ~.
lack of funds when the rest or the bouie' ar NJ
ranoyod nm 70 one hundred and -eignth-st ne
nimor improvements are: Clinton Place. from
civthave To Macdougal-st. Macdougai-st from
Clinton Place to Waverley Place; forty nn 49,
from Madison to Fourth.aVe'' anu @ =,
dred-and-twenty- ninth-st.. from Sevehth-aNe' u
Eighth-ave.
The cycle show which ended In Brooklyn last
r,obt held under the auspices Of the Cycle Club,
was a gratifying success. and the club Will net
hardsoma surn,us from IT, 1t Is doubtful II
the club will get an opportunity to duplicate the
sbow next wear 1t was enabled to give the ex-
b,b,tion this wear simply because the local Cycle
BOARD of Trade Of that city was so sedate ard
s,oxv that such a show never occurred to II until
altar the fashionable Cycle Club had started
one Now the of the trade across the
Bridge say that they will conduct the snow next
wear themselves, and that II will be fnuch more
pretentious than that just closed. WINE the
show was an interesting one rev new lueas "'Ic
shown Some people who allowed their enthusi-
asm to run away with them. ard compared the
exhibit TO the show held In this city. are now
probably ashamed OF themselves. or Trey AT
least ought to be. 1t was a splendid thing Tor
club TO accomplish, nut IL was mo- '"' go
OF a show that city OF the SIZE Oh bIoohiy"
has right to ask FOR next year.
Fairly satisfactory progress is making on the
pan to give wheelmen smooth passage &c the
ferries As the cross streets leading directly 20
them are paved with rough material. on account
Of the heavy traffic the authorities are seeking
70 have asphalt laid on one OF the adjoining
streets or both Of them Thus. Twenty second
and Twenty-fourth SITS. are to be ropaved 80
that the West Twenty third-st ferry may De
reached on smooth going. East Thirty-thiri-st.
is not available. but East Ihiriy -secohl-@,' Is
under contract for repavirg 50 tfat II VIII be
asphalt from Fifth-avc. to Flrst-ave. Forteth-
St is now asphalted from Fourih-ave; 10 tleN-
enth-avc. Nothing has been done to the stress
leading to the East Nlhcty-serO"us'' anu iNi'
Lee ferries.
II hear some talk as II the manufacture OF the
bicycle had almost reached the stage OF per
fiction" said a veteran rider but that is bosh
II is true that II is becoming more and more
difficult TO reduce the weight Of wheels as sue
cessive pounds are got rid Of. but see no reason
why there should not be further tightening Of
parts without lessening OF strength. Indeed,
expect to live long enough to see servioeab'e light
roadstens in general USE weighing not more than
ten or twelve pounds. Not that l think That
this reduction In weight IL 20 extremely desira-
Bile, for my machine OF twenty-five POUNDS SUITS
lie
ccrnra But the tires could bc Improved
and could other parts You take a party Of
dozen riders going out for days run. Inc
chances are that three four Will have some
mishap to their wheels. There VIII be "A pune
ture. two three. and the possibilities that
other things VIII 80 wrong are iesion. IL may
be a saddle. some spOkes. or n chain. or u
pedal, or the bearings. or some other part but
whenever considerable NUMBER OF whcclmen
go out for days tour there VIII be a chapter
OF breaks and such accidents. There Is. then.
good field for invention and Improvement. \
locomotive or "A steamship viii go for a long time
without accident. The conditions are not
exactly the same. but / feel that the bicycle
manufacturers still have vast opportunities for
Strengthening and lettering their products
The impression has been created by recent
statement that the Long Island Railroad in
tends to abandon the policy 1t adopted last
year and to charge for the transportation Of BIZ
cycles. This impression is incorrect, according
to the statement made by an official Of the com
pany Until last year this company had regu-
lar tariff for wheels. varying according TO the
distance they were carried 1t VS. a great
qualification to wheelmen who go out the
island when that policy was changed at the
beginning of 1885, Under the new arrangement
each wheel had a tag attached to 1t and
coupon bearing the same number was given to
the owner, and the owner had to take his wheel
to the door Of the baggage-car and be on hand
to receive 1t there on arriving at his destina-
ton The official referred to said: There will
be no change OF policy by this company this
year at all events. We believe that we have the
best system. The tag affords adequate protec-
ton to the riders, and is better than system
Of checks would be. The tags were numbered
in regular order last year beginning at !, and
they ran up to 10000. II checks were re-
quired and the company had to put all wheels
on board the cars and take them off. we should
have to have three or four men at times to do
this work at some stations. From one point
Of view the company lost good deal OF money
by the change in policy last year. but, then. no
doubt. 1t has gained good deal of travel by It,
The same thing will be done this year, and
every passenger who pays fiiet-cass fare
will be entitled to have a bicycle carried with
out charge. provided he delivers IT to the bag
gage-master on board the baggage-car and
takes II from him again. The company holds