Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14
SO NE CYCLE CHAT

terest among the local clubs as to the out
CO me Of the team race for the CHI , noi.n-
ship OF the District. The distance will be
one mile. and the teams win be limited to
three men. 80 far there have been four
clubs which have announced their INT m
ton OF being represented In the con; st.
They are the Washington Road Club Ar
hneton wheelmen. Century Cycle Club ard
the Levant Wheeimen. Other clubs are ex-
pected to be heard from before the date Of
the race. the entrance OF the teams being
free. With four teams in the field there
will be three races growing out of the
championship-two trial heats and a final
between the winners OF the heats. IL more
clubs enter the race II will be that much
longer, but all the more interesting
This Is the first time a team race has
been held on the local tracks for the
championship of the District In fact. no
race of the kind has been run OF for a
year or SO. Heretofore the club champion
ship has been fought out on the roads
These races for the club supremacy have
always created considerable interest, from
the time the fight was between the old
Columbia Cycle Club and the Arlington
Wheelmen. down 10 the latter club and he
Washington Road Club. The road cham
plonship now really belongs to the WASH
ington Road Club. which secured the honor
through default, but the club refused TO
accept a championship without contest,
and at meeting held last year decided
that no club could claim the chamDion-
ship without first competing for the honor.
This is the status of affairs at present. and
the coming race will make things all the
more exciting and interesting.
The Quill Club wheelmen, who hold a
two days circuit meet September 4 and Il,
at the Manhattan Beach Track. n. Y,
have offered the largest purse ever known
for single race. The club has put up
purse of 5000 for a two-mle professional
handicap race. the trials of which VIII be
run on the first day OF the meet. and the
semi-finals ard finals the second day. AL
together the club offers So 40 i'm prizes. the
largest sum that has been given at a race
| meet this season. To give the 5000 handi-
cap II was necessary to get special per-
mission from the chairman of the racing
board. and special conditions will govern
the race The winner will secure sl.oa0:
the second man $50: the third 800 and
the fourth so. The entrance fee is SO
Tho balance of the big purse. S6sl is to
be distributed in the trials and semi-finals.
The winners of the trial heats will not re-
ceivc less than 81. while the winners of
the semi-finals will get nothing less than
$50. A special prize OF $50 will be given TO
the scratch rider who wins a heat in bet
ter than the existing two-mie handicap
record on tie date OF the race. After the
close of the first days races the men viii
he rehandicapped for the finals, so as TO
make the sport more close and exciting on
the second day OF the race. The entries
to the race close August 81 and already a
number of cracks have entered. Several
foreign cracks will come over and enter
In hopes of carrying away some OF the
cash.
The other events of The meet consist OF
five amateur races and three professionals.
On the first day the amateur races will
consist Of one-miie open, with prize
values guaranteed of 81. $50 and So: half
mile handicap, with prize values OF 81. SO
ana $40: team pursuit race between greater
New York and New Jersey, teams 10 he
| selected. for special prizes. On the second
a oil xktl Of
qrarter-mile dash, with prize values OF
$50. SO and SO: one-mile handicap with
prize values of So, $40 and $40. and five
mile metropolitan championship. the Amer
| lean Wheelman $3.50 trophy. to the club
whose representative finishes first and
geld. silver and bronze medals value 81.
40 and $40. TO the first three men The
trophy has been won twice by Walter G.
Roome. New Jersey Athletic Club and
must be won three times to become the
property of the club. To he eligible for
| tits race. riders must reside within fifty
miles OF New York city hall The profess
sional events for Saturday alone include
the big handicap trial heats and third of a
mile dash, with cash prizes of $780, So. ST.
and So For Monday. the second day,
there will be a one-mile handicap. with
purses OF $50. 800. $50 and SIS: a half-mile
| handicap, with cash prizes Of $50 So So
and $40. The finals Of the big handicap will
| then be run.
Manager William Gettinger. who has
| CITY, for September "a, went over to PhjIa-
oelpfia last week to secure the attenda nee
OF some Of the crack riders for the occa-
SIGN Tom Cooper filled out an entry blank
| while Bald. Kiser and a number OF tbe
other cracks announced their intention OF
attending the races.
A. W. Sutermeister and John q I.or,n =,
Tiffin. Ohio. are the inventors OF a heel.
tire and saddle made entirely from owl.
10 test the qualities of this latest product
anf fta.-
mn, Ohio, to Nashville, Tenn then bacl 10
Washington, ID. c.
Roila c. Carpenter the professor Of ax
per1mental engineering at Cornell Ini,,ar
SHY. whose knowledge as a mechanical ex-
peri Is well known. and who can be regard
ea as trustworthy, makes the statement
that no better power conyeyer can he
found than the chain which is TODAY In
use on the bicycle This is Interesting es-
peclauy In view of the fact that indica lions
point toward the introduction of chain
less wheel for next season. Prof Car
penter. in communication TO newsnana-
In the town wherein the university is To-
Gated makes the following statements.
Our investigations not entirely conn
pieted at the present time. but il seems
safe to announce that all of the tests indi-
cate that no form of gearing can possibly
equal the best chain for efficiency and lu-
rability. Some of the results of tn. test
may be interesting. and IL may be briefly
stated that the friction with the best chain
varied from one-half 10 three-quarters of 4
per cent. and this result was not only OBJ
tained with a new chain. but was also OBJ
tanned with a chain which had been i'm use
on wheel that had been ridden for more
than 1000 miles by rider weighing near
ly 200 pounds. This would serve TO show
that high-grade chains can be and are
made which do not change their form by
wear an amount sufficient to affect the
friction. Tests were made on a large num-
Der of other chains. and the friction was
found to vary from TO ; per cent depend
ing upon the condition of the chain its
method Of construction and details Of de-
sign. The highest friction We have found.
even In the case of an old chain which did
not fit the sprocket properly, did not cx-
coed 10 per cent. although 1 am willing TO
concede that a considerably higher friction
might in some instances be found
Regarding the OF gears extensive
Investigations have been made from tine
TO time which show the amount of power
lost In friction. The very best recorded re-
suits with spur gearing are very nearly
equal to those obtained with the ordinary
chain when the gearing Is i'm the best con-
dition and working accurately in line and
position. The best kind OF bevel or spiral
gears. a form which must be used in BIZ
cycle work, show about three times the
friction of the spur gears and since two