Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-03-06

gsssS'' :, Tine:
Baltimore to Bel Air. .2ln
Bel Air TO Havre de Grace. 20 2 ..
Havre de Grace to Glasgow. .16t7
Wilmington to Fhiisdsiphia ss,s :"
Philadelphia to Trenton. I'D "
New Brunswick to New York. 30 3
Total .............. 24011 miles % hours
1t might be added that the condition of
the road around Havre de Grace was any
thing but favorable to bicycle riding
There were some who laughed at the
proposition of Nilsson, the skater, when in
this city, to race Joe Donohue. at the track
at the Ice Palace. starting on opposite
sides of the track. 1t appeared to be some
thing unheard of. but in Paris the idea has
been introduced of starting two men in a
cycle race at opposite sides of the track.
There Is no distance given to the race and
1t may eliminate after three or four laps.
Generally. however. the men continue rid
ing until one competitor overtakcs the
other whereupon he is declared the win
Her. Gischer, the fast Belgian rider, was
defeated in race of this kind. some time
ago. by Bardeu. the English rider 1t may
seem still more strange 10 learn that this
style of racing. while 1T originated in this
country. bids fair to become popular On the
continent
There was time when the public would
gaze with open-mouth establishment at
what now appear to be simple feats. The
days of the old ordinary. when bicycling
was regarded luxury. and when many
persons RETAINED from riding on account
of the danger, proved to be regular bon
anZas for the trick riders. The advent of
the safety was death-blow to the profess
sion. Most of the daring tricks that ap-
piled to the old upright could not be per-
formed on the small-wheeled bicycle AS
result the followers of the profession were
obliged to invent new tricks, distinctive of
the safety which took time
ter. This gave rise to the general belief
that the use of the smaller machine pre-
vented hazardous trick riding and athletic
feats. but 1t did not take long before the
illusions of the public were dspciled. The
safety is far better adapted for trick rid
ing, and n greater number of much more
difficult and daring feats can be accom-
plished on it than were ever dreamed of in
the days of the old upright. On the smooth
streets of the city one may al any time see
young riders practicins difficult things.
One of the reasons why bells are cracked
ard put out Of order in a comparatively
short time is the great amount of knock
ing they receive. There are few that will
stand many hard knocks. AS rule, the
bell is fastened on the outside of the ham
die bar and near the turn. for the con-
venience of the rider, who can sound the
gong without taking his hand from the
grip. In this position every time the
wheel falls or is let rest against anything
hard it Is generally the bell side of the
handle bar which Is turned in. The con-
slant knocking has result, and the bell
sc on loses it's tone and loudness. This diff
ficulty can easily be remedied. Turn the
bell around and let it come on the inside
of the handle bar. The protection will be
great. Perhaps the best plan would be to
remove the bell from the left outside.
where 1t Is generally carried. to the right
inside, provided you have no brake on
your wheel. In this position the bell can
be rung by simple downward pressure
of the thumb
The street car companies in some cities
assert that they suffering serious loss
of revenue on account CT the bicycle. They
say that thousands a wheel daily go
ing to and from their place of business and
that this represents in each case a loss of
eight cents and a fraction One of the
signs that the use of the bicycle affects the
patronage of the street cars is that c. a
rainy day on all Of the trips the cars con-
tain more passengers than on clear day.
Fred H Clark of Clear Lake. Wis. is
something of a rival to Fred Owen OF this
city in the line of invention. Mr.. Clark
is now at work upon a brake that Is q
series of rollers which clutch the tires.
He is working to reduce to a minimum
the friction produced by the application
Of the ordinary brake on the tire. The So
luton of this problem will also mean less
wear on the tire. Mr.. Clark has also now
pending patents for the substitution of a
cable for the chain. He completed model
some time ago Of a bicycle constructed on
his ideas. and in test with ordinary
wheel his invention ran two and one-half
minutes. while the other wheel ran only
one and one-half minutes, the conditions
for both being the same Mr.. Clark has
| also invented automatic brake and
coaster.
Speaking of brakes recalls an invention
recently placed upon the market. The only
part visible IS the shoe, which fits the
tire of the front wheel between the forks.
1t is operated by simply turning the right
grip Of the handle bar. A series of coils
run through the handle bar and down
| through the head of the wheel. Immedi-
ately above the break is heavy spring in
| the interior of the frame. By turning the
! grip pressure is brought to bear all the
way down to the spring. which. yielding
| to the pressure. strikes the plunger and
| forces the shoe or brake against the tire
acting at this point exactly like an ordi-
nary brake
There are some cyclists who seem to pre-
| fer a bicycle SO constructed that the front
| wheel will be about half OF perhaps less
| than the diameter of the rear wheel The
| suppostion is that with a smaller front
| wheel there will be less weight to the ma
! chine, and that 1t would be much easier
! riding. Those who are acquainted with the
| mechanics of bicycle construction do not
| favor such discrepancy in the size of the
| two wheels The friction would be ic-
| creased at the axle of the small wheel for
! TIE Simple reason tnat with the same 0rtV-
| ing power it would have to make more
| revolutions than a larger wheel. There are
| other reasons given in the mechanical con-
| struction which would not be understood
| if placed in few words, and which would
| take too much space if explained in de-
| tail. The one great objection to the old
| Star wheel. the upright that had the large
| wheel in the rear and the small wheel in
front, was that the little wheel was al
ways digging in the earth. especially when
| riding through sandy stretch.
| Bearing out these statements the report
| comes from across the ocean that q we'll
known English cycle concern had decided to
| discontinue the use of two even-siZed
| wheels. and will start in using a thirty
inch front wheel and a twenty-eight back
wheel, instead of using two twenty-eight-
inch wheels. The manufacturers claim that
their experience has shown them many
disadvantages of equal size wheels for
rcadsters. Among the disadvantages they
claim are more vibration, less steady steer
ing, certain digging tendency of the front
wheel, and last. 1t slips wet roads.
| There Is one thing. however. more strain
| Will be placed on the crown. With larger
front wheel. the raising of the handle bars
for upright riding looks less unsightly than
the same height of the handle bar Oh a
| twenty-eight-inch wheel.
| Well Named.