The record-union., 1897-12-31

a man with muscular legs sits and
works the pedals. BY this arrangement
of seating, the passenger thinks he is
| getting ahead Of the menial who does
the pedal work; but he will wish him.
self in the rear when the cycle cab is
run into by an electric car.
Informal announcement has been re-
ceiyed that the Swiss Belgium and
Italian Governments have decided to
admit touring l.. A. w. members across
their frontiers without requiring the
payment Of duty or the deposit of
! money at the customs stations. This
privilege Will be formally proclaimed
as soon as necessary papers are execut-
ed and filed by the officers of the l.. A.
w. Sample membership tickets have
| been forwarded to Paris, Berne, Brus-
sells and Rome for distribution among
the customs stations, so that an l.. A.
w. membership ticket can be recog-
nized by comparison with the one on
hand at each station.
Th're is good ground for the belief
that American bicycle manufacturers
are about to be confronted with a
greatly increased tariff on bicycles en-
terlng the ports of the German empire
The primary cause of the advance is
the plea of the German manufacturer
that the high tariff of the United States
prevents his competing with American
made wheels in American markets.
| Therefore, as a retaliatory measure he
! demands a high tariff in Germany on
| foreign made wheels. As matter of
fact, tie tariff here has practically no
| influence on the bicycle trade. The
President of one bicycle works, in dis
cussing that point, says: II have al
| ways been opposed to a high tariff
on bicycles in this country, although
representing a tremendous bicycle in
dustry. We have absolutely nothing to
fear from foreign competition. even
| though there We're no tariff of any
Kind on the imported product In the
case Of the German makers, which is
attracting public attention at the pres
ent time, it is only necessary to call
attention to the fact that American SUI
periority in construction is recognized
IN Germany, our types of machines be-
ing initiated crudely by the German
manufacturers. 1t is quite natural
| that the German makers should desire
a higher tariff against our wheels. The
duty there now on foreign wheels
equals about 10 cents on each machine.
While the average American import
duty on the German wheel is about So.
cynical student of the cycle trade
thinks that a society of cycle archae-
ology should be organized. 1t might
! discover that in the far past many
good things have gone wrong"
which could be successfully reintro-
duced and also that many of the al
legged good things of the present were
tried in ancient times and voted to be
| useless. If such a society as this ex-
listed and published periodically a bull
letin of its discoveries and discussions.
riders would be greatly enlightened and
manufacturers would reap a substantial
benefit through being taught to keep
down to truly practical improvements
| and mercantile methods.
President Potter of the L. A. w. is
in correspondence with prominent mem
bers of the present Congress with the
view Of obtaining the passage of a. bill
empowering the Secretary of the
| Treasury to admit touring cyclists from
| tries into the United States without
eXacting the payment or deposit of
customs duties on the wheels brought
| by such tourists for their personal use
=
The use Of toe clips, even by lady
riders. is steadily increasing. They
make pedaling easier and the foot pras-
sure more uniform and more constant.
/ th.a fI~
the slipping of pedals at critical times
ana save the rider many bad falls and
perhaps serious accidents. Riding with
toe clips is vastly easier than without
| and no rider who ever used toe Gins
continuously for a week was afterward
content to ride without them.
good bicycle with decent use will
last SIX seasons or more and a pair of
road tires of fair weight NAV be ridden
from 6,uoo to 10000 miles on ordinary
| roads. An English authority states that
pair of tires in one instance was known
to run 2o,0OO miles. and was still fit for
use.
/ The c. C. w. of this city is in danger
/ of losing some of its members in the
/ spring. At least three old timers are
now preparing to go to the Klondike
country when the season is open enough.
/ Monday night. January Sd. the C. c.
/ ". will elect officers for 1898 The only
candidate in nomination for President is
/ the present Treasurer, C. NJ Goethe. He
/ viii be elected hands down, and the re-
suit viii be to give the club a young.
| energetic. business like and popular
| President.
/ Cycle path construction along the lines
/ of country roads Will be pushed more
/ vigorously in 1893 than ever before.
/ From the practical experience thus far
gained it is shown that the best surface
/ for cycle paths is composed Of a thin
dressing Of crushed sandstone. This
material packs easily. forms a smooth,
elastic surface, with just enough grit to
| bite" the tire and prevent slipping.
drains quickly, resists the formation of
mud and for ten months In the year
supplies an ideal wheelway. Tt is su-
/ perior to the cinder surface in that the
+ latter sticks to the rubber tire and is
easily picked up and loosened by passing
/ wheels, and in dry weather is blown off
and scattered by strong winds. A cycle
path should be not less than five feet
(better six feeD in its narrowest part.
Whatever may be the tyre of wheel
that finally prevails. certain benefits in
( The way Of improvements are bound TO
! accrue from the vast amount of expert
menting that has been induced by the