The sun., 1899-01-22
OPENING OF CYCLE SHOW.
MADISON SQUIRE GARDEE THRoNGED
BIZ DETOTEES OF THE WHEEL.

ing Community Enjoys the Reunion
| At least 5000 persons went TO Madison
Square Garden last night to look at bicycles. tC
talk Of bicycles aud listen to explanations con
| cerning the parts OF bicycles as they are benG
made for 1899. For the first time in New
| York since 1897 genuine bicycle show was
| opened 1t was the first one at the Gar
den since 1896. Judging from tho crowd
! the tide OF interest and enthusiasm in such dis
! plays is not ebbing The desire to inspect
compare and crticise. and to meet fellow en-
| thusiasts and argue. was IA strongly manifest
| as ever, and the bicycle exposition promises to
! again prove itself the greatest OF industrial
shows.
As a spectacle the exhibit has the brilliancy
and variety OF the affairs Of former years.
although the number of exhibitors Is not quite
so great. nor the individual decoration quite
so lavish The handsome flags and streamers
that appeared in the big amphitheatre for
the French bah of last Thursday night were all
in place. excepting that the tri-colors were re-
moved and the Stars and Stripes put up instead.
The blaze of electric lights from the booths
played in and out among their colors In most
fascinating way. From the galleries the birds
eye view Of the show revealed all the
characteristics OF the exhibits Of former years.
The well-known makers of standard wheels
who always have been conspicuous were as
much so as ever. and their spaces were ilu-
minated by electrically lighted signs Of great
Of all the talk Of the late Board Of Trade depre-
eating the expense OF, such displays, ln
ssa gny G the ao% oS IS saes Re and yss Gle
are not 20 crowded. the asles are bro ader and
the find much h mere fncity to
boxes have been floored over and gallery
made for booths. which are ,ocrupied chiefly by
parts. the bicycles and automobilcs being on
the main floor. The second gallery is not
The total number of exhibitors, is 13!o; and and
the last, one held ppdeA the p nnspicss Of the
turers. the number of xhibtors was about
200. The biggest show ever held, that Of 1896.
It is interesting TO note that nearly fifty Of the
firms that exhibited at tho 1897 show have
f6s r% and % Rs ssss R' at q the s sf
tons of other years were present. Even the
signs used in former shows were. conspicuous
above the booths, though some OF them. as one
saved, but a world too wide for the shrunken
space" The remark was pertinent to only one
has more than 1000 incandescent lamps and
The crowd present last night was composed
largely Of cycle club members who were in
yited by the management to attend the open
flavor to the affair. and there were renewals OF
old friendships and reunions of groups all over
were racing men and club enthusiasts in earlier
days foregathered with their erstwhtle com
rades and Hellol old chap" was one OF the
watchwords OF the night.
Women were numerous and their interest
in the wheels themselves was apparently great
er than that OF the men. If the manner in which
they listened to the talk of the sal esmen in the
booths was any criterion. The hunt for SOU
venirs went on with all the eagerness of other
days, and it was surprising to the old
guard" how many souvenirs came to light;
because after 1886 there was general refusal
thn nrt off hn " n m
mentoS. At one space callers received coupons.
Of which one in every hundred entitled the
the week the firm will give away fifty lamps
every night by this method Another concern.
bievces small al box o matches IN o
aluminium box is another of the souvenirs that
appeared. and still another was a pocket mir
ror in facsimile OF the name-plate OF we'll
known wheel. Carnation pinks worn in thou
sands Of buttonholes signalized the souvenir
There are five max ers Of automobile vehicles.
both electric and petroleum. among the eXhi-
au sfe tbe cbe atraeoss Of the shows
Among the features that attracted attention
was an auto mobile carrier for commercial use
bles in general way, the pedal driven carriers
now common on the avenues In having an
ordinary bicycle saddle and handle bars for the
At the booth of one manufacturer is an object
OF the 2t rysF d n
Of 1876; a type of the first safety,
made in 1885, and finally, chainess wheel
1897 The biggest wheel at the, show is a
seeyen-sseater. shown In a booth where every
thing from single bicycle up to the sep
The, show viii be open to the public from 2
12 um in the SeRs snf%TdnV Sn 9ock band at
furnishes the music for the prom enaders in
the evening This week some OF the auto auto
and will show their vehicles In operation. Civ |
ing free rides to visitors.
a central point Of attraction at space whore
he stood exhibiting peculiar style of chain |
less cycle. on which he broke many Of tho best |
or black. TeddyS Edwards. With the he chain laC
less on which he made 250 consecutive centu-
thirty varieties of chanlcss wheels were shown. |
The show is rcmarkatle for the utter lack of
a triangular wheel is to be seen. This puzzled |
many Of the visitors. but pleased the, students |
busis upon which bicycle makers |
have settled, In literal comparison with the |
The city. the lS9, models at the Garden show !
decided progress In construction. The advance |
ines S and geneT S style but it is there ana more
real because there are no freak changes in
pattern made for the sake OF change; and not !
with a true purpose Of Improvement. The prog
ress in construction is one of refinement in every
feature Of frames. bearings and driving gear
TO those who love wheels and study them as
horscmen do their steeds, the advance madcin
he methods of jointing. adjusting and other
lcctcs are remarkable. The fact that such
,hanges are not as suDcrllcially apparent as
rcakish alterations Of lines leads the visitors to
ask many more questions and salesmen are
moro bothered than ever 10 make things plain.
because OF bicycles having reached the stage
where the rider has TO study more adeeplyin
order to understand what is the Significance Of
tiferent methods Of construction.
In the matter of joints it is noticeable thaL
after two years in which, flush Joints have
and the almost universal form, at this
show there are many makers of repute eXhib-
ting models with outside joints. About 70 per
'ent. OF the exhibitors arc using this old
out substantial style OF joints. Seeming
y the inclination toward an exceedingly
ow drop OF the crank, hanger reached It's
lood last year. In the 1880 models no one is
showing any increase in the drop. while few
makers are manitesting disposition TO- TO- retreat
'bove tho line. given to 1t in 1888. What is
,nown as the three crown, pattern in, con
truction is quite prominently displayed. the
ear forks and hackstays coming in each
'ase to an oval crown and being Joined
It the bottom bracket or seat post
ug by Il single stem, in the same way as the