The morning times., 1896-11-17

American buggy, by wcil-known MAKER
third, various harness. The lot in first
class condition. Inquire"
And yet there are some people who ask,
"Does racing pay?'
The Chase Brothers, the crack tandem
team of England, have lowered the worlds
records at three, four and five miles,
covering the five miles in J:13 l-5, Just
shade better than Mehael's world record
on single machine.
The nearer the year comes the less is
heard about radical Changes in the 1897
patters. The manufacturers when ques-
toned talk vaguely about improvements In
the spokes, tie pedals, the tubing, the
handlehars, and SO forth, hnt when pressed
for particulars are rcticent and bid the
inquirer wait for the exhibitions
From other authorities who haze some
reason 10 know what is goiag on inside the
factories the Information Is obtained that
the changes on standard wheels will be
very few and unimportaht Some makers
will go In for still narrower treads than
those of this year; most 0f those who last
year adopted the larger tubes and hubs will
stick to them. and in all wheels gains will
be made in structural strength and rigidity
IL is to those last two qualities that most
II tEc attention of the mechanics has been
devoted. Accidents due tn lack of power of
resistance against sudden snocks have been
tuUfreJucnu TINS wear anti the manufacturers
who suffered in this respect have made ex.
raordinary efforts to do away with the
chance OF a recurrence Of that, the most
serious defect a wheel can have.
In the matter OF rigitiity also some prog
ress has been made especially in drop
frame wheels for wcmen. The single bar
will probably not be seen on any of these
bicycles next year. and IN other W q ys means
have been found To add stiffness, "a quality
which, next to strength, is the most de
sira bic.
In the matter of weight there seems to
be substantial accord in the opinion tba.
The limit has been reached for road wheels
Several makers VIII turn out machines this
year Which will weigh one or TWO pounds
more than those they sold this year. They
have finally learned, what riders Of ex-
perienCe discovered long ago. that almost
everything that is sacrificed TO escape the
action OF gravity is more desirable than
mere lightness.
The standard gear, as has been mentioned
before In this space, will be higher than
it was, 20 being the generally accepted
size in SS1. The old idea of the compare
tive difficulty of using high gear on
roads that are not perfectly level has been
abandoned by the majority OF riders. EN
perimcnts have been made witt bicycles
the wheels of which are Of different sizes
One theory was that the front wheel
should be the smaller, another that the
real wheel should fc of the less diameter
So far as can he learned, however, there
VIII be no change in this respect. The
principle OF propulsion on bicycle is not
essentially different from that Of lcco
motive, on which all tests have shown
that the wheels, not taking account of the
pilot wheels, should he uniform in size 10
give the best results.
The pilotwheei idea has been considered
for cycles, too, especially tandemS, and
Some are likely to be seen next year, but
experiments with them have rot revealed
in them any real value, while they add
materially to the clrmsiness of the vehicle
Another novelty thought of and tried was
putting thinner tire on the front than
on the rear wheel. There, also, the change
has not proved satisfactory, and it is not
likely to be attempted generally.
Some people think there is an immense
amount of luck in cycling Certain riders
are always having accidents, while to others
such thing as a mshap is unknown. This
applies 10 the wheel as well as to the
person. is in consequence of these acci-
dents that the reputation Of many makes
of wheels has been frequently injured
often without just cause. One rider
rarely goes out without getting a pune
ture: his friend rides through the whole
year without having his tires once de-
flated,
Another loses spoke or two evAry other
DAY. while his companion has never had
any reason in his own experience to know
how brittle these fragile-looking rods some
times are. So it goes with the score and
one parts of wheel that may got out of
order or broken. The probability is that In
nine cases out. of ten carelesSness is at the
bottom Of the trouble.
A good wheel rightly used is wonderfully
strong; wrongfully used the best of them
are not to be depended on. The toughest
spoke made, for instance, will not stand
the shock of sharp projecting stone, which
careful rider might avoid and needless
one never notice till the damage was done;
SO splinter / s likely to he picked up among
loose rubbish or leaves or grass which on
other parts of the road would never be
encountered.
Many tumble wouldnet have occurred If
no chances had been taken, and no amount
OF tube-bracing will save machine that
is constantly being rum into collisions by
bad steering. The factis that bicycles arc
verymuch like eotherthings;they sufferwhen
abused. The man who S htIrd on his clothes
is pretty sure to be hard ON his wheel and
for very much the same reason.