The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-01-23
HINTS FOR OYCLERs.
Some Suggestions Regarding tho Care of
the wheel.


the Wheel
The most common cause for the
"buckling' Of steel rims and the crack
Ing of wooden ones is loose spokes.
Spokes become loose without apparent
cause. Steel and wood may be never so
well treated in manufacture, but they
cannot be made entirely insensible TO
natural laws. The best of material in
wheel will shrink and expand under
changes of weather. Again, steel spokes
even those made of hardest plano wire
and cold swaged," which means drawn
out from the center and, buttened, will
stretch, and will with usage wear into
wood rims where they are fastened.
When these things happen and spokes
are slack of their proper tension wheel
is out of true. After the recent changes
of weather every rider should so over
his spokes. testing their tension with his
fingers. good way is TO snap them as
you would harp strings, and notice
whether they give notes of the same
key, or nearly the same. Especially Is
such attention required on the part OK
those who keep their machines In
warm room at home and let them stand
In disuse for weeks at time.
Truing up wheel by Tightening the
spokes Is piece of fine work, which, as
rule, should be given to a master
nand. For those of mechanical bent,
VINO are willing to give the care and
patience. and prefer doing II themselves.
II Is advised that they proceed very
slowly. After drawing UP the spoke,
which seems necessary, by turning the
nipple at the rim, try the wheel again,
ana so go on, retesting the wheel after
Tightening each spoke that is indicated
by the pencil markings. Tighten very
little at a time. Usually half or three
quarter turn of the nipple is about all
II is safe to give. The nipples of some
wheels are made with fiat sides, OF
shoulders, so that small wrench or a
pair of pliers can be used for tightening.
Where this Is not the case, a clamp or
Key specially made to fit the nipple
can be bought of the maker.
Something that Is not taught In
bicycle schools, and which comparatively
few riders have learned to use, Is the
ankle motion. 1t is employed by Keep
ing only the toes and ball of the foot
on the pedal, bending the foot at the in
step with every revolution, and follow
ing the pedal around. so as to keep a
constant pressure on II. The pressure
will not be even in every position, but II
should be sufficient to help lift the pedal
through its backward motion from the
bottom to the top of its periphery. BY
using this ankle motion the muscles In
the calves will get more exercise, and
the muscles of the thighs will be re-
lieved.
A pump that wheezes and does not
work properly has washer on the pis-
ton that is dried up or worn out. I'm
screw the top of the pump, and put
enough oil on the leather washer to !
swell ii.
1t pays to invest in q foot pump for
home use, but on the road the small
hand pumps are most convenient
Experienced repairers say that the !
majority of the jobs brought to them
can be attributed to the fact that the
owner has been riding with tires not |
inflated. A heavy rider should |
have much more air in his tires than a
lighter man, because the former causes
them to flatten more when riding. Tires
very hard are less likely to
than those which present a
broad, soft surface of contact with the
because of being only partially
inflated. In wet weather, cyclists
should have much more care where
they ride than in dry weather Rubber
cuts much easier when wet, and rainy
day punctures are plentiful.-New York
Times.