The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-03
Gil The WHEEL IN FRANCE.
HOW RIDERS CAN TRAVEL OVER
THE FRENCH ROADS.

THE FRENCH ROADS.
They Are, Indeed, Observation-Disclosures
as Well as Steamboats, Carry the Bicy-
cles Free-L. A. w. Cards Will Save
Duty-Cyclers of Paris and Where
They Assemble-Some Useful Hints
y wheeiman just returned from trip
awheel through France has this to say rs
| to touring in that republic:
con entering France, if the custom
officers can be convinced that you are
| tourist or only intend making n short
stay, no duty is required ,on your wheel.
| A return ticket or II badge of member
| ship in some foreign club, such rs the
| Lengue of American Wheelmen, Is con-
sidered sufficient evidence to pass bicy
| Gle. If, however, duty is paid, receipt
is given, and on presentation of this, re-
turn Of the money will be made at any
port of departure.
"In France wheels are required to be
| equipped with plate, giving the name
| and address of the rider. A lamp and
bell must also be carried, but the police
are good deal like our own guardians of
| the peace in that they do not enforce the
! law to its letter.
| "French railroads, as we'll as steam
| boats on the river Seine carry bicycles
| without charge, excepting a fee of two
| cents, which is asked for the paper check
| which marks the destination.
"To make Il tour through the country
| comfortably ono should become Il men,
Der of the Touring Club of France. In
| PRODUCTION to this club may be secured
| throgh your bankers, and only small
membership fee is charged.
"The roads in France, especially the
national routes, are simply wonderful.
| The stone composing the road beds disin-
| tegrates enough to make the surface very
| smooth, and one may ride for miles with
| out Il single rough spot to mar the pleas
| ure of his journey.
1.-The Chalet de Cycle is a great resort
| for the cyclists of Paris At IL in the
morning it's grounds are full OF devotees
| of the wheel, who sit ut small tables and
sip Il variety Of colored beverages, while
a band of Enthusiastically dressed musicians
| play lively airs in an adjoining arbor
Such n collection of women in kncker-
bockers one must go to Paris to see The
] men dress even more than the women,
| wearing ear-lifting collars, colored shirts,
| striking cravats, patent leather shoes,
and white kid gloves. Fancy aride of a
dozen miles in such a costume as that on
| a hot day. And the women in their
| knickerbockers!
anyone intending "A tour In France
| should take with him an extra valve or
| two fRr his tires. Those are almost the
| only parts which he would find difficulty
| in replacing"
A to1ring wheelman gives the follow
| ing as his experience with a,chemical
| connection which he allowed sa.dealer to
| inject into his tires, after having been
| assured that the article was assure cure
1 for all the diseases to which 1.-THE pneu-
matte tire is heir to, whether ipuncture,
! rotten rubber or leaky valve. The porous
l tire of the travellers rear wheel had
| already suffered from pnncture. mt some
former time, but. /. good tight plug with
a liberal anaeunt of cement had .made il
as good as new. The next day the rider
resumed his journey One hour after
starting he found his tire fiat. After
| dismounting sand pumping it up he
looked for the pnncture, but was unable
to locate the trmble.
He remOunted, but had ridden hut q
| short distance 1yhen his rim began &c
i strike the ground, showing that there
/ was something radically wrong This
/ time close examination revealed the
l fact that the leak was in the old pune
| tflre, and investigation brought to light
| the TACT that the preparation which had
been injected into the tires contained
/ Large quantities of benzine, and that this
had softened up the cement around the
| old plug, allowing the air to come out
every time pressure was put ON that part
of the tire. A new plug WAS substituted,
but that failed to hold, and after various
| other experiments, all of which proved
equally unavailing, our friend put his
wheel on the train and came home,
where be was informed by the people
from whom he had purchased his wheel
that new tire was the only remedy that
would do any good.
The Wheel gives the following as a
new and easy method for the treatment
| of bicycle chains: Procure a wide
mouthed bottle, holding, say, eight or
twelve ounces, with good cork, put in
n piece, say, four inches long, of paraf-
fine candle and fill up with benzine; in
day or two the benzine will dissolve
the parafline, and ut IL temperature of 70
degrees or over it will remain LIQUID;
take four ounces of CASTLE soap and dis.
solve 1t in hot water and soak for day
| or two: then heat, adding water, if neces-
sary; when dissolved add nm equal ouan-
tity of the finest graphite (measure the
graphite so that it will he about the
same bulk as the soap; when cold, the
mixture will be solid and can be kept
soft enough for using by adding little
water from time to time. Keep in tin
box with tight cover. Next get counle
OF old tooth brushes and one or two ten.
cent nail brushes
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