Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-02-27
S O ne CYCLE CHAT

During the week a communication was
received from Messrs. Louis s. Thomason
and Charles j. Young, formerly two old
Washington cyclists, but now enthusiastic
wheelmen of Chicago, taking exceptions
to an article that was recently published
under this head. The letter is self ex-
planatory, and is as foliows:t
In The Star of Saturday, February g.
we notice article under the caption OF
some Cycle Chat and we take exception
10 a note on mileage of Chicago streets
and advantage to wheelmer. You say. 1t
Is found that the total mileage Of streets
or greater Chicago" is equal to 1.O92.49 of
which i260l are cedar block paving: 80 !
macadam; 30.75 sheet asphalt and $50
block asphalt. If half of this be taken
as suitable for bicycle riding 1t will about
suit and be near correet'y-ss = -.sf9 ssa!
Leaving out the boulevards, the total
mileage of streets Is as follows: Cedar
blocks. 753 10: macadam, 345; asphalt, Al. %
Total mileage of boulevards which are of
an average width of 100 feet and kept in
IA ultless condition, and every mile the very
finest of riding, is 81. Kindly make this
correction for two old WASHINGTON riders
The correction IS slight, and counting
everything the total :nilea ge of the streets
OF chicago would equal l,225.77 or 123 %
miles more than it was given credit for
IN the article in question. 1t is noticeable
that nothing is said regarding the oma1;tv
OF riding afforded by :he streets, which was
Cycle Chat.
me attention of the public has been call
co co 10 annealed tubing over unannealed tub
ing. some wheels manufactured in this
country use this style of tubing while
ctners DO not. The one great advantage of
the former process over the latter is claim
Tu 10 ne IN the assurance of alignment.
ne claim Is boldly put forward that the
frame of bicycle made of anneaIed tuh
ing will invariably return to its original
alignment unless loaded to a fiber stress
llgher than the yield point In any case.
Inc people interested in this process who
are most anxious to get their goods IN tho
market claim that the alignment is assured
by the annealing of the frame They go
down to fine point in the explanation of
the matter 1hey assert that whether or
not an .annealed frame will retain its align
ment Is dubious question and depends
entirely upon the final result of the various
sets IN dlHerent directions which 1t pre-
Vlousiy received from the maximum load
In each one of those particular directions.
The chance is remote that an unannealed
frame will receive or retain alignment"
The White Lot, until recently, was a ia
vorfte stamping grounds for the local
vheelmen The impression prevailed that
the course measured five-eighths of a mile
around and this is true Twice around
equaled one and quarter miles, Eight
circuits completed exactly five miles. while
sixteen circuits made an even ten miles
The rider who Travelled around the ellipse
nfty times. as many did, during the time It
was free to their use, covered thirty-one
and a quarter miles. Where one circui.
was made In two minutes 1t was equivalent
to a mile In 312, while If circuit was
made In 40 1t was equivalent to mile in
2.4O The fastest circuit ever accredited of
being made on the White Lot was made by
Fred. Sims. whose time for the ride was
LIZ tn TX ra3f
for a mile. pretty fast time when 1t was
made. few miles then being made under
the two-minute mark.
There have been any number of inyen-
tons made in the line of the bicycle In
fact. Just at the present time the inven-
whole attention to this matter, and it Is
estimated that fully 50 per cent Of the ap-
plications filed for patents with the gov
eminent relate directly or indirectly to
the bicycle That this IS the case should
not be regarded as strange. Many of the
devices are not patentable,t owing to the
fact that they infringe. on Inventions for
whach patents n;d. have already allowed.
me variety and style OF tie devices for
winch patents are sought is great. and en-
braces every thing now known in bicycle
construction, and lots Of things not known.
TONS ean be doabted aa a tns is
always sanguine. and as he "a the party d.
rectiy interested, there is no reason in the
world %s,,s why any one elsegshonld object:
While the rage at PRESENTS toward the
completion Of an automatic cycle, many
patents having been filed to cover such in
large number of ways, nothing has been
reached that will answer tie purposes of
the general public; Ike the cranks in
search OF perpetual motion, the inventors
are at work in getting a bicycle construct
ed that Will furnish its own motive power,
with minimum of expense and maxi
| mum OF pleasure. It is to be regretted that
many OF the applications filed for patents
embrace only. simple novelties, things
which when placed on wheel look pretty
and attract the eye Of the prospective pur-
chaser. but which are not able to stand
much usage. One Of the most peculiar In
ventions ever issued was that of pneu-
matte hub the inventor Of which hved in
the windy CITY," A pneumatic tube was
while not affecting the natural rigidity Of
the regulation" hub. afforded q" certain
amount Of resiliency that largely reduced
the liability Of puncture 1871
Another crime has been laid ct tho foot