The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-25
NEWS NOTES
FOR WHEELMEN.


largest exclusive bicycle bridge In the
world. This Is used to cross a raUne
IN the southern part Of the city, and NJ
a distance resembles beautifu IRON
trestle. This appearance Is not borne out
by fact. however. as the bridge Is built
Of the famous Washington fir.
The bridge rises above the ravine al
the highest point 10 feet. The length
OF the road bed IS $50 feet, the width; OF
which Is twelve feet. while at the o4Lse
It widens out to fifty feet. The min
tlnbers are SxS inches. The bents are
twenty feet apart, and well braced In cv-
erv direction. making a perfectly sub
stantlal structure for the purposes FOR
which Il Is intended. The cost OF the
structure. which was raised entirely by
the wheelmen, was within few cents
OF Si.000.
starbuck and Church arc out with
challenge to meet any other two riders
in team pursuit race, each rider TO
start from opposite sides Of the track
Both men are In excellent condition. the
former as "a result Of his preparatory
work for his race with Taylore at VII
low Grove on the 18th.
Tom Cooper will ride a higher gear
this year than last. lie has been watch
ing carefully the training and riding Of
the foreigners and has come 20 the con-
cuslon that high gears will win this sea
SON. Earl Kiser will remain on 10"
gears. training on y or "a and riding
an 50 or thereabouts in his races. Bald
will use an average gear.
August Lehr the German champion
who left Belleair, Fla, last winter en-
route for Germany to straighten out MS
nersonal affairs and obligations to the
government will return 20 this country
on Nav 18th. Lehr leaves Bremen, Ger
many on the 10th. He will compete IN
match races which ne expects TO make
a speciality. he has quarter-mile sprint
that IS very hard to beat.
Tom Eek has designed striking uni
form for his charges the coming season.
The right arm and leg Of the suit will
bo white. the left arm and leg cnerry-
colored. the right side OF the body VIII
be cherry and the left side white. II
will form a pretty combination. especial
" when worn by all the pacemakers on
the big machines in q middle-dlstance
race.
There has been no more remarkable
development I'm the bicycle trade than
that OF the business Of making parts
within the past few years. II has as
sumed enormous dimensions. yet with
ont there being the slightest indication
that # IS a mushroom growth, or that
Il Is otherwise than solid one. Further
more. there is every reason 20 believe thai
Il has not yet reached its limit but that
It will continue TO increase ana 10 en-
croach still further on the precincts NTH
erto regarded as sacred to the bicycle
maker
The movement Is a significant one, and
thoroughly I'm line with the development
that Is taking place almost unnoticed.
The time was when the big makers. and
many OF the smaller ones. prided them
selves on making almost every part that
entered into the construction OF their ma
chimes The claim was made that by so
doing. better parts were obtained than
could be produced by parts makers. or
course. such a state Of affairs no longer
exists. Not only are there certain. parts
that even the largest concerns can PUT
chase to better advantage than they can
make. but their number is constantly
increasing. Ii has been demonstrated
concusively that even tho big makers
find 10 TO their advantage 10 buy GER
tain parts ready 10 put on the machine
and they are not slow 10 do So and thus
rid themselves Of the annoyance such
manufacture would entail. Rims. sad
dies. tires. and sometimes pedals, are a
few conspicuous instances Of this kind.
n this is true of the big makers. it
IS much more so Of the smaller ones.
To them 10 Is n benefit without the
slightest reserve. and they recognize the
fact and this furnishes incentive 10 the
parts makers TO go stll further In the
same direction. II IS a relief TO them 10
be able 20 buy these parts Instead OF
making them. rs IL enables them to turn
out n considerably larger number Of ma
chimes. They have not the slightest de-
sire TO witness n check TO the growth OF
this industry. but. on the contrary, wish
Il all possible success.
This desire is sharpened by the knowl-
edge that the goods they buy in this
way are as a rule, superior to those
formerly manufactured by themselves IL
eNAINo 10 lfh1Uh Ailhk NAAN manu- WV
turns out one or two or three hundred
thousand sets Of an article can do so bet
ter (as we'll as cheaper than the one
who makes but a tenth or twentieth Of
the number. II II were otherwise It
would be a serious reflection on the me-
thods employed by the parts maker.
The increase both in the number Of
parts makers and IN the extent Of their
operations has quite an important bear
ing on the future OF the bicycle manu-
featuring business.
Philadelphia Will become n municipal
itv of trick riders n the ordinance re-
Gently recommended for passage by coun-
ellis committee on police and prisons be-
comes a law. The measure in question
asks that bicycles and other vehicles
traversing the section bounded By Arch
and Walnut and Sixteenth street and the
Delaware river he compelled to limit
their speed TO a pace not exceeding four
miles on hour 90 In other sections Of
the city six miles an hour will be allow
ed. Should the ordinance prevail II Will
be "A fTightful blow az the thousands of
young men-and women toO-who allow
themselves just so many minutes 10 get
down TO the Office on time IN the morn
ing on their bicycles. They will be COM
PEELED 10 get up before breakfast in order
IN insure an carly start In the event