The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-05
NEWS OF THE WHEELMEN.
MFRS. ALLEN AGAIN FATS IN HER
RECORD TRIAL FRI 10 BOSTON.

Interesting wheel Races at Danbury Fair
Precautions Neededto Counteract Effects
of Autumn Dust-PresIdent Potter of the
League Talks About the Outlaws.
At this season OF tho year. when the roads
are at their best. because the loose surface
dirt has been compacted by tho September
rains and CONCEALED by the chill Of sutumna
nights. the hardest proposition that the cyclist
has to encounter Is dust. The dust Of the
fall is moro vicious than that Of summer, be-
cause 1t is coarser. II Is not so soft and does
not fly 90 freely. but it Is moro gritty in It's
character. A little OF It goes q long way. and
innicts more damage than the pulverizad loan
that spreads everywhere under the influence
Of August sunshine and gentle breezes. In
consequence, this Ia the time when bicycles
need the most attention. While 1t is the finest
time for riding. rs testified to by tho
spirit and sentiment of riders. It ia mono
the less a fact that the machines at this
season suffer most from the'usage they get on
the road. Instead OF powdered dust 1t is sand
that enters the bearings and other parts OF
wheels where trouble can be made. Grit Is
not 30 penetrating as tho impalpable dirt,
which Is half vegetable aud mineral refuse
that flies In summer. but It takes so very
much less to make moro trouble that no rider
should forget the Importance Of cleaning and
lubrlcstinG tho steel machine that carries him
or her. A grain OF grit in the bearings will do
moro damage than q drachm OF dust. Give
a little grit q gummy surface In which to lodge
itself. and the finest bearings in the world will
become rough and render improper service.
The object OF ball bearings is to make a wheel
run smoothly. In the broad term OF the trade.
there are many dust proof" bearings. but me-
chanics recognize the fact that. In the lneness
OF fact. there are none such. 1t behooves fall
LII &. - IT, III o~l $50 - ~ ntr hio,-o1o1
accordingly. The grittiness OF the road at this
season Is more to be considered than all the
dustiness Of summer.
Right now bicycles should be cleaned and lu-
bricated oftener than in the months when the
temperature is higher. In the cleaning process
the men who are hired by the week In bicycle
stores do better work than any novice. They
are expert and are familiar with many, handy
Years years Of exp e,f II There Is. however T"'s a salts.
faction In taking ones own wheel apart and
f fSIsStni msk every fh poT moeb Sna setting %6re b it pR d1g an5
the aSsu sport. All? Tits IS the f@0 time Taeef for o oSssfSSi Y
Until snow dies. To get d a bicycle prope
erly set up and properly adjusted n It's
and require much less attention in the course
Of It's fall career, The scriptural admonition
applies very peculiarly to certain machines.
especially the. light and inanimate yet sensi-
tlTe ki aSil thaf is w6 S99 9yn tP as Tas m IN tba w ei9y ySe1
their teachings. but the bicycle as a machine
and follows. absolutely the impaired impulses
Of its proprietor. II it is thoroughly cleansed
adjusted for its youthful service Of the fall. It
will run well into tho manhood and old, age OF
its winter experiences and do 1t gracefully.
1t is we'll enough for those who do not iike to
make, any kind OF manual e%xertion to turn
n1ln9f Tho fraHasmhn nnnn n lnf nf that Kind
of busin ess. but it is well worth the while of
every rider to take his or her bicycle apart on
together again. 1t is a common notion, that
one must have some mechanical knowledge to
ton of the un~eXperimental man. who says he
cannot build a fire in q kitchen stove or modern
to take apart and reasonable the, movable
parts OF Q bicycle; 1t requires only that print
tive quality which, grandmothers call "Rump-
ton" After a rider. one OF either sex. has
thoroughly overhauled a wheel. he or she will
have an entirely different. regard for it. 1t is
ting a groom to do it always. The owner who
does it once is brought into moro intimate as
better how to tell the groom what to do.
There are little peeuliarities about a bicycle
clean and put together their own wheels. and
which the experts Of the shops. who proceed on
6 fSGsFh tb pri bs IF. tS S do Not o5e 9pR BjeSsIs into GE tss
hands Of the shopmen is continued. it is best to
have had the experience of having on some occa-
sion learned all its peculiarities, Then explicit
instructions can be given. similarly as in the
case of a stqbleman who has to groom, and feed
are bicycles. but each is worth the intimate &c:
Guaintance of its owner. and tho time OF all
times to have such acquaintance Is in the early
fall. when the roads are finest and the grit is
hardest.
Aperplexing question. Of which there is even
now little prospect of its ever being settled. Is
that of lubricants for bearings. The argument
between riders concerning the merits OF differ
ent oils is interminable. Some prefer a thick oil
quently replcnished. Others, favor a thin oil
that has to be used little and often, because it
favor q dry graphite powder and others, vase
line. Al animal oils will get gummy with age.
ana Ss ot.eG ba GIfiaT WRs b T1R foGs simply an bec s1se
the dry. gummy coating left by an. oil
has collected dust; A pure. thin vegetable
machines and does not harden or amalGa-
mate with dust makes an excellent lubricant.
because OF its thinness. Petroleum oil. in its
reduced form Of v%aseline. has always proved to
is free from, grit. does not collect dust. and
does not leak out; thereby, giving long service.
mah9fact fsPaf rsShoS have T TRf E ise on Pe eHSibitio on
at shows it is not in good standing because its
density c n dc does 6 ,P PGt d Kermit e wheels 6 E to s9 pa y sv
practical riders are that it is a difficult
AND disagreeable JOB to apply It Quits gdits
lubricants, of which. powdered graphite Is first
and chief. LUBRICANTS Of this order. Il free from
| grit, IOliOW inc HTSJ pTlnclIltS VI luDElcutOu,
but the objection to graphite. mica. chalk.
soapstone and their allies is that they are al
applied to dust proof" bearings. The pre-;
ponderance Of testimony, from both theory and
vegetable oils. Of which there are. several prep
a~rations. and the reduced" mineral oils. Of
which ~vaseline Is typical.
1t is an apt ability for those who take apart
their wheels to know how to roll a small cor
affairs are ex%ceedingiy handy to empty bali
bearings into, while the cups and cones are
which belong to the left side and which to the
right side OF n hub or hanger can. be easily
made, 1t is always well to put all OF the same
balls back into the same races because there
are microscopical variations in the balls and In
the surfaces against which they turn that are
ground away by the. constant running, Balls
In bearings make a run 4" for themselves, and
It is better that they should have 1t until the
steel is worn to the limit than 1t is to change
them.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 4,-Tim Hurst. umpire. man