Evening star., 1897-02-06
S ME CYCLE G. H T

Though the bicycle has been in use in
the city for nearly ten years. there are
some persons who still wonder how ii is
that long and short people can ride what
appears to he the same kind of machine
the squatty safety. To person not ac-
quainted with bicycles every machine looks
alike. ON the other hand there are good
many persons who can tell the make of a
machine at a glance. This is cited only to
show that some people use their powers of
observation. while others do Tot. In fact,
there many riders who cannot tell any
difference between bicycles.
All bicycles are manufactured IN sizes
While th-re are twenty-six, twenty-eight
and tnirty-inch wheels. the sizes in the
frames are more numerous. graduating
every two inches from twenty inches to
twcnty-eight, and even larger on a special
order This applies to wheels for adults
The difference IT. sizes is measured from
the part OF the frame designed for the
crank axle up to a point beneath the sad
die post, tne widest part of the diamond
Whatever difference there may be in reach
Is made UP by raising the saddle post. this
fitting down in the frame and often capable
of being raised fully twelve inches. How
ever, IL is poor form 10 ride with any eX-
tension of the saddle post. 1t looks awk-
ward for a person to sit a saddle ten
or twelve inches from the frame He is so
far away from the frame to give the
appearance of riding in the air being sud
de1ly raised from the bicycle The handle
bars have to be raised for such high riding,
and that adds to the spectacle the rider
makes Neither is it good form to ride
with the saddle directly on the top bar of
the frame. The rider appears as though
his limbs had suddenly shrunk, and left
him in the lurch. In one instance, the
cause is using too small a framed wheel,
while in the latter instance it is the
of too large a frame. The saddle post to
"A tIh Il 81
be between three and four inche from the
frame, not more.
In racing Il different style of wheels are
used looking to the ordinary person like
a child's wheel. The frame is small and
the main sprockeI is dropped low to insure
as much rigidity as possible with lightness.
There Is one thing that is worth knowing.
The smaller the frame, the less vibration,
and consequently the greater rigidity. A
person using a twenty -eight-inch frame has
more vibration on his machine than one
with a twenty-four-inch frame This being
the case. in purchasing wheel II is the
i5est plar to take the smallest size of frame
that will suitably fit the rider. The
slant vibration tells the construction
and often results diSastrOusly.
In the list of records published last Sat
Urday in The Star there were several
American and worlds records that were
left out. particularly the hour records,
which were mostly held by one man. The
hour record is held by little James Michael,
the Welsh wonder, who rode fraction
over twsnty-nine miles within the sixty
minutes. l. s. Meintjes, the crack from
Africa. who on a recent visit to this coun-
try demonstrated his wonderful riding
powers. rode sixty-jwo and three-quarters
miles in 2-46. II 80. The 5bI-mile road rec
ord is claimed by A. +. Smith of Chicago,
who covered the distance in fifty-six hours
and five minutes. All of the hour records
above fiye miles held by Louis Gimm.
the American rider. who in the attempt
against the twenty-four record. in Chica-
go, September 24-25 of last year. estab-
Ished he following records: