Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

regarded q high gear. There arc some
riders who do not class eighty high
gear. while others seem to think that sew
enty is extra high This variance in opin-
ion is due perhaps to the difference in rid
ing. Those who do not think eighty
high have been riding gear equal to that.
and becoming used to il find no difficulty in
pushing such wheel over the roads. The
writer finds by actual experience that it Is
not much harder to push eighty or an
eighty-four gear over the roads than II is
sixty-eight. In fact, no difference at all
is felt. except in one direction. There does
not appear to be any more exertion in
climbing the hills around the city on the
high gear than on the lower one. Tho
only trouble experienced is in coming down
hills. 1t is much more difficult to back
pedal when descending hill than would
be supposed. The general impression seems
TO prevail that the higher the gear the
slower the revolution of the pedals. and
consequently the easier it is to back pedal.
i MS Is failacy soon exploded. However
the writer is of the opinion that any gear
between seventy and eighty is suitable for
all around riding. that the riding is Just
as easy and that more ground can he cover
ed With less eNertion than on a lower gear.
In the matter of oiling wheel there APP
pears TO be wild. difference of opinion.
Some people entertain the idea that BIZ
cycle should he oiled almost every day.
while there are others who seem to think
that once or twice month is sufficient for
ordinary riding. Personally. the writer
knows OF a number of people who literally
soak the bearings with oil before starting
out on short run. with the idea in view OF
making the machine run easily. This is
something of mistake. The ball bear
ings of a bicycle are unlike the journal
bearings of a car wheel, a wagon wheel
or the shafts in manufacturing place.
The journal bearings are fiat. the point OF
contact virtually covers the whole bearing.
and as 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 il
is necessary to keep the ball bearings del
uged with oil in order TO keep them going
easily. This is mistake. There is wide diff
ference between the two styles of bearings
and where balls are used the points of con-
tact are limited. Frequently drop of oil
Will answer the purpose better than if the
entire bearings were soaked with grease
Nhere the bearings are soaked in oil the
wheel may revolve easily for while Only
Tor while, however. Dust and dirt VIII
accumulate the oil will work out of the
cups. and the result is 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 he less need of taking a
wheel to the repair shop often TO have
| eign substances
| There has been more than one instance
where the suit of the rider was damaged
through this cause The wheel NAV have
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 a lack of oil
in the bearings but from other causes.
Nine times out of ten the chain is the cause.
If more attention were paid to the chain
instead of the bearings the pleasures of
cycle riding would be increased wonder
fully.
In England cycling is regarded as the
king of sports. The capital invested in it
is much greater than any other branch of
athletics, eXcelling even horse racing. This
should hardly be wondered at, since Eng
land is the home of the bicycle. The Lon
don Cycle has gathered some statistics
on the subject, and complies the follow
ing table as representing the position held
by cycling ey-circuating medium
in relation to other sports and pastmes: