Evening star., 1898-05-21
Record OF the Clubs.
GENERAL BICYCLE GOSSIP

| Is a BeHeI al CoHlDldlHl Ol tne nlSn prices
| that are charged for repair work. The ten
| dency of the times seems Ito be reduc-
ton in price. though it cannot be said that
| the reduction in the price of repair work
| is in the same ratio as the reduction of
the price of new or second hand bicycles.
Why this is so is hard to tell. 1t may be
because the money involved in repair work
is but small fraction of that represented
in the purchase of wheel.
One dealer aptly remarked recently to
Star reporter that there was more money
in a first-class repair business than in
ordinary bicycle agency. The same dealer
also remarked that II it were not for the
repair departments in number of local
agencies the business could not be con-
tinued with profit. There are only a limit
cd number of agencies in the city which
have not repair department. Few con-
Gems can afford to refuse to take repair
work, except that which concerns bicycles
I Of the manufacture they handle. This
work generally comes under, the head of
guarantee work, which does not mean any
reimbursement for the labor expended. but
is simply an effort to keep up the reputa-
ton of the particular wheel 1t can hardly
be doubted that many agencies in the city
make nearly double the money. IL not more,
from general repair work. than is made
through the sales of bicycles, new or sec
ond hand.
An illustration of the high charge for re-
pair work is given In the following: A rider
well known to the writer was unfortunate
enough to have the rim of the front wheel
badly mashed through an accident, in
which a wagon ran over the wheel. The
tire escaped harm. but the spokes were all
broken or bent double, over half being
damaged beyond repair. The Tim was OF
aluminium and bore a clincher tire, and
though mashed fiat, was not cracked at
any place. local dealer looked at the
damaged wheel and placed price of 81
upon the work of Strengthening the rim and
respoking. This sum would have been paid
by the owner. but the repairman would not
guarantee the work. expressing the opn-
| ion that the wheel would be badly Injured
in repairing. The owner visited two other
places. One shop would not take the job
under any consideration, while another
wanted more than s. for repairing. The
owner was not satisfied with this. He
boxed the wheel up and sent 1t back to the
factory for repairs. The cost Of rolling the
rim and respOking was only 81 .25. and the
freight charges both ways were about the
same. Moreover, the work was guaranteed.
The total cost was fully $3.50 less than the
same repairs could be made in this city. to
say nothing Of the additional satisfaction
given in the guarantee.
This is only sample illustration. The
price may be above that usually paid for
ordinary repair work. The price for put
ting In spoke is rather high, and also
that for repairing puncture. Many
paarmen charge nearly double the price OF
mendng puncture in single tube as for
repairing a punctured double-tube tire.
Other small things, such as truing Wheel
putting In or cutting out link in the chain.
for at rather high rate by a majority of
the repair shops Some dealers advertise
to clean wheel for $l5O. and then only
nalf DO the work. Instead Of taking the
Wneei apart and cleaning the balls and bail
chambers separately the bearings are loos-
ened On the wheel and gasoline or benzine
squirted literally in the joints. The In
hammabie fluid is supposed to wash out all
ana very frequently, 1t fails to do this 1t
IS nasty and slipshod way of cleaning a
machine.
considerably over so per cent of Its former
price but In the line of bicycle parts the
,eonctien has not been so great While
bicycle lamps, bells, coasters cyclometers
and the like may haye sbeen cut greatly in
price the various parts 6f the bicycle still
sell at rather stiff figure This may he
que 10 the tact thar esdh bicycle factory
nas practical monopoly in the manufac-
tire and sale of the different parts that
20 70 make up the bicycle as a whole
some factories that manufacture three or
LIT LIT oinerent wheels have interchange.
aDie parts. but there are very few wheels
turned out from different factories that
Will nave parts which can be intercaang.d
me competition in tho trade has become so
eadi uAhule bars, saddles, sad
oIe posts, rims, sprCckets. pedals and tires
are now made inIC soil many different
Styles That 1t Is an easy matter to se:ure
any OF the above to tit any wheel desired.
some manufacturers however have SO ar
ranged the makeup of their wheels that
oniy they alone car furnish certain parts
AS an Illustration, one make of wheel has
pe9aiS with right and left threads. The
peaafs thaf are sold generally have only
nent threads. 1t would not pay to make
ana sell right and left threads to the gen.
elai public on account of the limited de-
mand Tor the latter style. The manufac-
.eier OF the wheel using both threads. on
tne other hand. enjoys practically the sole
monopoly of the business
"A Iioer mas figured that complete wheel.
tne parts purchased separately, would cost
tour or hve times the price of a machine as
onered TO the public by the manufacturer.
Ihls method of figuring may be rather
nigh, but 1t is hardly likely that all Of the
a1nerent parts could be obtained for a sum
less than twice the market price Of the
wheel. II to this sum be added the cost of
assembling the parts the nickeling and en-
anleuns. the cost would he much greater.
The repair men also have grievance
against some portion Of the general public.
Almost without exception the repairers