The record-union., 1896-07-19

| this time on would not prove the sine
cure generally imagined, has been
l'singularly verified. 1t is conceded by
conservative judges that bicycle manu-
featuring has been overdone. AS a re-
suit of the enormous production every
conceivable expedient is being at
I'tempted by disappointed manufacture
ers to unload their surplus stock, and
| one Western concern was forced last
| week to sell its machines in New York
at public auction, the prices realized in
| the majority of cases being about one
| third list prices.
| The bicycle record for an hour has
been beaten again, a Welsh professional
rider having covered the almost in
credible distance of 81 miles and yards
| III just sixty minutes. That means an
average speed for the entire distance
equal to a little more than / minute and
56 seconds to the mile. The best pre-
vious record for the same period was
about 200 yards over a mile.
/ These are wonderful figures. They
J show a sustained speed much greater
| than the best ever reached by any trot-
ting horse for single mile. No PAGER
|
| tanned for 81 miles by Linton, the young
| Welsh bicyclist, if the horse were mere
l. crowded to his utmost for a quarter
| OF mile. Moreover it is not long since
| the fastest quarter ever ridden by any
man on bicycle was slower than the
average Of every one of the 124 quarters
which Linton rode when he made this
unparalleled demonstration of what a
wheelman might do.
| Nowadays the world may easily be
| divided into people who wheel and peo-
| pie who do not, and the former class
/ seem to hold the balance of power pos
sessing as they do the solidarity due to
this single enthusiasm. The bicycle has
| become a power in economics and poll
tics. In several localities the local BIZ
cycle associations have decided that
owners Of wheels ought to be generally
taxed 81 head for the sake of obtain
ing better cycling roads, and forthwith
the legislative powers bowed before
them. In the New York City streets
! sprinkling- carts made uncomfortable
riding, and an ordinance was at once OBJ
| tained obliging the water-cart drivers
to leave a strip Of unsprinkled asphalt
| three feet wide next to each curbing.
Legislators are busy with expert testi-
| mony on the question of the danger of
carrying small children on bicycle han
| dle-bars. The League of American
| Wheelmen is an institution which any
| Presidential candidate would be loath
to offend.
! Always pass an approaching wheel
man or vehicle on your right hand side
of the street, and anything going in the
same direction as yourself, on the left
] hand.
Ring your bell when approaching
| from behind.
| When escorting a woman, ride on her
| left, in order that you may have your
right ready to assist her. The position
to the left also places you between the
woman and any possible danger that
may arise from passing vehicles.
When escorting a woman should you
| come up behind vehicle at such a time
tht you will be forced to pass between it
and another team approaching, take the
lead and make passage for her to go
| through.
| Always dismount when you cannot
pass a point without risk to yourself or
to someone else 1t is better thus to
avoid a collision than to take chances in
| lodging or scorching through
|
| Baby carriers on bicycles have been
roundly condemned by the press since
| the introduction of these contrivances.
1t is no uncommon sight to witness a
proud father whirling swiftly over the
| a er7f< rr-if n i.,fo
'clasped in the embrace of the deadly
| carrier" Chances of catastrophe are
so great in the crowded streets of the
great cities these days that it is almost
| incomprehensible how this practice has
| continued. In collision Of any charac-
ter it is almost impossible for the rider
to protect the child, who is certain to be
| injured. Even a slip on slippery pave
ment is sufficient TO mann the child for
life, if not crush out its life entirely, and
| therefore judicious legislation on this
point would be eminently satisfactory
to the majority of the people, wheelmen
and the general public The practice has
already been abolished in several large
Giles.
Just now there seems to be discus
/ III
| a good bicycle. The estimates of the
| outsiders is anywhere from SO to $50.
| IN talking with two different men, inter-
ested in different wheel concerns, one
| said that he could turn out wheels of a
| high grade at as low price as S25. The
other claimed that his firm could not
make wheels for less than $50. There
you are; you pay your money and take
| your choice. 1t is said that the big
| small makers. and in fact many of the
comes to $40 for each wheel. Most of the
small makers and in fact many of the
pretentious ones, buy nearly all the
small parts of the wheels ready made.
| The making of the frame and the put
ting of the parts together constitutes the
| main cost.
krafts, the Bay City wheelman, is a
wonderful rider. This fact was demon
strated Sunday. But a. little incident
will certainly make his powers of endur-
| ance still more remarkable After rid
ing the long distance at whirlwind
clip his friends naturally rushed up to
him to assist him from his wheel and
rub him down, as is the custom. The
Bay City boy wouldn't allow them to
| touch his wheel. Hands off, he said.
| when they approached. II am going to
take spin down the road a couple of
miles and cool off,
Early in the present outburst of eye
ling enthusiasm it was thought by
many that old clothes were good enough