The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-22
HANDLE BARS WIDER
Bicycle ofNext Year Demands
More Elbow Room.
WHEELS MADE BIGGER
Still a Hope That Chainless
viii Crowd Out Chains.

of interest.
There seems 10 re weii-founded idea
that 1899 is going 20 De a good year for The
chainlers wheel. one OF the reasons Tor me
notion being the decrease IN price OF i'lis
kind Of bicycle from sl25 80 80. Few cared
TO pay 50 high a price for the bevel-gearel
machine when high class chain wheel
could be bought for 50 much less. With
I the reduction IN price TO nearly thay of -he
I besct chain wzaseis il is believed there
4 viii bea greater demand FOR iae new
make. although there are stin thousands
! OF riders who are somewhat scep.ical Of
1 its utility. An examination of the $50
models Of the leading makes OF bicycles
| shows that the chief changes from las
| year are the general adoption of SIT
/ inch chain against 1-i-inch. / I-2-inch
/ tire against 5-S. hsndie bar two inches
wider than formerly. and decrease in
/ the drop of the crank-hanger from one
/ salf to one inch on the 2S-inch wheels.
I In number Of models the upper bar os
/ the frame has been heightened from one
/ 10 TWO inches. which. with a decreased
! length Of crank-hanser. gives more room
1 for the knees. Nearly az the mSuufac-
| turers have turned GU, the 3}-iacll wheels.
which make the bicycle cost from = -
so extra. if they are ordeTeJ. Wien this
size wheel j used. the ,!roD in the crank
hanger i increased from three ana one
| half 10 four inches. but only 4 few firms
are selling bicycles equipped win the big
wheels. The average weight of the 90
machine IS from one 10 two pounds ligh--
er. The finch crank is being generally
adopted. and the gear except in WON
ems models, is increased. Large rear
sprockets are not used. an intermediate
size having been adopted. Only a few
manufacturers are making tandens for
as one tandem now costs as much a. two
good single wheels. the demand for them
has largely decreased. Flushed joints.
fork crowns ball retainers. and sepa-at-
ors are almost universally used in mex
years wheels The price all chain
bicycles has been reduced. the cut rang
ing from SO to So. the former reduction
predominating on the high grades. The
export of wheels which was larger this
year than any time previous. promises to
be even larger in 1899 while the impor,
trade has been steadily decreasing.
The product of The Spouldins chainlcss
wheels in 1ss9 VIII. ii is declared. be great
" IN excess Of that Of the present year.
There Will be one change in construction.
The main driving gear Will be fastened to
The center of the crank axle. the power
being tranS-itted from this by a smaller
intermediate gerr 10 the shaft running
through the lower right fork tube. which
in turn transmits the power 10 me rear
intermediate gear. which directly engages
the gear secured to the rear wheel in
place OF the usual sprockc-. The comp -
IS using > 1-2-inch drop 70 the crank
hanger on al models for l>1a instead Of
three inches. Boch the roadster and
chainless have been made glitter. Thirty
inch wheels can be had a. an ap,ion. If
desired at slight advance in price.
The Crescent bicycle for 1870 r made
with lit;le more rake 20 the ,rliSs tube
and more curve and taper TO the front
forks ENpanders are used for ciampinc
the handle bars on all models and 10 So
cure the saddle-pOst. The chains are
three-sixteenths Of an inch in width and
no bolts or nuts are used. The drop or
crank-hsnger on fun sizes Is 81 inches
Compared wi;h the bicycles of lSqS. the
following changes are noted on yne stan
dard model Of mems wheels: Length OF
crank increased from u inches 20 :
inches: gear. :. aGainsr Il Is. reach %
20 So inches. against % 10 20 inches; weight
Of wheel = - pounds. against g 1-2 In
the standard woman's models the gear
has been decreased from q Is to * -
and weight decreased 10 grounds from
IS II pounds The chainlees wheels have
been changed little: the weight however.
is les than last year. The company mas
discontinued the manufacturing Of racing
wheels or Jandems.
There are several changes fn he S;esrns I
bicycle for 1902. The sest-mast tube has
slightly less rake than formerly TIE
weight. except in tandems mas been ma
teriaUy flesSened. The tread Of ne 1905
model has been still further decreased
The usual form o { the chain -bo.- ana nu-
has been encrely discarded. and IN Us
place is a square-head bolt he'd rigi5iv
IN position by s9ring-fastening device
The new handle-bsr grip Is Steel sleeve (
outwardly Hanged 81 is oussr end 20 pro-
vide a bearing against the end - 20
handIe-bar. All lssS rms ara of N-shap. .
The output Of 9o-inch wheels viii be Inn
tied
The Cleveland bicyclee for - are fitted
with new bsll-bearng sfokes which Join
the hub a. a direct ;angeu-- After ether
from or rear whee's are detached from
the franz. t1e spokes can be easily o.
tacned or adjusted. T'urty-in,h wheels f.
are being Supplied = desired The drop
Of the uk-hsuEer = 8 q. inches and
. * inches in al regular ~ -'-;uea