The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-11
NEWS NOTES
FOR WHEELMEN.

with the return OF cool weather there
sbo,,ld he a return Of many 10 the cycle
nath hut as tho days are short. many
beve 10 90 out al night or not at all.
and for those who 50 cut there Is little
Measure 70 bump along over this uneven
roads We have until you reach the head
81 Proad street. I had friend from
chicago call on me this week and want
inc ia show him the city j offered him
a wheel. but his answer was 40, thank
YOU" and / asked why, ana M sald he
would not be able 70 CLIMB our mis- or
stand the Dumping over our iou5" we
meuts after being used 20 the level
errcets and smooth bouleyards Of the
Windy city. And so we took IA what
could be reached by the car INES
There have been the usual number OF
accidents on the road OWNS 10 lne toitl
disregard Of al rules Of the road ana
several riders have been hurt ana some
wheels used up. ~
There should Dc cycle police who Wouid
soon make every one learn 70 Keep 70
their side Of the road as IS done 10 an
go-ahcad places. The League 81 " me-.
men expect soon 20 have up signs winch
will help some IN this matter.
on ~ bicycle provided with 3)-inch
wheels the rider cannot. as irequenlly
supposed. be nearer 10 tho ground tnin
on a bicycle with @-iuch wheels. hi5
! feet must pass ~ the same distance
from the ground as ordinarily. Inc 'iop
| OF the hanger may Doe increased ere
inch but thar means only a. chante ol
frame angles. as the height or "A.-i
/ ccntcrs g. 40 tine same time Increased
by one inch The scat Of the riier IN
I relation 10 the ground remains uHcLans-
cd IL the icg reach snail remain it
90 the riders stature. The usual gam
from lowering the GRANT, hanger is there
fore not experienced by mo extra 1fop
obtained ON machines with large Whoeis.
Indeed this advantage ~ being nearer
the ground can under no circumfian. 90
I be obtained on bicycle driven py TO-
tary crauke without dlminIsling the
distance between pedal and feet and the
-rOund-and takins tho c0uGequencc5-or
changing to tho bcnt-linc8 style OF nd
ing II the latter ls not accepted AZ de-
srable the tor tube in bicycle " I'm
30-iuch wheels IS therefore at the same
height above the ground IS the seat
cluster as IN the every day bicycle.
II this top tube must furthermore re-
main horizontal. the top Of the steering
head must also remain II the old height
length Of the steering head in a machine
with 30-inch wheels OF which the rider
may expect that IL win ht his stature
and his style of riding ln the same man-
ucr as id the machine with A-iIch
wheels ~ which he was accustomed.
All the rider needs TO know is the length
of the steering head on the old machine
II this was G inches the steering head
dn the large wheeled machine Uhich
shall ht him similarly must DO two
inches shorter or Z inches long.
IN the old machine tho forks were
about lG inches long reckoning from
wheel axle to lower head bearings A
shock at the axle equal 10 20 pounds
at right angles with the steering head
would on the old machine operate with
a leverage Of 10 10 on tic upper head
bearings eXerting a pressure on these
equal 10 533 pounds. On the lower head
bearing the leverage would DE % o.
and the pressure I'm the lower ban bear
ings would therefore be o.. pounds. I've
erybody knows how many balls have
been crushed and how many fork stems
broken under this pressure. ln the mae
chine with 30-lnCh wheels the head in
the machine fitting The same man In
the same manucr is 4 inches long and
the lever arm from lower BAN bearings
O. wheel axle la 10 inches 0r tlereaDouts
Under the shock referred 20. the pres
sure on upper bearings Will therefore
be SIS pounds and on the lower bear
incs LIPS pounds. II The rider wants 10
shorten his reach in the large wheeled
machine the steering head VIII bc etl
shorter ana the pressure stLl greater.
With 3-inch head the aforementioned
shock, which may readily Doe sustained
IL tires are blown hard and the road
IS rough and hard also would result
IN a stress OF 1883 pounds in the lower
bearings. With uire-iuch head on the
contrary and --inch wheels tha same
shock would be- reduced To- 900 pounds.
A rider who can ride cycle with o
25-iuch frame and rides Z2-ilcn frame
because he thinks 80 fashionable should
also wear his younger brothers uclz-
ers. oF the two go vel together. The
frame should nt the rider. not the rider
NJ the frame. 4 cycle with a or 9 -2
inch head has lost both strength and
beauty. A inch head Is certainly saOrt
enough. Many manufacturers use
hanger with compression bolts 90 bold
the ban cases from sereWiug up on tho
balls and Genes. Such adjustments or
bearings are a nuisance 10 the rider,
as the cases are sure 90 loosen or tighten
in use and are not equal TO the cone
adjustment lOE INN AaINoliAelIat us N.it
ball cases are always thrown out OF line
with the cone when the hanger shell
compression bolts are frightened.
TO abolish the guarantee would prob
ably De the most cnclci0us means that
could be devised for reducing the weight
OF bicycles. Tor St IS the responsibility
under the guarantee which las iuiIced
manufacturers 90 gradually increase the
amount of metal Ia their prod ict on
the other hand the abolition Of o % guar-
Gntee would not affect frame strength.
for no maker can AFFORD 10 have frames
break down. AS frames were buit In
1895 and 1885 thcy will. however not Do
built dgain. 1hoy We're strong enough
for the FIRST year. but deterorated by
vibration too rapidly. and they were rot
rigid enough for speed aud sense a Sc
curlty. The frames Of 1899 need not
weigh more than those ~ four years ego,
but they must ba different, aud tho
progress made n tube drawing and taat
style Of Joints which might Do termed
internal lap5raz.ng joints. warrants the
assumption that they viii Dee stronger.
more rigid and more durable. especially
n the steel in Them is also Improved as
II may be- Saddles crank shafts. spiocket
wheels hubs and tires are the principal
features IN which the bicycle Of 1858
is too heavy. These have been allowed
10 become heavy because the general