Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-06
IN THE WHEELING WORLD


1t seems as yesterday when in the middle
OF the '7Os the bicycle emerged finally
from the ehrysars Of the bone-shaker
into the "spider-wheels' and India rubber
tires OF the early wheels; things Of beauty
then, but of horror now. In those days all
the presentable machines ia the world. II
placed in a straight line, would have reached
but a mile or two, says the Cycling West.
Today the worlds bicycles would form u
continuous girdle long enough to e%ncircle
the earth at the equator
IL is estimated that there are now no fewer
than 10000, 900 bicycles throughout the world,
OF which Germany atone claims more than
5000, 900, or one machine for every seventeen
OF Its population, while the aggregate num-
Der OF machines is roughly one for every
seventy-fve OF the entire population of the
world.
These figures are alomst too stupendous to
grasp. but IL it were possible to gather into
one vast army all the worlds cyclists they
would outnumber all the armed soldiers of
Europe ION a peace footing) by more than
FIVE to one.
Patent office reports show that there still
NOulluutS " Dt great dCllNlNy dluOub IL u
ventors of bicycle improvements. The de-
mand for longer cranks has directed atten-
ton anew toward the problem of cranks with
a variable throw, to be regulated by the
rider at pleasure. Grave doubt has been cast
upon anything OF this character ever being
practicable, but the ingenuity being con-
stantIy expended on the subject seems to
be bringing the desired end nearer. One Of
the best looking Of recent patents Is that is
sued to a Massachusetts man, in which the
crank fits into a cylindrical sleeve on the
crank shaft and Is held by a tension device
that permits Of the crank being heightened
when there is extra pressure applied to the
pedal, as in climbing a hill.
Devices designed to reduce the vibration
felt by wheel riders have been brought out
by scores in the past few years. A demand
for them has been created by the increase in
the number of middle-aged riders who OBJ
ject to the jar of the ordinary rigid frame
bicycles. The objection to most OF the anti
vibration contrivances has been that they
affected the lateral firmness of the machine.
The newest invention of this kind is one
essentially different from any previously
seen and one that seems to be free from the
common objection mentioned. whatever
others may be found against 1t. The plan
theoretically is to have two hubs in the
front wheel. one within the other. The
wheel r~evolves about the larger hub, while
the smaller hub %revolves inside the other
one. A clock spring inside the outer hub
holds both in a certain position. When an
obstacle is struck the spring yields so that
the inner hub can move out of its relative
place and the jar be taken up at the hub
and not impaired to the frame. The outer
hub is scarcely larger than those now in
average use. When moving over a smooth
surface the inner hub does not revolve.
The idea is that of an Englishmen and as
yet has not been introduced here.
An English Judge, more just than gallant,
before whom a man and his wife were ar
| raigned for scorching, fined the woman twice
as much as he did the man because she was
| a couple OF lengths in advance.
An evidence that cycle stealing is a bust
ness Systematically followed by a number OF
professional crooks was afforded when two
men with complaints met recently in a
police station, in New York City. One was
a young rider who had bought a chainless
wheel, and, desiring to exhibit it to some
| friends, rode 1t to one Of the best known
social clubs and left it standing against the
lower pillar OF the front stoop. When he
came out with his friends the wheel was
gone. At first a joke was suspected. but,
this idea being dissipated, the police were
sought. After the young man had finished
telling his story the captain turned to an
other in cycling costume, who had been a
listener, and the expression on the captain
| face was significant of a thorough cornpre-
| hension of what had happened. The rider,
who had heard about the wheel stolen from
in front of the club, said that he, a few
| minutes previously, had bought a chatnless
wheel and paid S25 for 1t to a man In a
cycling rig, who had related one of the most
probable and impenetrable OF hard luck
| stories. He rode the wheel to a store less
than three blocks from where he bought 1t
and left it in front. When he sought it a
few minutes later it was gone. There was
no doubt left, when descriptions were COM
pared. that 1t was the same wheel that had
been stolen from in front OF the club. SO far
as the police know, the same thief is still
r~eselling and restealing that chainless
wheel at a profit of $50 a day, and having no
trouble of any kind.
A policeman sat on a trolley car that was
| running along Jamaica avenue, Brooklyn.
| saws the New York Sun. The car was
speeding at about twenty miles an hour, as
tney usually 40 IN tndL uletTlcl' ~ Cyciist
was racing with the car, as the riders out
that way frequently do. The motorman,
conductor and passengers were enjoying the
race. The policeman looked on Ia silence
for a while, and then, when the wheelman
came alongside SO as to be very close to
him, the officer called out:
You'd better quit there or you'll be ar
rested for scorching."
The rider called back: "Say, Mister,
| Cop hadn't you better arrest the car
| driver for exceeding the speed limit"
The cyclist then dropped back before the
| policeman got a chance to stop the car and
arrest him for his impudence.
A piece OF common soap can be obtained
at any hotel or farm house. and 1t is a great
thing for a rider who finds that his valve
is leaking. All that Is necessary to stop
the escape Of air is to press 1t over the top
So as to make a smooth seal. 1t will of
course be found necessary to first moisten
the cake OF soap, and care should be taken
when plugging the top Of the valve not to
depress the plunger within and plug 1t so
that the escape is greater than before. When
a tourist is in such an unpopulous district
that he cannot get soap a piece OF damp
| clay will answer the purpose.
mi O. ~