The record-union., 1899-10-20
OF INTEREST TO CYCLISTS.
THE GREAT RELAY RACE OF
THE 22D INST.
Interesting Notes-Free Wheel
American Machines-The Lamp
OF Good Roads.

OF Good Roads.
If there is clear weather thirty
hours before the hour to start
the people of Sacramento will see
fine exhibition of relay riding at Agri-
cultural Park at 1:30 o'clock Sunday
afternoon. The Olympics of San Fran
cisco viii send up ten of the best riders
they have; against these the Capital
City Wheelmen will put ten men chosen
by try out" not picked, but selected
by a try out record after two weeks
of training. Their names have already
been published in the Record Union
This team is a splendid one, and if it is
defeated it will take no dishonor there
by. The Capital City Wheelmen want
to see merit win, clean sport and high
spirit. On the part of the Olympics
they public can be assured of cleanli-
ness and fair play; as to the home club
our people know it as the soul of
honor. With clear weather it will be
a noble contest that fifty miles on the
track between twenty crack amateurs
riders of the coast. The sport
will be great and it ought to draw
thousands to see it and witness the
triumph or defeat of the old-gold, gar
net and black, the Capital City Wheel
men colors.
The c. c. w. Executive Committee
has just issued to the membership the
annual letter Of advice setting forth in
general terms club conditions, and re-
citing the work of the organization. 1t
is full Of hope, strength and good spirit
and appeals to the membership to raise
the roster TO the 500 notch.
In speaking of the free wheel idea
a veteran New York dealer says: BE
tween now and the opening of next
years cycling season it is advisable to
have the subject of free wheels thor
oughly threshed out. There are some
people, whose views are not in accord
with the majority, who think that the
free wheel is an unmixed blessing.
Many who have tried the free wheel,
and among them are some Of the most
experienced riders of to-day, say that
after long spin on a free wheel ma
chine they return home more tired than
usual. There may be something in this,
for the motion of the muscles on a free
wheel machine is irregular. First the
muscles are in action, then they have
a rest; then they are in action agaln,
and, moreover, while the feet are at
rest the saddle has to bear almost the
whole of the riders weight. 1t may be
that the tired feeling after using a
free wheel wears off when one has
been riding it for a month or more, but
it would be interesting to have the
opinions of number Of experienced
riders on this point"
Three or four years ago most of the
best bicycles to be found on the Con-
tinent were Of English make. But now
English cycles abroad are few and far
between. The makers seem to have al
lowed the trade to slip through their
fingers, and the American makers
have been clever enough to grasp the
situation.
Perhaps the buyer of a cheap ma
chine finds comfort in the reflection
that the money which he saves on his
purchase will be useful for his funeral
expenses" says funny man.
y
A Denver man has invented a sub
stitute for rubber called oxaline, which,
he says, will reduce the price Of tires
by one-tenth.
Although it has thousands of wheel
women, Melbourne does not possess one
womans cycling club.
The King of Siam has ordered a new
bicycle fitted with free wheel.
.
take careful note of machines that are
being ridden on the roads you will find
that numbers of them have their front
forks bent. Most of them have, Of
course, been in accidents of some kind
and the riders have been too careless
to have them Strengthened and a proper
examination made by a repairer to see
if they have been at all weakened. Such
people can surely not know the risk
they run. The majority of bad acci-
dents caused through broken front
forks are the result Of such careless
ness. 1t is too commonly assumed that
because a complete fracture did not
take place and the fork is still ridable
it is safe to continue using it. At some
unexpected moment, however. it is
likely to give way. and when the crash
comes IL is often fatal to the rider.
One of the objections to acetylene
lamps is the sickly smell of the calcium
carbide when the lamp is opened for
recharging A French scientist recon-
,mends paraffin as a way Of overcoming
this difficulty. He says that if lit
tie of the oil, mixed with a small guam
tity Of nitro benzol. is poured over the
carbide, the air will be kept from 1t,
and none of the Objectionable fumes
will arise. The preparation does not
interfere with the proper generation of
the gas when the water is introduced.
IL is said. The notion is an ingenious
one. but some people think that the
smell of carbide is almost preferable
to that of pariffin.
The two most important parts of a
machine, from a constant riders point
of view, are the bearings of the front
and driving wheels and an easy run
ming chain Should either become clog
ged with dirt or grease the whole ease
Of running is lost at once, and riding
instead of becoming an enjoyment, de
generates into hard woodwork. too
by which no useful purpose is served
When the bearings and chain are clean
few drops of OIL not a quantity, afe
all that is required every few davs