Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-06-16
BICYCLING IN THE rYRoL
Even the Mounsalnesrs Have Caught the

Even the Mountalnesrs Have Caught the
Fever.
Pete Daley and his merry men anc
Colonel George E. Waring. Jr.. com.
missioner of street cleaning in New
lerk City, made bicycle tour through
the Tyrol last summer. Colonel War
ing has written for The Century two
stories descriptive Of his experiences
In Tue second one, bicycling Through
the Dolomites," Colonel Waring says:
We found that the bicycle fever hae
reached even to our landlord who was
experimenting with an iron-rimmec
wheel over which the SADDLE was sup
ported by a pair Of elliptic springs
L. tried it, and said 1t went very
well. though not 80 soft as the "pneu.'
! lifted 1t, and did not care to go fur
ther. told him it was too heavy. He
said, "Mawknix; muss starker sein'
That's nothing; you must bt
stronger). Probably the extra weight
Of this wheel would not be considered
in fixing the load that a Tyrolese peas.
ant would carry over the hills from
the fields, and need not be regarded
as an obstruction to sport. The wheels
here are all much heavier than ours
and much stronger. They can be SENT
up hill by the tougher thews that grow
in this land, and for safety in gDins
down hill they have very effective
brakes. The best brake has two places
of rubber, and about two and hall
inches long and three-quarlers OF an
inch square, which are held fiat against
the two quarters of the tire. 1t holds
very firmly, and its friction does NOT
come on the part that is subject to the
greatest wear. 1t is used, not with a
steady pressure, but with successive
light squeezes. When one becomes ac-
customed to it, it gives excellent con-
troll to any degree desired-even to
holding the machine stockstill under
any lead and on any grade. Even the
usual fat brake has a rubber face
which holds better AMI lasts longer
than metal. My American brakes
were mot in 1t" on these hills, as COM
pared with those local wheels which
rode.
.4..e use of the brake is exacted by
law in all towns, and 1t is almost uni
yersal on country roads; so Is the fur
nishing Of the. wheel with bell, but
the better riders in Innsbruck do not
use it in. the city streets. They, say
they can make their way safely at q
moderate speed, if the people keep on
their way, while If they are disturbed
and made nervous by bicycle bell,
they are liable to make some unex-
pected movement that may lead to a
collision. / remember case Of r1u-
tual lodging at street crossing in
New York, between myself and a L!dy
whom my bell had startled, which
came near being annoying. Perhaps
the custom in Paris of hanging little
sleigh bell loosely from the handle bar
is safer. It jingles all the time, sor,e-
what to the annoyance of the rider;
but it has faint horse car suggestion
which keeps the public on the lookout.
Nowhere in Europe did see the brutal
Quadrupedal "scorching" that is such
a nuisance and such danger with us.
Another device 1 found to be in very
general use in Tyrol. This is snap
clip for holding the front wheel in
line with the machine, so that 1t may
be stood against tree or any other
support without. falling. 1t is useful
in pushing up hill with the hand on
the saddle. The direction is changed
by lifting the hind wheel to right or
left. The clip is set or released in
moment. -. =
AS we left our lunching place we
found the young towheads o.. the farm
standing in mute and respectful w.,n-
dsrment about our wheels. We give
them bit Of a ride. two ut time,
and left them enriched with the men-
ory Of sensation they had never be-
fore known, and will neyei. repeat
and never will forget.