The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-01-30
TRIBUNE TANDEM.
First Bicycle Built for Two
Introduced Into the Islands.
JANUARY %, 1896.


This is bicycle week with
us, and as usual we are to
the front with the latest in
wheels. The Australia
brought Us a consignment of
10 Tribune bicycles with the
latest Improvements. Among
them was a tandem. the
first bicycle of the kind
brought to the islands. 1t
was ridden about town yes
terday and created a great
deal of attention and favor
able comment. AS a result
our store was crowded dur
ing the day with persons
interested in cycling. We
received four wheels for
ladies, and these cannot be
excelled in workmanship and
finish.
The Scientific American of
January 4th contains a page
write-up of the Black Bicy-
Gle Manufacturing Company |
and their product--TribuneI
wheels. This paper does
not give advertising puffs,
but describes manufactures
on their merits. =: = :
The factory and works of
the Black Manufacturing
Company, of Erie, Pa. was
selected by the paper as a
representative company
produce the highest
of wheel and which put
it on the market purely on
its own merits without the
adventurous advertisement
of paid riders.
''The wheel made by this company, the
Tribune bicycle, embodies the best posi-
bic practice and is correSpondingly free
from structural variations of improved
merit. The tubings, whose walls are of
20 gage thickness, is of American make,
the company having found that English
tubing could not be obtained of sufficiently
even quality. At the functions of the
tubes forged connections are employed"
he st ,ndard finish of the machine is
black enamel and nickel plate. The en-
amel is pu: on in four coats, two of IndiaI
rubber enamel and two polishing coats,
the frame being rubbed down with rotten
stone between the applications. This
gives the finish equal to that of piano
body. All nickel plated parts are first
copper plated. This prevents water or
moisture getting rnder the nickel and
rusting the steel and thereby causing a
separation of the coating.
The aim Of the constructor of this
typical American wheel has been to secure
simplicity and produce an absolutely
standard article. It's criterion is its quail
ity pure and simple. There are, however, s
some novelties introduced that are especi !
ally worthy of illustration. One of these '
affects the crank and crank shaft mechan
ism, the crank being secured to the shaft in T.,
a new way. V-Shaped teeth are formed upon ,
the crank shaft and upon the aperture in
the pedal arm. MS aperture IN the
pedal arm is split and provided with
tightening screw. To attach the crank l
arm to the shaft, it is thrust over the end
of the shaft and the tightening screw is
turned up, when it is secured as rigidIy as
if all were one piece of metal.
1.-The handle bar is made adjustable by
an arrangement of equal simplicity and
efficiency. By reversing the handle bars
they can be used in up-turned or down
turned position.
"The sprocket wheels are cut to the :
-yclodal or theoretically correct curve, I
which avoids all friction of the chain
against the teeth. This has long been the
speciality of the Black Manufacturing r
company.
1--WE also illustrate the system of truing
Up the wheel. Each wheel is mounted on
gaging frame, and the workman, by
setting up and loOsening the nipples,
brings the rim into an absolutely perfect =
blame. The steering arrangements of the
andem machine deserves attention
,prockets are carried by the front and rear
teering posts, and these sprockets are
Connected by chains and rods so as to in
ure unity of steering action between the
ront and rear handle bars"