Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-11
(The Motor Bicycle.)

develops one horse power The engine
md motor are set over the rear wheel,
directly back of the saddle, by means
Of an extra pair of tubular stays that
are clamped to the rear axle and run
hiagonally upward. The gasoline tank
Is box that hangs on the inside of
the frame from the top tube, directly
back of the head.
Back of the tank Is compressed air
reservoir, and behind this q primary
roil which furnishes the ignition spark
for exploding the gasoline. Neither
Of these appurtenances takes up
enough room to interfere with the leg
action. The gasoline tank holds three
quarts, with which 1t is said seventy
five miles can be travelled and ten per
cent. grades climbed. The wheel Is
fitted with ordinary sprockets and a
chain, and the original impetus OF the
engine impaired from the pedals. The
driving power Of the engine Is COM
municated to the rear wheel by means
Of q friction roller made Of compost.
ton and grooved like q pulley wheel,
the groove being broad enough to &C.
commodate any tire. The transmits
sion between the engine and the roller
is by means Of short bicycle chain.
The control Of the flow of gasoline
and of the sparker Is In front, close to
the handle bars. The entire attach
ment can be made and unmade with
no other tool than q wrench.
AS yet the makers Of this motor do
not supply riders. They simply fur.
nish the motors to the trade at a
price that would enable a retailer to
fit out a rider for 500 or $125, ex-
elusive Of the bicycle. The wheel is
fitted with q coaster brake, so that
when II is chosen to let the motor do
all the work the feet can remain on
the pedals, where, In case of-&4teeEaa
they are ready to apply the brake
while the hand switches Off the cur
rent.
There are two other motor cycles In
use, one being made in San Diego,
Cal. and the other at Columbus, o.
In the latter case a bicycle dealer has
made one with a gasoline engine of
the two-cycle type. (The use of this
expression seems to have been already
adopted by motorists. four cycles
being equivalent to the development
Of one horse power.) The bicycle is
built with wheel base four inches
longer than the average, or about AZ
inches from hub to hub of the
wheels.
No one can guess whether these pio-
neer machines will spring into popu-
larity and become the true progenitors
of the permanent type, or whether
they will disappear entirely In favor
of something radically different The
certainty is that progress either way
will be rapid, because of the expert
ence with both bicycles and automo-
biles. The chief trouble in all cases
seems to be how to locate the motor,
the present day bicycle having so
nearly reached the limit of compact
ness and distribution Of weight that
1t is somewhat in the way anywhere it
Is placed.
One phase that motor cycling has at
its inception is that it will pretty
effectually bar out women. They must
be willing to mount the diamond
frame and have nerve enough to run
the engine. The only hope of the
gentler sex is in tandems, and even on
them they will be required to be cool.
headed, quick of eye and strong
armed, for they will have to do the
steering, while their escorts tend the
engine. 1t will be something more
than play to steer tandem going at
even twenty miles an hour, to say
nothing Of thirty.mile clip.