The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-07
BIG IS THE DEMAND
A Few Facts About the Present Sup
ply Of Bicycles.
GOOD MATERIAL is SCARCE
American Wheels Find Favor In
Australia -Prospectors There
Use Them Largely In Their
Search for Gold.

oNery rcduerb mlnu, says the cycling
West. as to the probable reduction in
prices of bicycles during the coming
season on account, as he may think, of
the overproduction. This talk about
oversupply is misleading and ridiculous
in view of actual facts. 1t is the direct
outgrowth of the sanguine and more or
less visionary purposes Of the multi
tude or manufacturers as announced in
their advertisements and by the cycle
papers. They expect to make the large
number or wheels during the coming
season that have already been an
nounoed, as their SO outputs. They
will. no doubt, find 1t profitable to do
SO, that is, II they can get the material
with which to make them. The fac
tory. large or small, that has now on
hand or has even in sight the material
to make one-half the wheels 1t has
been announced to build. is as rare as
II 10 fortunate. This may seem to be a
surprising statement in the face of so
much talk about large outputs, but a
visit to the factories. interviews with
the superintendent and with the deal
ers in bicycle parts and accessories will
lead one to believe in much more con-
sentative estimates.
~ In the first place the supply of BIZ
cycle material in sight for the entire
season is extremely limited, and If one
manufacturer gets what he needs IL
facturers must go without Just so
much. Even those manufacturers who
have been fortunate enough to contract
for large supplies are obliged to watch
their consignments for fear some other
fellows will get the goods. 1t is a fact
that some of the largest factories in the
West, ones which are billed to produce
thousands of wheels this season, and
which have contracted with agents for
the entire lot have not over 200 feet of
tubing anywhere in sight. Where will
they get 1t to fulfill their contracts?
These manufacturers have counted too
much upon the unlimited extent of the
steel industry. There seems to be plenty
or last years tubing, however, and
there are several western factories
that, for this reason, are still making
last years models. This tubing is small,
and since the radical changes in sizes
of all tubing used in the wheel IL il
useless for any part of the '96 machine.
The firms that are still using the small
tubing have therefore a brighter out
look as to getting supplies than the '96
model men.
Tubing is not the only material that
Is scarce. Sprocket wheels will soon be
at premium, If they are not already,
and balls are scarcely to be had at all !
The writer met a tired-looking out of
town manufacturer in Chicago who had
been the rounds to leave a large con-
only place where they could be had.
The man was so eager to get them that
he filled his satchel and had them ex-
pressed home to the factory.
Just now these conditions exist and
production is retarded, but the more
sanguine of these handicapped makers
expect to see things loosen up within a
month or two, when they think there
viii be such a deluge of wheels as to |
glut the market This will hardly be
possible for the reasons above stated, |
that the aggregate supply of wheels |
cannot be beyond the point of sharp de- |
mand, because the materials are not at |
hand nor in sight; and that the manu-
facturers who cannot make will buy |
what others make to fill contracts al |
ready made. So the rider who is |
dreaming of a high grade wheel this |
year for $50 or $40 will be disap- |
pointed.
American bicyclers, according to an |
exchange, are cutting quite a swath in |
Australia, despite the fact that English |
wheels sell for from SIS TO $25 less. One |
Melbourne firm recently sent an order |
for $4,000 worth of Yankee cycles to |
a Chicago house. The New South |
Wales trade of New Jersey firm is |
alone worth $780, 900 per annum.
The factory cost of high-grade BIZ |
cycles is about $40. which, under the |
Australian duty of 25 per cent adva-
loren, added to shipping and other ex-
penses. makes the landed cost about |
500. The average price obtained for |
high-grade wheels in the Antipodes is |
$685. although a first-class racing ma
chine will bring from $40 to $40 more
The demand for ladies bicycles far ex-
ceeds the supply. The ladies' wheels
supplied by British makers are far too
heavy, the weight being about So
pounds. The lightest ladies' wheel sold /
in the colonies weighs 2S pounds. If
Americans can supply a ladies' wheel
weighing from 81 to 25 pounds, they will
find an immense market.
Strange to relate, the opening of the
Coolgardie gold fields has helped the
Australians cycle trade greatly. The
bicycle has been invaluable to the great
crowds who have rushed to the fields
in search Of gold. To many parts of
the barren west the bicycle has been
the only means of communication. For
the transit Of messages the cycle has
been highly important and very re-
munerative to the cycle messenger |
The charge for carrying a message is
one shilling per mile: sometimes even
more. For instance, one message was
carried 30 miles at the cost of ELS. In
consequence of the bicycles utility and
Importance on the fields. the trade in
cycles has been extensive. One agent
alone at Coolgardie is reported to have
made $4,000 profit in less than ~
months.
Greece is another country where the
American wheel is proving popular At
present there are about 400 bicycles I'm
Athens. and most of them are Of Amer
lean make. The average wheel weighs
about 20 pounds, and the character OF
the roads forbid lighter machine. I'M
less of a very high grade ana long base.
There is no duty on wheels in Greece.
consequently few are MANUFACTURER I'm
that country. The history Of bicycling
in Greece is interesting. The first ma
chine was brought there many years
ago by the king. IL was an 0ll-wood
affair, OF the variety known as bone
shaker Naturally. his majesty did
not appear in public on this machine as