The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-10
BICYCLES OF 1897.
SORE Nc rs IN IHE MgCHANIsM
BUr LITTLE IN PRICE

Chat-iess wheels sttii the Msehines OF the
Ystsrr. Aithepgh the Pope. VIII Ex-
sibit = Fsw OF Thsn. s.a the Howard
o sevei Gear IL In the Market New
Thi.g. ut the Cycle show Nsxt Moatb.
lar, that very large number OF persons who are
bicycle riderJ or expect TO become such arc
anIiously inauirins. Whist Is to be the bicycle
Of this new year. Until the Cycle show opens
at the Grand Central Pel.ce st Lexington eve
nue. and Forty-fourth street on Feb. 0. there
will be 10 means open TO the public to get a
comprehensive knowledge OF tho entire range
Of changes IN styles and devices which the
cycle makers will offer for this year: nor IL II
possible for the most industrious frequenter
Of cycis shops and agencies 70 get such infor-
nation as yet. for there are still many makers
vho have not put their 'D7 machine on view.
aud mono has got out tho new years. ,atn-
logus. A few makers. however. have pat
forth small advance catalogues for the infor-
nation Of their agents.
Under such circumstances interest IL CEN
tired on tho recognized leaders among the
manufacturers for II any radical changes arc
70 be adopted these makers should DO the ones
70 show the way. No such change, appear in
any Of the OF models which are on sight 90
far. nor are any indicated by tho announce
msnts Of any maker. II there are any revo-
lutiouary designs In hand. they have been de-
.vsloped BY minor makers. ana arc likely w
come 10 liRht at the Cycle Show.
Intense Interest has been aroused among b.
cyclists By reports that a number OF leading
makers were preparing to put chAinless wheels
on tho market. A considerable numhcr OF
such wheels were shown recently at the stan
leY Cycle Show In London. Some OF these
uera claartv rrapk proInrtinna r-hIrh rnrII
never <ain q foothold In actual use. while
most Of them were OF the b.vel gear variety.
II seems safe TO Say nos that the American
wheel makers, with but one or two exceptions.
VIII devote themselves. Tor the coming year.
at least TO making as good wheels as they
know now 10 make on the old lines. ana that
those who are aboutto put out chainless wheels
Will make the experiment very cautiously.
Besides the Howard bevel gear wheel. which
was introd uced about q year ago. there Is not
. single chainless wheel now known In the
trade. and not one Is announced Officially as
forthcoming by any established maker. IL
has been known. however. that for a long time
the Pope Mauufacturing Company, the makers
OF the Columbia and Hartford wheels. have
been getting ready 70 make o chainless wheel.
and that The spaldings also had taken out a
license to manufacture under tho same gen
eral patents. IL Ia now understood that tho
spaiinss VIII not be able to put n chainless
wheel on the market this year. and that the
Pope MANUFACTURING Company has notified It's
agents that tho production OF chainloss wheels
viii be very small this season.
The Popo wheel Will be o! the oevel gear va
riety. ana II 10 expected To make Its first pub
lie Appearances At the Cycle Show next month.
NO price Tor IL has yet been announced, but IL
is understood that II Will 20 $3.50. The How
ard whcel sells Tor eloo. ana II VIII remain at
the same price TOT 1877 ana VIII be made In
the same style rs the no model. exceDt that ~
IL 70 be proyided with n nav crank HANGAR
.~. -- ~ ~
ooA'ins aolus''"s oe'ice. inns VIII DO SO ar
ranged that by pressing down on q thumbpiece
NJ the ton Of tho hanger frame and tnrnIng tho
49,. 80. - ,,.. ,.."a.ss
.ie"A' 's"io ''mo' tuo cohes may De
frightened or loosened At Will. without the use
Of any tool; they are locked In place "A soon NJ,
-,
INC 'uu"opiece 10 reioased.
a. Taking o general view OF the characteristics
of tho '97 wheels OF tho leading makers one
end. ,h., ~, n.L.r..u... 4.
INV maAefs @e'eo III an ehort 10 maih-
tain the standard prices OF last year. while
Humber has announced an advance of 81. and
,h., ,horo 4. ,.nd.,nv, 49,, ,h.u.-"N
."as % .e"uene' 'o"aIu 'heuse larger
tnoin2 Tor the frames. anu OF flush joints. The
Columbia, the Victor. and tho Crescent mSker.
al .nnourc. ,,,, ,b.v wuI 49,. 80. ,,nt.s
nv vac WI. ''o i"fEer 'uoihs
than that In last years model. The Victor and
the Spaldirg will also mike change, in the form
n, .on. n, ,,.,r 800. Tn 49,. =. -
y. eo"o 'hei irames' IN the case OF the
victor. there was complaint. the makers say.
that the top u the fraI.e was too short. I'm Tn,
,tandard pI,ncb frame nh. hos 49, .,.na.s
.'"husiu fi"'n rahe 'h's mas peeh changed
by making the Top bar one Inch longer than IL
was In 30. This change gives n different shape
n, ~. .,..rtro h..d h,, q. NO, ..--|,
" ~ ''oe'inS hea"' ou' 10 hot permitted 10
alter the hang OF tie front wheel, which was
believed to make the Victor an unusually e,rv
m.,,,n. ,o.,..r -
m@1hino 'oo'oo'' i"'he he" Hioue' thh Iorks OF
the wheel are bent u a new curve. which still
leaves the steering head pointing ,xactly m rho
place where the front wheel tire .trises lie
Gound. In the spnIdinp Inc change in form ~
10 make the tor bar OF the diamond rpn
parallel with the ground instead Of dion,na
toward the rear, and in makinr the haIpIis
OF the lrane Tor mems wheel, 80 u 'anSI 30
incb instead OF 20. w. and ni inch iHa ~, la
dency toward putting on higher rsir is .bown
In the Hunter, tne CrrscenI nnd th. said
ing. The normal Gear ON m, trsi w. n .n.J
will be 20 inches and ~ Inches on tie SnaIt,
ing, with an option OF other rrars Lverv nn.
knows that the higher gear - NOR. s,,.,, ~
upon good level roads. hut IN "a nn,rrn,
supposed thar n low GEAR ,vnnld n. rs,
worse conditions. but a. rino tsc i,st
many ridors nave berom. conyinred ,,,.,' H..
higher GEAR did NOT INV, in nya ,ica ,ma NV
oreticai is,dyantnv. in Siiir =. 49, ~ tne-
80 sshh w olIl