Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-09
OF Interest 10 Blcyclist,,

wheels should be oiled every day are
about equaled In numbers by those
VINO go to the other extreme and only
iuprlcate once month or SO. Many
persons literally soak the bearings
with oil before starting out on a short
run, with the idea in view Of making
the machine run easily. This is some
thing OF mistake The ball bearings
of bicycle are unlike the iournal
bearings OF car wheel. wagon wheel
or the shafts in a manufacturing place.
The Journal bearings are Nat, the point
OK contact virtually covers the whole
bearing. and as a result the friction is
great. To prevent friction an immense
amount of oil is required, and from
this the general run of bicycle riders
get the impression that it is necessary
to Keep the ball bearings deluged with
Oil In order to keep them going easily.
This is mistake. There is a wide diff
ference between the two STYLES tf
bearings and where balls are used the
points of contact are limited Ere
quently drop of oil will answer the
purpose better than If the entire bear
lngs were soaked with grease. Where
the bearings are soaked in oil the
wheel may revOlve easily for a while
only for while. however. Dust and
dirt Will accumulate, the oil will work
out of the cups and the result is a
mass of grit, which prevents the free
working of the balls and renders the
state of affairs as bad as though no oil
at all had been placed in the cup. 1t is
safe to say that had less oil been used
there would be less need Of taking a
wheel to the repair shop so often to
have the bearings cleaned Of grit and
other foreign substances. There has
been more than one instance where the
suit of the rider was damaged throug:,
this cause. The wheel may have been
perfectly clean at the start, only lib
orally oiled. AS the bicycle covered the
ground the oil oozed from the bearings
and dripped out. only to be wiped by
the suit of the rider and make an ugly
stain that could not be removed. Half
the time the rider imagines the wheel
does not run smoothly it is not caused
by lack of oil in the bearings, but
from other causes. Nine times out Of
ten the chain is the cause. If more at
tention were paid to the chain instead
of the bearings the pleasures Of cycle
riding would be increased wonder
fully.
League officials are considering the
advisability of revising the rules in
such way as to permit the use of an
ingenious contrivance patented by Il
Staten Islander which not only records
the finishes. but the exact time of con-
testants in bicycle races. The machine
is operated by series Of wires under a
rubber band one-eighth of an inch
thick and two inches wide, which
covers the finish. or tape line. These
wires are carried to recording table
placed in the judges stand. A watch,
also electrically connected, Is placed
under the table. is started at the firing
of the pistol and is stopped at the
finish by the same electrical connec-
ton that records the finish of the con
testants. Immediately upon the con-
testants coming up the stretch switch
is turned and electrical connection
made with the wires under the rubber
band. A touch Of the wheel on the
rubber band registers each contestant
in the order of his finish. BY the use
of this contrivance dead heats are
rendered impossible. as it is so ac-
curately adjusted that the crossing of
the tape is registered instantly, no
matter should the difference between
the men be only one-twentieth of
second.
Everything considered, the best
thing to do with a chain that has
stretched to any considerable degree
is to throw it away. When a bicycle
chain reaches that point in it's career
when proper pitch is no longer one of
it's qualities the worst thing that can
happen to the running parts of BIZ
cycle has happened. chain that is
until it is all out of pitch not
only is the cause of very miserable
transmission of power, but it very
quickly cuts the sprocket teeth until
they, too. retain no semblance of their
former size, shape and pitch. Some
times, however, it is absolutely neces-
sary to effect at least a temporary
cure. A simple manner in which
stretched chains may be restored 10
pitch is to take a taper punch of some
kind and drive it down between eacn
pair of sidebars sufficiently far to
spread them enough in the middle to
draw the center blocks up to pitch
again. This will make an old chain
run with a semblance of accuracy for
at least n short period of time, but the
method fails as a satisfactory measure
in that it is impossible to shorten 4
chain in this way with any degree of
accuracy.
Do not let the air out of bicycle
tire that is not in use ''to save it."
Tires are much better off when stand
ing if well inflated. Generally speak
ing, a small tire requires more pressure
than a large one, if it is to carry the
same weight, and a tire requires more
pressure in proportion to the riders
weight A tire should always contain
enough air to keep it's rim from thu
ground. If in riding you feel TIN.
slightest jar of the rim as your wheel
runs over ordinary obstacles. it is be-
cause there is not sufficient air pres
sure. There is no danger of bursting
a tire, as many riders seem to fear.
when the small hand pump is used. ana
even with the best foot pump only the
weakest tires could be burst. An ex-
tensive observation has found many
tires which were too soft, while one is