New-York tribune., 1900-05-08
CYCLING.
ONE BREAK THAT HE COULD NOT
MEND-NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN
TO RIDE A WHEEL.

TO RIDE WHEEL.
| They were riding up Riverside Drive yesterday
! afternoon two veteran wheelmen. They were dis
cussing how common it is to find glass in the city
| streets One of them remarked that he had a
| horror of punctures and would never be satisfied
until some genius invented tire resilient as
! the pneumatic of to-day and yet entirely puncture
| proof.
Why. I carry repair kit in my pocket"
! laughed the other, land I can repair an ordinary
puncture in few minutes. My tire never bothers
for that reason. A rip from broken bottle
| will trouble me, but can repair a nail or tack
puncture in a jiffy, and think of going to
| repair shop with such a trivial thing that
! They had just reached the top of the hill, near
Grants Tomb when the tire martinez took
sudden jolt. He seemed to settle down an inch or
two and before he could jump from his wheel there
was explosion like shotgun and the rear tire of
| his wheel curved up in snewy, snakelike fashion.
! We'll. caught at last" said that tire expert
land never expected be in a fix like this This
! is little accident likely to happen to anybody,
and yet l did not think that It was possible to
catch me. because have given the tire question so
much study. You see, the cement has dried on the
rim, and little particles of sand and dust have
in, with the result that the tire has loosened
| Then the tire began to creep and the wrench
| gave it coming up the hill did the rest AS you
see, the sharp edges Of the rim have cut on
! the tire valve stem clean as knife would have
done it. There is nothing to be done. except to to
an experienced dealer do that Suppose that
happened far out in the country would De IN a
defate the tires. say, every month two, and then
test them and see If they are securely a TO TO
| be caught just in the same shape you see me now
A prominent dealer in Brooklyn has accepted the
| responsibility of teaching the members OF the
Street Cleaning Department how to ride a bicycle
| Some time ago orders went forth that all of the
foremen or inspectors connected with the Depart
ment must learn to ride in order the better to get
over respective districts With the order came
| the ultimatum that the novice period must not ex
| tend later than May 15 The result has been that
| the inspectors have spent certain hours each day
| in the academy learning the mysteries of mounting
balancing and the rest of it. Many of the begin
ners are men we'll advanced in years, and they ac-
cepted the orders with fear and trembling Several
! of them at work yesterday. and at least
three of the number still unable to sit on a
wheel without aid from the instructor. All OF them
were confident, however that they would be expert
| riders in day or two One white haired old man
! said:
! When I first tackled this Job I thought that our
political enemies We're putting up gae on US
old timers Learning to pde p1cgfie f6s erhfencd me
| almost out of my wits, and there Were sever az a.
was simply a subterfuge get rid of the old men
that younger men could De aPpIIeeqt, Heern % re
4ide rGHn9 a bic Bicycle. sRa' It 10 ''''' ''
The opening of the cycling season for racing Will
| see a new track in the field at Beleville. N j..
where the Hillside Bicycle Track Association has
been actively engaged since the cessation of cold
weather in preparing its grounds for a busy sum-
! mer The bicycle track of the association was
| finished last week and is being rolled and put in
| first class condition for the opening in the latter
l. part of this month. General Improvements are
! being carried the grounds. among which are
J the erection of q grandstand and the exten-
! sion and repair of the old field benches, which
We're put up the baseball diamond last year. The
| new management has also improved the clubhouse.
and is having locker rooms ana trahlng ann quarters
pete or train on the grounds The track Will be in
condition to allow of it being used for training IN
! few days.
| In recent years the good roads work done by the
! National Government has been confined to
/ Office of Road Inquiry attached to the Department
of Agriculture which could use 5000 year for the
| expenses Of it's operation This year Congress
appropriated oOo which will pay only the
and expenses connected with the Office In the past.
as WI be tne case IN tne uture re- me roaa experts
meetings. have had their expenses paid by the or
! ganizations calling them.
There is more diversity of styles in the connec-
| tions bicycles this year than any year since
| the bicycle built" said prominent dealer the
| other day There has always been some breadth
of opinion as to whether -brazng was sufficient
| ly strong or whether outside reinforcements were
| necessary. Then the inside reinforcement had
! joints had to be heard also. This year while there
is particular discussion on these points of the
|
| nections are more equal in number and more GER
| tain than of the ground of their claims
| Michigan recently defeated attempt TO license
/ bicycles in Detroit. 1t stamped proposed
| class legislation as other vehicles were not in
! cuded. The suggested license fee was 81.
| Many wheelmen in Brooklyn make a short
cut the brick hill in Washington across
the lot directly TO the Willnk entrance of Pros
| rect Park. There is asphalt each side of Flat
bush-ave. this point but the tracks and
! the spaces between are troublesome for wheelmen
to cross Asphalt strips might be laid at this point
at small cost.
e A Lamb. the secretary of the Stanley Cycle
Show of London. and F. Percy Low. vice-president
of the National Cyclists Union We're in the city
! yesterday. They are in this country for pleasure
! and business.
LONG ISLAND GOOD ROADS MEN MEET.
OPPOSITION TO RACING ON THE BOULE-
| VARD-MORE ASPHALTED STREETS
| IN BROOKLYN.
| One of the most enthusiastic meetings in the
history of the Good Roads Association of Long ISL
and was held Schwalbach's in Brooklyn, last
night There a large attendance, and when