The record-union., 1899-08-20

ming to understand that the item of
weight, the oscillation and spinning of
the bearings and certain other things
to which great Importance was once at
tached in determining the qualities of
a bicycle are not, after all, important
factors in econemizing power and say
ing the riders strength.
y
1.-THE Cyelist," apropos of an incident
at Ludgate Circus, raises the question
whether a rider is entitled, when the
wheeling traffic is stopped, to shoulder
his machine and continue his progress
as a pedestrian. 1t may, of course, be
urged that as a man is allowed to carry
a ladder among foot passengers it is
only reasonable to allow the wheelman
to walk along with his less bulky bur
den; and, further, that if man were
carrying a new machine, which mad
not been ridden, he would not be ex-
pected to stop with the carriage trafhc.
No doubt a good case could be made out
for the wheelman, but it is point on
which the wheelman would do we'll not
to insist, for it would seem too much
like wishing to run with the hare and
hunt with the hounds. Riders must
make up their minds to regard bicycles
as carriages and abide by the regula-
tions governing them. Only too often
one sees a rider disobeying some rule
of traffic, and thus causing friction
with the public and the authorities.
There are plenty of important matters
in which wheelmen require better
treatment at the hands of the police
and the pedestrians; they should, there
fore, carefully abstain from raising diff
ficulties in unimportant matters.
A rider of chain cycle has learned
something from the chainless machines
without riding one. He says:
IF you will look at one of the chain
less wheels on the road you will no.
on the gears catches the most dust and
dirt. Before such a wheel has been
two miles on the road the front part of
this gear house is covered with dust. On
the bright, black enamel it shows plain
ly, while it does not on the sprocket
and chain. This observation made it
plain to me that it is on the front side
and top of the forward sprocket that
the chain gets soiled. The dirt is
thrown back by the front wheel and
strikes not only the sprocket and top
of the chain, but also the under side as
it approaches the sprocket. Compared
with this dirt the drifting dust of the
road that the chain ordinarily catches
does not amount to much.
1.-THE way 1 turned the fact to ad-
vantage was by having a piece of alum
inum fastened to the lower tube Of my
wheel so that it sticks out and curves
over the front of the sprocket and
catches this throw of the front wheel.
A similar arrangement is now going
over my rear sprocket, and in my opin-
ion these simple guards are about as
good as a gear case and have not any
of the objections of the full length case.
The little pieces of aluminium are right
where the gear case does the chief part
Of its protective work"
Alameda Encinal: The United States
treasury reports show that American
bicycles are now ridden in all parts of
the world, from the jungles Of Africa
to the wilds of South An&rica During
the last fiscal year $4,000,000 worth of
American bicycles We're sold in Eu-
ropean countries. The figures show
that Great Britain is our best customer,
that country taking nearly $4,000, 900
worth Of our wheels last year. Ger
many comes next, and Canada. France,
Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark,
British Africa, British East Indies,
Japan, China, Dutch East Indies and
Africa following in the order of the
amount of their purchases. Since
Cuba was freed from Spanish dominion
she has bought from American manu-
facturers eight times as many bicycles
as formerly. Porto Rico and the Ha-
waiian Islands are good customers.
though direct expectations to the Phil
ippines are thus far infrequent When
they have had their fill of fighting, the
Tagalos will doubtless be found dis
porting themselves on American BIZ
cyles and holding animated arguments
over the respective merits of the sew
eral makes of wheels, just as do Amer
leans.
The United States bicycle and
~GbCAiiOo11C CAl1lBlIS dI the Par1S EsX-
position, says Major Bracket. Secre-
tary of the United States to the Paris
Exposition, will be located in the build
ing at the Bois de Vincennes provided
for the housing of the railway exhibits
OF all countries. There will be a build
ing covering 5000 square feet, besides
bicycle track, for the American exbi-
oltion. American builders are expected
to make the largest and most import
ant bicycle exhibit made by any coun-
try. A track some two miles in length.
running around the Lake DaumesniI.
IN the Bols de Vincennes, has been pro-
vided for showing automobiles and mo-
tor vehicles of all kinds in operation.
A space of 4,300 square feet in the
automobile building has been secured
for the American exhibit According to
e.