The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-11
NOTES OF THE WHEEL.

NOTES OF THE WHEEL.
None but expert riders can maintain a
perfect equilibrium going at a speed of
less tina six miles per hour. Ten miles an
hour is only ordinary travel for bicy-
Gle. and 10 miles would not attract much
attention except when the streets or roads
are crowded.
A good bicycle with decent us will last
six seasons or more, and a pair Of road
tires of fair weight may be ridden from
5000 to 10000 miles on ordinary roads. An
English authority states that a pair of
tires in one instance was known to run
5000 miles and still be fit for use.
A Canadian wheeling expert said the
other day that it would be an outrage II
cycle riding should be lowered to plane
with prize fighting and baseball. In the
latter sports the public has confidence,
while cycle racing. if it is conducted on
the plan of the recent six day race. will
soon lose caste.
All bicycles should be examined at least
once a year. Even if a wheel is kept in
order and occasionally overhauled by its
owner some defects or damage is liable to
be overlooked. An experienced mechanic
should be engaged to do this work. In
this way wheel may be made to last
much longer than if it were not attended
to at all.
Michael nvr drinks anything but tea
and ale. He is a great tea drinker, but
seldom touches water; and he never
smokes-never has smoked, in fact, a ci-
gar or cigarette. He advised no vegeta-
bles, as they tend to fatten, and warns
off all highly seasoned foods-chicken,
game, pies and pastery. He regards coffee
drinking as also being bad.
One Of the stearnest propositions to
confront cycle riders and Intending buy
ers of new wheels in 1898 will be that of
mo old wheels received in exchange"
Generally speaking, the retail trade will
make this its policy. The inauguration of
this new principle will mark the depar-
ture of one of the most time honored Gus
toms of the cycling world.
English inventors are paying a great
deal of attention to gearing improvements
these days. The move has come to light
but its inventors does not claim a mile a
minute speed like one spoken about in
this column recently. In his specification
of the latest gear it is described as using
two additional wheels in one piece run
ming on one spindle, with the usual cone
and ball bearing fixed between the brack-
ct wheel and the hind driving wheel to =
small bracket frame fitted to one of the
back fork stages.
One of the exhibits at the National Cy-
Gle show in London that attracted much
attention was a kite shape frame wheel.
The best point about it is the increased
rigidity the peculiar shaped frame gives
it. II allows a very narrow tread to be
introduced without reducing the clear
ances for the back wheel tire, the chain
being arranged to run in the same plane
as the compression stays.
Lesna's return to Europe from America
after winning but one race, but. neverthe-
less carrying back with him a small for
tune. has been the cause of great for
eign invasion of riders at the present time
The glowing accounts given to the rid
ers across the pond by Lesna seemed as
a Ilondike, and the riders were not slow
70 take advantage OF opportunities that
presented themselves TO come TO this
country