The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-17

There is no doubt that wooden han
die bars viii be used in many of the 9
wheels, but it viii be a long time be
fore the ones of steel are entirely su
perseded.
The point of superiority claimed TO
the wooden bar is that on account o
its yielding properties it causes les,
vibration to be felt in the hands anC
arms of the rider than the more rigiC
steel bar. 1t can be made Just q:
strong as the latter, and, of course
there is not the trouble of keeping i
polished. and there is. besides. no dan.
ger of rust, etc With all these ad.
vantages, however, the nickeled han.
die bar viii not disappear Many pre-
fer the rightly of the metal and ad.
mire the appearance it gives TO the
bicycle.
There viii not be any materia
change in the shapes of handle bars
/ this season. All the high grade wheels
viii have adjustable bars. so that the
suits him, and then fix the bar in thai
position. There viii be fewer down
turned handles, most riders realizing
that a position of the bar that com
pels one to stOOp over is not by any
means a comfortable one. The Width
Of the bars viii be about II to /.
inches.
and new shapes invented, some Will
two sets of grips, but their utility has
yet to be tested. There is quite va
riety Of new grips this year. One
called a spring ven lated grip is COM
posed of a high grade tempered stee
spring. and the claims made for it are
resiliency, ventilation. dura bility, fine
appearance and ease of attachment
They are heavily nickel plated and car
L a a 7
made by means Of a round head nickel
plated screw passing through the cen
ter End Of the grin into a wooden plug
driven into the end of the handle bar
and in the case of a wood bar, into the
bar itself.
Then there is a pneumatic grip which
is said to prevent numbness of fingers
lame wrists and arms. stop vibration
and is adjustable TO all styles of bars.
One grip is covered with braided cane.
It is comfortable, cool, clean and
elastic and has a tendency to minimize
vibration. 1t is stronger than cork
and wears well. There is also a fiber
buckskin grip which possesses great
absorbent qualities, and is light, tough
and strong.
There are grips. too, of pearl, of
wood and pearl. gold and silver plated
grips and styles various enough to suit
every conceivable taste. By the time
the cycle show opens there will be
many added TO these, and handle bars
and grips will be shown in endless
variety.
The newest brake is a novelty in its
line, as it is also fitted with a coaster
attachment. When moving forward
the clutch or hook of lever slips
smoothly over lower reach of chain,
but when the motion of chain is re-
versed. as in back pedaling, the clutch
grips the first link of chain. and by
means Of lever draws a friction band
tightly about drum of hub. By means
Of a roller ratchet applied to sprocket,
the sprocket can be disengaged from
hub at pleasure by simply holding the
feet at rest en- the pedals; the chain,
sprOcket and pedals remaining sta
tionary, while the wheel remains free
TO run. When cOasting in this man
ner slight reverse motion of pedals
applies the brakes.
The chain VIII be used in -tenths
Of the bikes. Notwithstanding the
amount of talk regarding changes in
the driving mechanism.
In the matter of freak bikes, the
number of inventions is something gil
gantic, but it is not possible to give
detailed descriptions of them without
consuming columns of space.
NELSON ROBERTS.