The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-29
NEWS
AND COMMENT
Things Of Interest to Those Who Ride
the Wheel.
MORE TALK ABOUT CHEAP BIKES
A WelI.KnOwn Authority Says There
Is So Much Complaint About Cheap
Grades That the 500 Article Will
Always BE Sold ... Cycling m
Crowded Streets.

w. II. Webster, who is well known III
the wheeling world. is of the opinion
that n concerted cut in 1897 prices frcm
the 500 mark is something that is prob
lematical. you see," says Mr.. Web
ster to the New York Evening Sun.
there has been natural reaction af-
ter all the talk about cheap wheels
wheels that are too cheap. Why,
friend of mine who sold very cheap
line of wheels was bothered SO much by
complaints ana fault finding this sum
mcr that he had to quit the business.
think there will always be Il $l00 wheel
sold. The public ut large throughout
the country have taken so kindly tn
the instalment method of doing busi-
ness that a large share of the trade will
always be conducted on that basis,
which has proved satisfactory to buyer
and seller. The men who ride cheap
wheels this year Will not be satisfied
with them in 1897. and i'm the East, par
ticularly in New York, people perfer the
credit system to the purchase of low
grade wheels for cash. However the
entire bicycle trade is, comparatively
speaking. unsettled. There are no fixed
quotations for tubing, and bicycle
parts. and as there is a tluCtuatlng
market it is impossible to say that all
high grade wheels cost the same price,
for the conditions with the makers ar"
widely different. AS a popular and in
teresting study the bicycle industry has
captured public favor and the price
question is right up in front"
.nI; To-, I,1 a,
fares of cities is extremely danger
ous.' says the american Cyclist."
"and number of accidents which have
recently occurred could be cited to
show that great caution should be eXer-
cised by all who are compelled to use
their wheels in sections of cities where
congested traffic threatens disaster to
the lightly built bicycle and its Ven
turesome rider. who gets mixed up in Il
vortex of moving trucks and wagons.
Especially should women avoid the
streets of cities and towns upon which
business travel and traffic are chiefly
centered. A good rule when one is COM
PEELED to ride on city streets is to keep at
n safe distance behind teams and not
endeavor to pass round or cross them
without knowing what is ahead. Most
of the fatal accidents which have Oc-
cured upon our city streets have re-
suited from cyclists turning out sud-
denly from behind wagons or street
cars and getting directly in the way of
vehicles coming from the opposite di-
rection. If the vehicle met happens to
be q street car or truck wagon the
1, a. ,Drl.
heavy penalty with his life or limb for
what after all is a certain kind of care
lessness upon his part"
A man who understands the Johnson
Eek racing combination says: 1T is no
surprise to the racing men in this coun-
try that johnson has accomplished
nothing in competition with the big rid
ers on the other side. 1t must be re-
membered that Johnson's reputation as
racing man is built uDon the times
that he has made i'm record trials and
the allegations of his manager, Thomas
Eek. You will also remember that last
year Johnson took part in but few races
owing to the fact that he asked such
enormous inducements that he was not
was the only really good man that he
met. and he was just recovering from
sickness and was not in the best trim.
AS a competition rider, Johnson is not
rated high among the racing fratcrn-
ity, although we must admit that with
good pacing, and under fair conditions
he can ride fairly well against time"
"If Bald and Cooper" says follower
of racing. "wcre travelling on q running
horse circuit these days, they would be
ruled off the track for in-and-out run
ming. Surely these two men must be
pretty evenly matched when they win
and lose to each other day after day.
Bald had the satisfaction of winning a
majority of the races in CoOper's native
state, but it must have been worth con-
siderable to have seen their work of last
Saturday. The present season does not
seem to have developed any rider who
classes with Bald and Cooper. and even
Wooden Shoes Sanger, fast as he is.
only wins an occasional piece Of
money