The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-09
NEWS OF THE WHEELMEN.
HIGHER HANDLE-B1RS ~ FAVOR
WITH ROfD RIDERS.

HIGHER HANDLE-BhRS ~ FAVOR
TTTH ROAD RIDERS.
The Heavy RainfnlIs Have Placed the
1oncH Island Paths In Poor Condi-
tion-OmciRI Organ of the T.. 4. w.
Appears Monthly Publication.
The September like weather drew out
many riders yesterday, but the stiff breeze
was somewhat OF deterrent to long trips
II becomes more marked as the summer
progresses that the tendency to use high
err handle bars is growing The drop bars
are to he seen on very few wheels, except
those of the out -and-out scorchers. The
use OF straight or upturned bars Is not
by any means confined to the stout and
elderly riders who move along at six or
eight miles an hour, but club men and
others who have been riding for years and
are capable of giving any of the hahitual
scorchers hard brush. have come TO them
and are sitting more erect than formerly.
BY using high gears these men manage
very well to "hod on" TO tandem or
almost anything that comes along, and
if---when speeding n little or because of
the wind they want to lean well over
they can do so by grasping the bars at
the centre. They are no longer compelled
however to remain stopped as they were
by the ram horn bars. 1t is not un-
likely that the position of Jimmy Michael
has had something to do with this change
for the use OF rams horn" bars by road
riders was largely an imitation OF racing
men, entered upon because II was believ-
ed to give one an appearance OF being
experienced and speedy. The extremely low
bars shaped like an A, are not to be found
on the wheels OF the record holders They
are seen mostly on the cycles of young
men who want to look like racers
The park roads and macadam houlevards
have suffered considerably from the recent
heavy rainfalls. but condition that is
mournful is to be found on the Coney Isl.
and cycle paths, of which the riders OF
both New York and Brooklyn have been
boastful as being 1.-The finest wheelways in
the world" The upper end of the wSster-
ly or down path looks like a poor toun-
try road which in wet weather is sink
of mud, and when dried out q rough high
way covered with hard ridges and deep
ruts. This is the state of affairs most of
the way as far down as Eighteenth Ave
nue.. 1t Is this part OF the path that Park
Commissioner Brewer last spring said
would be dug up, and a new foundation laid.
The need of this never has been more APP
parent than at present Appearances indi-
cate that there is practically no provision
for drainage on large part OF the west
path and after a rainfall there are mud
puddles left where 1t should be dry. In
a few places on the east path, notably one
near Church Avenue. where the trolley
crosses. the conditions are just as shame
full.
The first number OF the l.. A. w. Bulletin
in its newSdsguise of monthly magazine
has just been published. 1t appears as an
addondum bound in with EhofS WdgdSihf
The first issue does not show any appre-
ciable deterioration in the quality of the
Leagues official organ. 1t gives about as
much valuable information as ever II dld,
although now it has fewer pages, and Will
he sent out once a month instead OF weekly
The chief loss to be felt will be that Of the
official bulletins and lists OF applicants.
These will be issued weekly in a supple
ment. but they will not reach all the mem
bers as they did when IN the weekly
Bulletin. 1t Is not plain how the insert
Is to help the magazine that contains 1t,
and it is possible that the size of 1t could
be reduced much more without the League
members feeling the loss of its helpfulness.
The announcement that Zimmerman never
will race again has been made by Earl
Kiser There is something pitiful in the
idea OF the former king being forced to this
after an attempt to regain his sceptre, and
IL true it shows how bitterly Jimmy feels
about his defeat by Eddie Bald. The friends
OF the eX-champion. who have watched over
him while he was training, however. think
that he will be overhasty il he takes his
failure so much to heart as to quit because.
in their estimation, Jimmy" has it in him
to beat most of the men on the track. IN
| Guiding Bald, on second try. HIS friends
say that he was not only at a disadvantages
! in the pacing, and was caught slack when
! Bald Jumped out, but that his failure was
| also largely due to nervousness, ana the
| "skeeter' admits that he was nervous
"zmmy's" modesty OF nature Is well known
| and he was out of the habit of appearing
| before large crowds a star performer,
| Furthermore. there was everything for him
| at stake on the race. The style in which ne
gained ground after he did get going. after
| Bald Jumped him, left no doubt as to his
| speed for Bald was doing his very pest.
There is an interesting point for comment
| in the fashion by which Bald defeated Zim-
norman when they met in their one mile
| match race at Vailsburg. 1t was all done
by Bald's Jump" and the fact tha'
! Jimmy was unable to follow Indicated th'
| great development there has been in this
| trick OF cycle racing during the last few
years For the benefit of those who do not
understand what is meant by the term, II
may be stated that Jumping wheel
means to give a tremendous push on the
! pedal that changes the velocity very sud
| denly and creates a burst of speed thai
, carries one man away from another al
most as II the second one was standlne
! still The jump is not new trick. II
always pTaCtlSeu At tHe pt6iHHihb VI
the sprint in the days when Jimmy was
at his best, but it had not then attained
anything like the proportions and I'm
portance 1t now has. With the lower
gears Of the earlier years it was not pos
sible to make such pronounced Jump,
and as the gap that It was possible to opel
| in this way was relatively very small. tht
Jump" did not amount to much; th'
other men also having low gears could &c
after the man who Jumped very quickly
The long. hard sprint was the more favored
way of winning n race. The Jump now
adays however, figures as the cause of vic
tory in many a race. The gears used by th'
racing men are larger than they were, an'
a single revolution of the crank carries thu
wheel much further. When the power AM
the knack of making jump with higl
gear has been acquired, it often enables
rider to open up distance OF from fve II
ten wards before the other nearest com
petitor can get under the same headway
The difference Is that the first man L
Jump is ready when he does 1t, while tn
second man is taken by surprise, and has Il
wait perhaps for partial revolution OF tn
pedals before his feet are in the position TO
a responding Jump" The high gears max