Evening star., 1897-05-15
so ME- CYC1E CHAT


The park department in Brooklyn has just
published it's rules for the current year
governing the riding and driving public On
park drives and cycle paths. Some of the
rules are absolutely new, while others
| have been in force for scme time. Some
| rules that may seem strange to the local
riders are: Bicycles and tricycles must be
provided with bicycle bells not to exceed
two and one-half inches in diameter. The
Use of Chinese lanterns is positively pro-
| hibited in Prospect Park, on the parkways
| and on the bicycle paths, excepting for pa
rades, when a special permit must be OBJ
tanned. Cyclists must not exceed speed of
eight miles an hour in the park and twelve
miles an hour on the bicycle paths In
struction on the bicycle path at any hour
Is prohibited.
The rules are uniformly fair, and there is
nothing harsh discriminating In them.
Some otheE important ones are as follows:
All vehicles must carry lighted lamps.
showing a white light ahead. from thirty
minutes after sunset until thirty minutes
| before sunrise. Riding or driving Is pro-
hibited on the paths In Prospect Park.
Cyclists will be permitted to push their
wheels on the walks from the drives to con-
venient shelters or to places of refresh
ment. They will also be permitted to push
their wheels to benches, on the walks near
the drives, when desiring to rest them
selves. The owners of bicycles requiring
| tempors ry repairs must remove them to a
place of safety on the sod nearby until
they have completed their repairs. Cyclists
will not be permitted to lounge on benches
of the park after the hours fixed for CLOS
ing. Only equestrians may use the paths
especially set aside for them.
Long distance riding at moderate or
even compare lively slow pace forms one of
the very finest cures for shortness of
BREATH says physician who rides. This
~ p1of ic 11r,
ton which prevents the lungs being eXer-
cised to their fullest capacity. Constant
steady and easy exercise Strengthens and
tones up the air cells SO that the number
or these available becomes gradually in
creased. and little by little the tncopyeni-
enee disappears. Care must be taken that
the exercise Is not of a too violent nature
or 1t rs quite possible more harm than good
may be done.'
An expert says: There Is mpara tiyely
little strength in that portion of the tire
composed OF rubber. The strength which
reslsts strains lies In the canvas or fabric
tire of pure rubber with walls an inch
tfick would burst very slight proyoca-
non. The attention of the tire men has
oeen therefore specially directed to the
canvas part Criticism of bursted tire
usually includes condemnation of the ruh-
per- when in point of fact the rubber has
1,xt Eext To- nothing to do with trouble of the
Kind The defect in these cases is to no
found in the canvas or fabric within +, &c
true, tire may be made defective to the
point OF bursting by SO treating the rubber
li'at Hs expansion is increased at any one
point. OH. for instance spilled on the nh
Der Will cause it to exbnnd abnormaIII, ~
ana about the part touched by the oil This
oepr1ves the canvas of support at ,nat
part, and therefore the tire becomes liable
to burst
Road racing will be much favored and
very popular feature Of cycling contests
TINS summer. and especially in large cities
Will it be prominent as in them there are
courses on which speed equal to that ma lie
on tracks be attained. Some very
creditable work was done on the road last
season, and the prospects are that with
tandems more commonly employed for nae
Ing purposes the performances of last
year will be eclipsed.
Amateur wheelmen, or those who have
no desire to indulge in racing to a great
extent find satisfaction in local road races
for in these they have an opportunity to
establish themselves as speedy riders with
out the expense of time required to ride
in track events. Tracks of a good quality
are not numerous and most of the wheel
men prefer improved roads TO slow and
dangerous tracks. =. ,,
In England road racing has probably
seen its best days. but: such events in
America are not numerous enough to he
Objectionable, and the future for them here
Is promising. In the foreign countries the
contests were of he long distance sort and
enlisted the efforts of some famous pedal
ers whose endurance was the envy of the
undeveloped American riders Our riders
still incline to place their efforts in con-
tests OF comparative short distances. but
there is minority who have the ability
20 endure the long rides. The public taste
is not educated to these endurance riders.
but they will be received with favor when
good degree of success is attained.
The first cement track ever constructed
in this country was built in Savannah
where Zimmerman, Wheeler Banker John
son. Bald and others were training. Rae
ing has become very popular there. and
Charleston built another cement track the
second In the country. The men then
trained while in Charleston. and found
the southern climate delightful and benef-
clal. When Zimmerman started tho circuit
after training In Savannah he showed the
most remarkable form he was ever known
to exhibit. and before he closed his racing
season he had to his credit 1O1 first prizes,
record that has been wonder to all the
other racing men since that time.
George Banker. after training in Savan-
nan. went abroad. and the result Is too we'll
known to need recording. He carried the
stars ana stripes to more notable victories
than any American has ever done since,
and he ascribed 1t to the climate of the
south. Bald says the same. Murphy won
his greatest races after training in the
south, While johnson has the same story to
tell. The south now contains many tracks.
Savannah, New Orleans. Louisville, Charles
ton. Jacksonville and other cities have fine
cement tracks. while nearly every city has
track of some sort that will do for train
ing. The track at Jacksonville Is one of
the finest in America. while the New Or
leans track Is spoken of by the men who
nave ridden on 1t as the fastest for sprint
work in the country. The south is fast be-
coming the nations training grounds, and
| as 1t is nearer the east than the extreme
west 1t is likely to prove more popular
with the men. California In the meantime
has doubtless awakened to the fact that it
has made a gigantic ass of itself, and in
the seclusion of its regret it will have time
to think the matter over carefully, and
come to the same conclusion that it's SYM
pathizerS in the east have already reached
Williamsport Mass, man has invented
| a bicycle support which promises to in
crease c.of L laox fa,.