The record-union., 1898-09-03
OF INTEREST TO CYCLISTS.
"A WOMAN'S RECORD - NEW
CHAIN CASE.
Coaster and Brake-Adjustable
Bar-Puncture Proof-Odd
Mention.
What though the rain weeps down the

Mention.
What though the rain weeps down the
pane,
Aud boulevards are mushy gray,
And cycling hopes are worse than vain
This wet, unhallowed dismal day
Still shall my soul know JOY and peace
And sweet delight shall thrill my heart
As, armed with rags and wrench and
1 take by bicycle apart.
Cne-half the pleasure, l opine
Which focuses upon a wheel
Is that ecstatic and divine
enjoyment L am wont to feel
When remove the nuts, or screw
The Sprocket off, or cut the chain,
Or pull the inner tube to view
AND try to put it back again.
l love to tinker with the forks
10 readJust the mud-guard strips
10 cut deft patches out of corkS
Wherewith to mend the handle grips;
Take the bearings out and clean
1nem with piece of gunnySack,
ana / am happy and serene
Until L seek TO put them back.
Oh, rainy days do fill my heart
With rapture which | deem sublime,
For then | take my wheel apart
Just as l did the other time;
1 file and rub and twist and chop
Scrape-
And next day take it to the shop
And have it put back into shape.
Chicago Record.
Cycle News: A record was recently
made by Mrs. A. M. c. Allen of Worces-
ter, Mass, in riding from New York
City to Boston in less than twenty
four hours. The distance is within a
fraction of 250 miles-viz., 24914 miles
and Mrs. Aliens time was % hours,
in Boston August 1st, forty-six seconds
before u o'clock at night.
A crowd of almost l 900 people greet
ed the little woman in the gray bloom
ers. Behind her swarmed wheelmen
from every town and city between Wor-
cester and Boston. The little woman's
husband, A. NJ. c. Allen, was in the
waiting crowd and clasped her in his
arms
large number of wheelmen at diff
ferent points paced her. At the con-
clusion of her long ride a reception
was given in her honor by various BIZ
cycling organizations at the Parker
House. Mrs. Allen is the winner Of the
johnson century medal and Massachu-
Setts State medal A century ride is
to her like a two-step around a good
sized ball room to many of her sex.
New York Sun: Hi! Stop that or
you will have to pay for the job over
again" yelled an irate dealer at a GUS
toner in his store the other day. Il
am tired of mending tires and having
men push the plugs with their fingers
You are like lot of others Don't you
know better than to go humping a
fresh plug that way?"
But if it won't stand that treatment
how am L going to ride on it?" asked
the owner of the wheel, who had been
poking the plug with his finger back
to the inside of the tire.
The repairman replied: "In the first
place the cement on that repair is not
dry yet. The plug has not set and it
IS not ready to be ridden upon. In the
next place, when you ride on the tire
the pressure is distributed all over the
tread. 1t is a very different matter
so far as the plug is concerned, from
being deliberately poked at There are
lot Of fellows who do the same thing
when they fix a puncture on the road
They poke the plug to see if it is tight
and when it drops out they say the ce-
ment is no good"
A Maine company manufactures a
chain case made entirely of tubing. A
piece is bent L shaped TO form the front
sprocket covering, and is then cut open
around its inner periphery in order that
the rim of the sprocket wheel may enter
the case and run snugly in the opening
but without touching. At the rear ends
of the U are attached telescoping tubes
that act as chain runs. The chain run
tubes are bent at their rear ends to
meet each other in a half circle which
sprocket wheel This rear L is also
opened on its inside in order to receive
the sprocket rim. Two pieces of open
ed tubing properly bent are attached
to the main part of the case to cover
that portion of the sprockets on which
the chain does not run. The case is
supported at the ends by suitable
brackets The inventor. a Boston man.
advises that the case be filled with a
non-liquid lubricant, most of which will
adhere to the chain. If desired the in
ner walls of the tubing may be lined
with TaWnlOc TO MAKE the case HOlSe-
less.
In a combined coaster and brake of
some merit, the frame which secures
the device to the upper ends Of the fork
sides carries on either side a step-like
projection on which the feet may be
rested when coasting. Projecting back
ward is a light frame which carries a
roller brake shoe and a couple Of wire
springs for returning the brake The
frame is turned outward at each side
Just at the rear of the roller bearing
holes. When the rider is coasting and
desires to put the brake in operation
he may drop his heel upon one of these
projectiles and press the roller on the
tire. OF course, it is not necessary that
the riders feet be on the coaster in
order 10 bring the brake into use If
it is desired TO stop suddenly, one foot
can be taken from the pedal and
pressed on the brake projection in the
same manner that some riders press
their foot against the tire under the
fork crown in order to slow up quickly.
An adjustable bar that admits of the
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