Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-06
NEWEST THINGS IN WHEELS
Season Presents a Few Sensible Changes in
Bicycle Construction.
PUBLIC TURNS TO RIDING ONCE MORE
Oid-Time E~xaEEeratiOns Abandoned
and Notifications with View to
Comfort Are Generally
Adopted by Takers.

SONhAoNN ~ nGhNNhAA1
Adopted by Makers.
In 1898 bicycling was at its zenith. The
year following It was whispered that this
sport, amusement, recreation, exercise, &C
cording to the purpose which 1t was meant
to subserve, was on the wane. This was
Indignantly denied by the dealers and
devotees, but 1t proved true, and especially
so the next year. Then came 1901, prob
ably the worst stagnated period Of all, and
now in the natural sequence the revival has
begun.
That bicycling is again growing popular
cannot be doubted. Sales show It; most OF
all the numbers OF wheels on the streets
show it. Almost annihilated by the frenzy
Of its own passion, this sport has survived
a deep decline and is now establishing
itself on more solid foundations. Strenuous
road riding, racing and professionalism
were what injured the bicycles staying
qualities before. A conservative business
and pleasure use will make II permanent In
a smaller way this time.
For a time the falling off Of interest and
participation in this sport was so extensive
that it might truthfully be said the only
ones who were riding were professional
racers, business men who used their wheels
as a means Of conveyance to and from work
and boys. During the high tide Of the
bicycles favor enormo series Of racks
were necessary at all public buildings and
educational institutions to accommodate
those who rode wheels to these places. In
1901 these multifold wheel stands went
lonesome.
In nfhaF uyava the fa1I uoa fndfuNntohly
shown. 1t was simply a case of run to
death" Extravaganza brought on stagna-
tion. High gears alone had much to do
with 1t. Everyone got the notion that
speed was wanted rather than ease. Peo-
pie forgot that riding to business was not
a race for a purse. Gears leaped from 60
and 20 up to IS and 100. Everyone leaned
away over his handlebars and wore himself
out generally. Common sense came to the
rescue after a while, but instead of lower
ing his gear and raising his handles the
bicycler threw his wheel away and began
walking.
Now it is all different. Conservatism Is
the keynote Of the revival. Everything Is
moderate. Gears range between "a and so.
Handles are up. Tubing has dropped from
the enormous inc~h-and-a-half size to an
inch and even three-fourths of an inch.
Huge barrel hubs have disappeared for a
smaller type. The tendency toward tires
about as big as a string has disappeared,
and nothing now Is smaller than one and
three-eighths inches, while an inch and a
half is the common diameter. Crank
hangers are no longer dropped so that the
pedals sweep the ground at every turn.
Two and a half inches below the wheel
axle is the average drop now. This is
roiand fupn, Nkrna 49, r-.-a nHAN
too, is conservative at four and three-quar-
ter inches. Flat tubing for rear forks has
almost disappeared, it being now oval.
Crank length is about six and three-quar-
ter inches or seven, perhaps.
But there are some absolutely new
features, things Of the last year or SO, now
perfected for this revival. The Oldest of
these is the chainless model. This has
never taken well. 1t has never been a
seller, though some are used. A more
recent one is the cushion frame. This is
In high favor. 1t takes away the Jar from
the trunk and legs, relieves the tire and
spokes and rim and is generally sensible.
Formerly riders insisted on being jogEled
to soreness. Rigidity was demanded. Now
ease IL wanted. First the seat was thought
or, so the cushion frame came out. Next
relief was demanded for the arms, and the
newest thing has come in the spring fork.
made OF spring steel, which gives readily
to Jars, but Is strong. In 1891 the Victor
bicycle put out a clumsy but serviceable
spring fork. None has been used since.
In none OF these changes has the reaction
been complete; In no case has the bicycle
gone clear back to what It was before the
craze exaggerated everything. All the
made from the model of 1895
were improvements, only they were carried
too far. When a part was made larger IL
was made too much larger, and smaller
likewise. But, instead OF going clear back.
the change has been Just enough. There
are no spindle hubs nor gas pipe tubing. |
Wheels are twenty-eight inches, not TWEEN
ty-six nor thirty, as in 1898 and 1898 re-
spectively.
Four Of the first improvements made re-
main without alteration and are even en-
Frames remain low, chains are
narrow, sprockets are good sized and re-
Inducements are all on the inside. All are
features. The average frame is
now twenty-five inches high, against twen-
ty-four in 1898. Chains are running to an
eighth Of an inch wide, when they were
SAhhSliy lhSS-SiALtSulub anu even a
Big sprockets have been shown !
to mean easier pedaling, and front ones
now run about twenty-five teeth, with eight !
or nine behind. That is the average. Some
wheels are equipped with thirty teeth in
front. There are no more reinforcement
ridges at each Joint.
The extension handle is the latest thing
in that line. Reversible handles came out
three years ago. and now comes this new
est Improvement. which allows the handle
bar to project some inches in front of the
head, carrying the arms and the body a
little forward. Seats are changing back to
the old, plain leather, long form, without
padding. Fork crowns are no longer double
and triple, but single, geenrally curved or
only half squared. Rubbers are being
dropped out Of pedals.
The sensational one-piece crank axle has
given way to the more conservative two
piece affair, fastening at the side. LIANT
mated rims are a thing of the past. every
thing being now one piece, with a deep
doye-tailed mint.