New-York tribune., 1896-09-28
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
THE OCEAN PARKWAY PATHS.

One OF the advantages Of the provision OF 'he
.u.o cvc,e maths along the Ocean Parkway is
,ho, r,dars on them have no occasion to look out
,or other riders coming toward them. THIS aouS
annr.ciablv TO the pleasure of riding Even
,vben the paths are crowded one has only 10 pe
careful as TO people going in the same direc'ioh
whether he wishes TO pass them or the! WISH ~
pass him. AS a general thing, the RUE Is "e',
enforced that riders going toward the iS'a"N
shall take the western path. ana those lii's
in the other direction the eastern fiehce ~,
ordinary circumstances there is no fneeuhe anu
when the number Of riders Is not large, one so
inclined can look about him with far grea'ei
case than is possible on road Where he Ia, nas
constantly 10 keep one eye out In 'front.'. me
disadvantage of having the two paths so rar
apart is that may easily pass lrehu i vi,
the other path and fail to see him. whlch "VuIu
NOT be the case il the two paths were close
neighbors The crowds that flock to these pains
on days when many riders are able to be our
show that provision was made none 100 soon Ior
the construction of the second pain
One Of the novelties to be put on the market
next wear is tire made Of sole leather That is
10 saw the outside or wearing surface is made OF
this sort of leather. and there is an inner tube
of rubber to hold the air. A company has peen
Sorned in this city for the manufacture of these
tires, and it is asserted that an order Tor -o"o
Of them has been received. The advantages
claimed for them are that they cannot be easily
punctured. they al" less liable than rubber tires
10 slip and that II is practically imposslp,e 10
wear them out. \ pair of the tires nave Deeil
tested for several months on a tandem that mas
been subjected 10 the hardest kind OF rdhg'
and 1t is reported that they have stood up well
1t is not affirmed that II Is Impossible Tor
the leather tires to be punctured If they come
sn contact with the sharp end OF tack Wheii
going at high speed. for example but II Is salu
that punctures will he infrequent and not very
troublesome.
sort will be observed with interest by wheelmen.
who are all anxious 10 find tire that Is nara
10 puncture, and at the same time elastic ana
'lively."
The experiments with sO-called 'puncture-
Orcof" tires for the last year or more have not
been remarkably successful. One OF the schemes
evolved was TO Introduce layer of cork be-
tween two folds Of rubber but that seems TO
have been found impracticable and has been
abandoned. Another WAS the placing or thln
LAYERS OF steel within the rubber. but experience.
at least in some cases showed that the rubber
easily gave way under the pressure or the steer
plates The manufacturers of regular tires thls
wear have profted by the mistakes OF last year
when many tires were made tCo llght ana were
the cause Of much trouble. and there nave peen
by no means so many complaints as there VIZ
a year ago With the proper manipulation OF
the fabric" and the rubber II Is possible 10
make rubber tiS,s that will stand vast aihoull.
of hard usage while in case OF punc'ure '"eS
II seems to be settled that there will be an
bther chaness wheel put on the American mar
ket next wear by a firm Of high reputation. Bu'
1t will be a special, not a regular wheel Inc
regular wheel of this concern VIII continue 10
have a chain. A bicycle expert points out 'ha'
with a chainess wheel 1t is necessary 10 nave
AN extraordnarily rigid frame so as to Keep the
Uogs adjusted in their proper places ana prevent
them from binding or getting too loose 10 WORN
ms they should This makes 1t needful 10 use
n heavier frame than Americans are a'customeu
TO ard prefer Chainless wheels have been com
Oaratvely successful abroad because peoplH
There do not object bicycles Weighing from
thirty-fve to forty pornds-a weight ihat W. ho
be impossible here In TINS eNper' vp',"n aiust
nuestiCn to be settled is whether the adJuSt
anent of the cogs can be maintained win ~, V
cycle of twenty-three or twenty-four pou''us
weight.
II is unfortunate in the extreme that so goou
/. road as the Hudson County Boulevard should
aecome seriously damaged so soon aitef ''s
comrletion 1t is less than year since TINS roau
WAS opened to use all the way, but ALREADY there
sre signs that 1t is falling into bad eonoitioh
here and there. The trouble seems 10 De due
In the main to the inadequacy OF the sewers
which do not drain off the water after rams
and the neglect of the proper authorizes u
make repairs promptly anu ehcie"''''
established maxim in countries where macadam
roads are maintained in good condition that 'he
,ouas. dafoct nnust he looked after immediate
ly or else II will soon become large one anu anu
he dificult to mend. In this country tha' res res
ron IL vet TO be learned or at least IL mas peeii
only incompetely learned. Eternal vigilance
IS the only safe rule. and men should De KEEP.
constantly on the lookout for breaks anu repa.a n
them as soon as discovered. 1t Is an immense
waste Of money to build good road ana 'heh
allow IL to fall into dilapidated state.
The Cyclists Protective League has just oeen
organized of which A G. Batchelder Is the PREF
dent 1t is proposed to erect bins IN conVehie''
places within fifty miles OF this city, vince pi-
r,.cos ca he stored II Is also proposed 10 insure
. wheels, to repair them. and to furnish otheI
wheels when the owners bicycle mas pee" '7''
9or repairs.
ROOM FOR A. CRESSY MORRlSON'
s,r,cv nrcxEy DrAD-W II. WEBSTER ON The