New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30


by a League member not parent or guaroIan
would not carry the same responsibility as tha'
Of a parent or guardian.
The payment OF their dues should entitle them
20 enjoy their privileges at all times. Ans.-So IL
does but under the same restriction that IL
usually understood to be applied TO minors
II should be specified that they may receive
THE Bulletin road books. etc, at the same
price when sold to regular members. Ans.-
This is not necessary. as their parents OF qua,
dams. being members. are supposed 10 ne NJ
ready provided.
AS the amendment now reads. we shall shut
out thousands Of lads and lassies whose parents
never rode a wheel and probably never WILL II
these children become members. might we not
reasonably expect that the parents would tnere-
by become more friendly to our cause? Ans
1t Is to accomplish this object that the amend
ment Is proposed-i. e.. to draw INTO the League
ell those who would ioin for no other reason
than to give the benefits and advantages OF the
l.. A. w. TO their children and wards
We want the juniors with us. but we ougnt
not to tie hawser to everything we have
TO offer them. Ans.-We tie them to nothing.
but open the door TO them to form the liveliest
recruiting force for the beneft or themselves
and for the League.
When the "Hoosiers" who successful
in their efforts to obtain the annual assembly or
the League Of American Wheelmen for le9S
throw Indianapolis open TO cyclists from all over
the country New-York will be represented by
the Harlem Wheelmen Arrangements are now
being made to organize an indianapolis Meet
Club among the members Of the Harlem Wheel
men, so that the date may be kept before the
men who have vacations to arrange and other
matters to attend to before they can leave this
city for an eight-day trip. that being the time
needed to complete the programme laid down by
the preliminary itinerary. which takes in visits
TO one or two we-known Western cycling clubs.
The club will give its last dance of the season
at the Ellerse Rooms. in West One hundred
and-twenty sixth-st.. on Thursday evening. Feb
ruary ). This being the last social affair before
Lent. special efforts will he made 20 make this
the best Of this successful series Of dances After
the dance supper will be served in the club
house where the newly appointed House Com
mitee Will try to Guido its predecessors in the
art OF satisfying the inner man.
Discussion has been renewed recently regard
ing the use Of the asphalt strips which have
been placed OF the streets OF this city,
with the primary purpose Of providing smooth
going for bicycles 1t IS equally true that wheel
men have exclusive right TO them for they
can have exclusive right to any part OF
public highway. AS a rule, these strips have
been placed next the curbstone. or in the gutter
road engineers would say. Hence they are
especially liable TO be obstructed by vehicles
drawn by horses and when vehicle Of this kind
Is moving slowly or is drawn up at the curb. the
rough pavement to get around the obstruction
on this account the strips or ribbons Of asphalt
have by no means been serviceable as they
might have been under other conditions Last
year experiments were made in two different
parts Of the city in placing the strips nearer to
the middle OF the street This was done in One
hundred-and- thirty eghh-st. and Westchester-
ave, in what Is now the Borough Of The Bronx
and likewise for short distances in Broadway
and Greenpoint-ave.. in Brooklyn. In all these
cases the strips were laid near the cartracks,
and far enough from the curbs TO allow the free
passage OF III ordinary vehicles without trench
ing on the asphalt. The result proved that this
arrangement was an Improvement the
method frst adopted, the most conspicuous ex-
ampes Of which are to be seen in Madson-ave.
and Hudson-st., Manhattan. and Bushwick-ave..
BrOok lyn. In a street without cartracks it is a
question whether two strips OF the ordinary
width should be laid on each side of the middle
OF the carriagcway. or whether one strip twice
as wide should be placed exactly in the middle.
Was there ever January like the now
closing? 1t is safe to say that such open
first month does not happen oftener than once
il ten or dozen years. 1t has been a great
month for bicyclists intent on piling up big
ords, for they have been able 10 make phenOme-
nal records thus far Even riders who mount
the bicycle simply for the good of their health.
and find It the most delightful exercise in the
world. have easily put two hundred miles or
more to their credit in the month. The SHOWS
thus far this winter have scarcely interfered
at all with wheeling and 1t has only been on the
few rainy days that the sport had to be tenn
pOrarily discontinued. Nor has there been any
excessive cold weather. IT is possible that the
open" weather may continue. but according
10 the law Of probabilities there is bound to be
considerable snow and slush and Ice before the
spring riding gets fairly under way.
toward the end Of March.
From different parts OF the country come COM
plants from farmers anent the bicycle. In one
region the farmers have registered VOW to
snp loy hereafter IA m hands who ride the
wheel. the ground OF their objection being that
men who take spins OF some length every pleas
evening and century runs Sundays
n reby unified to d. their farm work properly
This Is doubtless true but it does not follow
that every farm worker who owns n wheel is
certain to tire himself on it evenings and Sun
days After hard days work It can but
be pleasant relaxation 10 many II they are
able to look forward TO a few miles OF bicycle
riding before going to bed, and ride of mod
crate length on Sunday will do them good rather
tian harm If the farmers insist on moder-
alton in the use OF they wheel they will do
wisely: to prohibit II altogether will be likely
70 react TO their own injury. Especially will
tne farmers Dogs De Detter content 10 remain
q home If they have the privilege and pleas
ure Of owning bicycles and using them, even in
the season when work is hardest and the days
longest.
4 simple rule for determining the gear OF
ohainless wheels has been formulated. An au-
tlcrity the subject says that the gear is
equal 70 the number Of revolutions Of the rear
wheel divided by the number Of revolutions
rade by the crank in the same time. multiplied
by the diameter Of the wheel in inches. That
s, unds q little abstrusa. but II is easy TO apply
ir practice so as at least to approximate closely
TO the actual gear. The wheel must be lifted
from the floor on frame or stood on its head"