The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-25


| is sacrificed 70 the moderate rider, th'
| bent-back monkey (as the street boy!
| call hinn) is ignored in the interest anC
| TO the hearty satisfaction of the up
| right man; and it is TO be presumed
| the man acturerS know what is want
| ed Anyway they stand TO lose a grea'
/ deal of money to the creators of freaks
if the rational human beings do no
| largely outnumber the ''cranks," fol
reason and common sense have beer
| appealed to by them this year.
| IL IS not necessary to take the Dicy
| cles apart to see this. The parts are or
| exhibition separately, If one cares to &c
| into the details. But even a rapid
! walk through the aisles VIII be enough
| TO show what the tendency is. In the
! first place the conspicuous models alons
| the ratings Of nearly all the large ex-
| hibits have the upturned handle-bars
/ The down-turned handle-bars, which
/ makes the wheel look like the skeleton
! Of a Texas steer, are in the back part
| Of the spaces, and when they are in
| spected, the frames are those Of the
| racer" This was the first sign u
| change noted, and the agents were ques
! toned about it
why have you the upturned handle
! bars on all your exhibition models?'
asked the reporter.
"Oh, you can have any kind you like
sir. Well suit you, you know, sir. But
most people are asking for the higher
handles this year, and you see, we have
10 exhibit what attracts the majority.
IF you viii step in. III see that you are
suited"
NO, it is information, not a bargain,
/ that IS sought" and the reporter whirl-
ed significantly the press badge.
Then the agent lost interest, and the
Iod 70 ffy,6 Of z Ia 6r-T1 u r.
repeated in another way just what the
salesman had said. The "scorcher'
was an unimportant element in his Gus
tom. In the great mass of wheeling
men and women nowadays the fellows
who wanted to double up and race SO
century" against time were only about
. per cent. Another manufacturer said
i per cent, and other put the estima te
between these extremes. They all
agreed that his influence in the machine
shops had been to much considered in
the past and was diminishing under the
sheer force Of commercial interest. He
still had his wheel, but ii was a class
more distinct than ever, and unfit for
an average rider on ordinary roads.
The time when the scorcher was cater
ed 10 by a weakening sacrifice in the
roadster model was gone for ever.
This explains in part the much talked
The road racer" has smaller tires than
It had last year, and lighter tubing,
TOO. But the ordinary road wheel IS
heavier and sturdier, because the peo-
pie who mean to use ii on all roads
that lead to plea SAINT places are in the
majority. AS one salesman put it:
Last year everybody was lifting
wheels and asking how much yours
weighed. This year they want to know
If she strong and easy-going and SIM
pie in make.
Or, as the agent said: I'm 1894 and
IS they hefted 'em; now they're feelin'
Of EN-"
These men had an experts scorn OF
them" but they expressed the will of
the world on wheels. The handle-bars
Upturned showed that the men wished
20 ride upright and for health and exer-
else
The stout frame with the added
weight and 'SecUrer feel showed the
demand for a bicycle that would stand
the country rOadS-in short, for pleas
ure. Then there were changes made
for comfort, sir, for ladies and gents as
ike their ease. Thus one salesman said
as he clapped his hands on a saddle. 1t
was wider in the back, narrower in the
stem, and had a snub nose. Others
like 1t were on all the standard ma
chimes, and the unanimity emphasized
the general observation that comfort
for the seekers of pleasure and health
full exercise was the end of the present
day bicycle-building If anything were
lacking TO confirm il, this statement of
the head of a well-knOwn firm in expla-
nation Of the higher gearing would COM
plete the proof:
The average gear this year, at this
show, is 40 for mems wheels. We ven
tured so high because il was evident
the average nider is willing to expend
more strength rather than to have TO
move his legs more rapidly 1t is for
the pleasure of an easy, deliberate mo-
ton of the body that the slightly in,
creased tax on strength is made. \
higher rate Of sped was not the purpose
at all That the great majority of rid
erS 90 not care for. We have attained
all the speed really desired; l do not
think one rider in a hundred cares to go
faster than he can now. You remem-
Der now much was said last year about
the motor-b!cycle which was 10 do away
with all exertion and enable any speed.
We'll there was such A Whel here in the
show then; now there isn't one. The
moIor-olcycle may come, but il will be
a mere curiosity or a means of transit
Tor business. When people find they
get no exercise from il, they will return
70 the pedal The bicycle hurt the rid
Ing-horse, but the trolley didn't"
The light wheel. Of course. continues
in existence and there is some demand
for it. Along the sides of the great ex-
hibiuon room are ali sorts OF GeIca,e
machines, which have the thin tires.
the light tubing. and the down-bent
Ranged up beside these
EXHIBITS one sees the typical bike
faces. thin, long, sharp and hollow.
which reflect the satisfaction Of the
scorcher and explains the shrewdness of
the smaller manufacturers The max
efS OF freaks. unable - compete with
the standard bicycle factories. have
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