Evening star., 1897-05-01
SOME CYCLE CHAT WITH THE RACER S

A bicycle mechanic In speaking of this
years make Of wheels, says: 1.-THE fixity
of pattern in the frsme Of the bicycle. of
which SO much has been heard the past
few weeks. is responsible for the Compare
tive falling Off in the demand for the very
latest in wheels experienced this year. I
believe that the pattern of the bicycle
could be improved upon. The rush and ex-
treme pressure of the past season prevent
ed some and induced other firms to abstain
from introducing any novelties this year
and although l am quite prepared to ad-
NIT that, from a utilitarian and practical
cyclists point of view, nothing has been
lost. / still believe that had the leading
makers embodied more changes in their '07
designs there would not have been such a
decided falling off in what might, be termed
the society demand as is palpable today
when compared with this time last year.
The comparative absence of change has, I
am IL clned t. think, caused many society
cyclists to continue their '96 machines
whereas If even few talking points, for
lack of something better, had been visible
at the shows 1t Is quite possible that the
desire to possess the latest and best, which
Is Unborn In the cyclist, might have led to
the purchase Of many new machines It
Will rot do, in endeavoring to confute this
suggestion, to select some firm which did
come Up to the scratch. and has not been
r,Iaid by increased trade. The cycle trade
as whole, is sympathetic, and no firm is
likely to have great misfortune or prosper
ity in the midst of the contrary. Had~it
been generally true that patterns were al
tered all around from last year public
curiosity would have been excited The re-
verse was what did happen, and public in
terest Is languid in financial sense"
tube tires has been devised by an Illinois
man. and will shortly be put on the mar
ket. The tire is first prepared by introduce
ing string through the valve hole, and
Hrrpf foy, tu rtnI
by the aid of curved wire. The two ends
are then connected by rubber band. To
this string are fastened a number of plugs
at regular intervals. When a puncture is
discovered a special tool with a hook on
the end Is inserted and picks up the string,
drawing 1t through the hole until the stem
of plug appears. when the latter Is
caught with the pliers and worked into po-
to the interior Of the tire. A little cement
finishes the repair.
Ir advocating walking steep hills instead
of riding them. an authority says: In
ascending a hill on q bicycle much Of the
driving force is wasted in pressure on the
ground, and the sleeper the hill, the great
er the waste. until an incline may be so
steep that all the efforts of the rider only
press the wheel against the hill. In push
ing this loss Is much less, for the bicycle
is lighter by the weight of the rider and
he is on his legs. the best of all hill climb
less going up hill, the upward movement
of foot and body not being wasted by q
corresponding fall at the end of the step.
Even II this waste OF force In pressure on
the hill could be eliminated, the bicycle
would still be little disappointing as hill
climber. for actual foot-pounds of work
have to be done In ascending a hill, and
there Is. Of course, no power developed by
the bicycle to perform this work, for it
owes its ease and speed to its almost fric-
tionless action
Almost every bicycler believes that as he
rides his wheel his foot swings backward
with the pedal. He thinks his feet de-
scribe series Of circles, following the
pedals around, and that they move back
ward and forward just as much as they
move up and down. This. 1t has now been
found, by careful measurement, is quite a
mistake. From the time you mount yo,,r
wheel until you dismount your feet never
move backward. They are constantly
moving forward. not in circles, but in 4
series OF curves. The reason for this n
that as your foot swings under the crank
shaft the bicycle moves forward much
more rapidly than the pedal swings back.
The result Is constant forward move
ment. While your foot moves backward in
relation to your body. yet It moves more
rapidly than the pedal swings back. The
result Is constant forward movement
While your foot moves backward In reia-
fion to your body. yet It moves more ran
IDLY forward In relation to the ground. II
mas been FOUND by testing bicycle with