The sun., 1897-11-29
NEWS OF THE WHEELMEN.
oR1sP WEITHER TEsTERDAT IN
nUCFD MANY Riders TO TURN OUT

$1,000 20 RIDE y Nzile in One n1inuto-Netes.
The nne weather yesterday was the incen.
tive for n largo turnout Of cyclists. Although
a chilly. high wind prevailed, warm sun TEN.
,orod the atmosphere enough to make riding
nIeasant. Considering the heavy rains Of the
latter mart OF last week, the roads dried quickly
and were in fairly good condition. Four Of the
local clubs held their last runs OF tho season
ana the members mustered in force. The Har-
lam Ybeelmen journeyed over to Brooklyn and
,,r,,c;natea in a Joint run with the Brooklyn
p,cvc,e Club to Bath Beach. Tho destination OF
tho contury whe elnien and the Morris Wheel.
,n.n ,yaa city Island, where the riders mingled
together and made merry.
Tbose who did not care to venture out on long
rides freouented Central Park and Riverside
Drive and this district was moro crowded than
a. has been in some time. The Hudson County
Boulevard and the roads leading through New
.Jersey also had their share OF riders whilo out
ON Long Island numerous parties Of riders were
in evidence.
Thsr, will be a meeting this morning of the
committees representing tho local cycling Or
panizations and tho Executive Committee OF the
Board of Trustees of the New York and Brook
lyn Bridge to consider the feasibility Of q Cycle
path over tho bridge. Engineer La MannR's
plan. which has been outlined in THE sun. will
be presented, and 1t is understood that II the
scheme is considered practicable the Bridge
Trustees will take prompt action.
It may seem like too sweeping q statement,
but It is still q sound and safe assertion that q
large percentage Of cyclists, including veteran
riders are novices In pedalling. Further, 1t 10
doubtful II even one rider In every ten manipu.
letes his or her feet to the greatest advantage
and without loss Of power. Even those who
have studied tho proper ankle motion and are
expert :" at ankling" do not, as rule. compre-
hend the most vital truth of ankle motion and
act accordingly. The power which becomes
speed ia applied to pedal from the time it be-
gins to leave its topmost position until the crank
is again perpendicular. with the pedal down.
The greatest power is applied when tho
crank is in O horizontal position on the down.
ward throw OF the pedal. Ankle motion comes
into play between the two horizontal positions.
forw ard and backward. A rider holding his
wheel in check begins to back pedal from tho
time the pedal is in its lowest position. Every
bit of pressure which bears on the pedal from
that time until it reaches its upright position is
"back pedalling' or checking effect. Mani
testify, then. tho ideal pedal action leaves tho
pedal absolutely free from pressure while on Its
upward movement. In how many cases is this
done2 Yet all riders who do not do 1t and who
allow so much the weight OF the foot to be
lifted by the rising pedal are literally working
against themselves
While pushing down with one foot they are
to certain extent pushing back with the other.
Even those who use too clips and ankle " clev-
srly are not wholly exempt from this criticism.
gins when tho pedal is half way down. 1t ceases
when the pedal is half way, up; 1t 10 just at
or pressure on the pedal is most effective, It is
most telling then beSaass Snn there .no the LEVER a
tiOn ends and foot returns to ltB nor
NAL position. the rider rel axes his or her
effort with the particular limb which Is son on the
weight Of the foot and leg. and certain amount
of pressure due to the axation has to be borne
tat ni this occurs pH the rider Is back pedaliing
and actually working against the propelling
extended trip get vory tired without understand
ing why. when the only reason Is that they have
nse c tho foot
entirely from the pedal. and by lifting up
against the toe clip take advantage % Of S Svery po-
continued. W It does " very, well for climbing
muscles mus is too 90 great for it to be put into CON
tinual practice on level roads. The proper thing,
tirely clear Of the pedals when they are rising.
The Gle" rance should not be one OF pSrceptl6ie
IanEie and think they are doing the best ped;
alling whom they follow the pedal around . and
CLAW" it upward, forget to iift the foot 1L. en-,
tirey clear just at the critical point. The
tiresome TO do it restfnliy and gracefully, is q
in a week nor in a month. 1t, must be labored
with and practced until 1t is done instinGtiyely.
| When finally attained the results will fully
compensate for the study and the labor.
Relative to the claims OF riders who seek 70
one minute o a New YorE city mSnufecturer who
| is q mathematician has calculated that TO ride
mile in minute e. IN man f W9uia 3 nave o1d no M;t
a 1l2 gear. With l34 gear two and n half row
olutions a second would be required, while with
essary. Michael, when riding a mile in two
minutes with LOG gear. makes one and twenty
feet If a man could move his feet at the rate
| of one and q half revolutions second for sixty
10 1' cover mile in that time. is this possiblei
The man who hasn't new patent cycling de.
| vice concealed somewhere about his person 10 q
Patent Once at Washington are breaking down
OF startling new things for attachment to blcy.
cles outnumber other inventions three to one.
novelties is their hopeless impracticsbility:
Meanwhile tho patent attorneys wax fat 1, and
manufactnrers ma @ add % to their stock Of junk and
deplete their bank accounts by purchasing every
queer mechanism likely to bo acquired i, BY thei.
business rivals. The game Is exciting, though
costly.
What becomes of all the old wheelsi This i.
a question as common to-day as the old one o.
where do all the pins gof The query is part
| ly answered by the fact that whole carloads o.
ancient wheels are shipped every year to thOs,
sections of the South where poor II groes mos
abound. The black man on II wheel of long for
gotten model is no uncommon sight south Of tn,
Mason and Dixon line. Sold at rldicu
lousy low prices these discarded wheels
are eagerly sought for by tho young men ant
women descended from Ham. lmpromptu race
Southern pantasions today I'd HH as We're the pic %
turesque dances and cotton harvest festivals 0
bygone period. That there is more fun il
| IA nf M
that tho wearing qualities of a wheel are severe
ly tested Is o fact none will dispute who eve
saw pickahinny astride bicycle for the frs
time.
, Tho London Field Of Nov. 90 contains the fol
lowing relative to the tires used by English ant
American wheelmen:
IT IL somewhat difiicult to assign for tn
fact that the variety OF pneumatic tire used almos
exclusively by bicyclists In the United States is ON
plOyed to very limited extent by English wheelmen
while the description OF tire which fnds favor her
a | has little attraction for riders beyond tn
Atlantc. IL Is ObYiOus that In each tho popular