The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
GREAT RUSH FOR BRAKES.
DEALERS UNABLE TO
SUPPLY THE DEMAND.

IN hNNNN W - AANA - -
indications That Anti-nrnhe Mon Arc BEING
Converted Rapidly from Thoir Old Ways.
II the sale Of wheels had stopped entirely in
tho last two weeks probably many OF tho bicycle
denlurs In this city would have boon kept busy,
owing 20 the fact that whoclmon and whoel.
women, old, young, and middle-aged, have
swooped down upon them pers!stcntly In quest
Of brakes. The demand for the brake has boon
30 great that some dealers soy they have been
utterly unable to supply the wants OF
their customers 10 this respect. A rider
desiring q brake naturally applies for
ono where he purchased his wheel. 1t
often happens, though, that the request Is
answered by tho sellers assertion that he has
no brakes OF the sort wanted, or that he might
be able to furnish one In q week or ten days.
The buyer OF o wheel is told usually that n brake
is unnecessary. but can be had easily enough oil
application, should he dcclde later that he wants
one. But many cyclists have regretted that
they didn't insist on having brakes on their
wheels before taking them rom the store.
Failure to get u brake promptly on request Is
not tho only unpleasant feature Of buying n
brakelcss bicycle. Instances arc common whore
brakes have been sought for two or three weeks
after the wheel wcs purchased. and it's owner
informed at tho place where tho machine WINS
bought that the only thing 10 do was TO have 1t
htLtu . " hhiiNh ot0SS eotSNbah Aaseo "
with some new.fangled braking device totally
unknown to the customer. Either brake would
cost "a or SIS. Wheelmen complain that this is
an unreasonably high price for a simple foot or
hand brake, and when asked to pay 1t the Gus
toner Is very apt to turn away dissatisfied and
try another store. When he has made half a
dozen unsuccessful attempts to procure q brake
at q fair price no is likely to despair and con-
clude TO do without the article. A wheelman
who passed most Of last week in search of COM
mon hand brakes for two wheels Of q popular
mako had this experiences:
81 have come back to have you put on a brake
for me" he said to the dealer who sold him one
of the wheels.
"A brake! Why, we haven't any brakes"
was the reply. I'VE never keep them"
But you promised when I took tho wheel
that you would fit one on at any time for $3.50
il l would bring the machine here"
"Oh. well. we have no brakes; you will have
to go somewhere else for them. Try So-nnd-so:
he may have what YOU want"
The manager OF the place referred to said:
"A brakoi We had one a few days ago that
might have suited your wheel. but at present
there isn't such a thing in tho store"
where do you think I could get ono T.
go to IS on the Boulevard; perhaps he
has got one
At that store the wheelman's chance of success
seemed to be better.
Certainly, We can furnish you with a brake"
said the proprietor. We have two styles. One
is a foot and the other an dir brake. Which
would you prefer =
"Have you no hand brak esi' inquired the
wheelman.
Hand brakes are out of date. We used to
have them. but don't handle them any more.
This foot brake is much better. and our air brake
can't be beat"
"what is the price of those brakesi
This one pointing to the foot dcvicel Is O..
and tho air brake is $3.50"
Hopeful Of yet securing a brake without pay
ing what he believed to be five times its actual
cost, the cyclist still persevcred. At a large BIZ
cycle store in another part OF the city his request
was met thus:
TO put u brake on your wheel it will be ne
cessary to bore u hole through the steering
head; then we would have to put on a stee,
band and a clamp to make it firm. II would
take some time TO do that, and II would be worth
So: We couldn't do !, for less than that"
At several other places visited by the wheel.
man no better result was had. and. acting upon
the advice OF friends who had also been disap-
agreeable, the wheelman abandoned the search.
A Sun reporter on Investigation found tina
instances like that described above were by no
means exceptional. and ii needed but little in
9uiry to show that, next TO, an alIround salts
ate price is oftentimcs the most difficult thing to
find for n bicycle. In fact. tho bicycle dealers
say as much: The reporter who called upon one
1T is as il n law had been passed requiring
every ~bicyclist, to carry a brake. In the last
week or two riders have called here at the rate
OF n dozen a day TO have brakes put on their
wheels. and haven't been able to serve a quarter
of them. We intend to keep u few brakes in
supply three days ago and We find 1t hard work
TO get any more. without giving the order sew
eral days in advance. Only yesterday | tried to
get two brakes for n customer and couldn't
Not only IL there n scarcity of them in the mar
bat bAt thAt. ri, hnn- hAar taa A,1, I.
regular bicycle houses; and if | wero obliged tC
buy a brake to-day. l would have TO pay u fancy
1.-THE fact is. blcyclistc. malo and female. have
come 10 realize the actual need OF having theil
wheels equipped with q device that will insure
safety at all times and under all circumstances
They have discovered that in collisions bctwcci
wagons and bicycles the formgr. usually come
out on top, and they are not willing to take thu
chance or being brought home with n spraincC
wrist or a broken collar bone. 1t is a wonder t.
me that the, accidents to cyclists, particular,
show VI a large mum number n, Of riders hay v
to r strict, their privileges and lesser
their fun; such an idea is absurd. The ride
who employs n brake is always safer from dan
ger to himself and is less to ho feared by pcdes
TRANS than u rider who doesn't employ one
Back pcGalling. ever for n person who under
stands it and is muscular and cvcrlastingly oi
the alert, Il, under any conditions, Z less ctfcc
a poW @as II b StSEeinTT That p, sSn be ,o oper at sa'6S BY am
one able TO- ride at all. and the law should com
pol its use.
In accounting for the sudden conversion Of s.
many brakcicss wheclmcn, an expert rider said
Cyclists whose rides are confined to smootI
asphalt pavcincnts are naturally slow to apprt
ciatc one OF the great n advantages of q brake
namely. that OF being ablO to control II whcC
going. nown hill. II, when descending u hig
hill, the rider can regulate his speed only b
back pednliing. tho performance Is always tire
some rs well rs dangerous. liicyclists in thi
city are more experienced now than they wcr
Inst year.; they have taken rides outside OF til
city, end tho need of a helpful appliance IL fcl
by them. Besides. practice has taught thci
that the original purpose OF back pedal ing wa
merely TO assist tho brake. not to s%upplnnt i
When the trio Is wot. for example. the, power 9
, n brake Is reduced and the ability I
back pedal Is an additional assurance {
safety. Tho silly notions. too, that n brak
is useless on level stretches and that It's sudde
appliance may throw the rider over his handl
bar are almost dispclled THE SUN has rendered
great service to whcelmen and whcclwomun b
showing that throo-iourths of the accidents thu
, occurred in tho city during April md May woul
probably never have happened if thocyclists ha
had brakes. Tho mad rush for brakes that III
been going on in the last few weeks IL q sui
sign that cyclists have been reused TO the dang,
!, OF riding brakclcss wheels, and before tho sun
u MGR Is over tho old plea of the anti.brakc ma