Arizona republican., 1903-07-17

rider arrives at the bottom of the slope and begins the ascent of the circular loop is at least 30 miles an hour. This velocity immediately falls off and he commences the ascent of the steepen- ing curve so that when he reaches the top he is moving only fast enough to impart a centrifugal force exceeding his weight Cor the effect of gravitation) by margin sufficiently large to insure his safety.
 Next consider his situation with re- gard to the forces of which he had now become the plaything. As the bicycle strikes the curve O; the loop and be- gins to ascend, the wheels are pressed against the track with tremendous force and the rider is pitched forward with an energy which only practice and trained muscles can enable him to withstand. It is as if the weight of half dozen men had been suddenly thrown upon him and his machine If We estimate the actual weight of the bicycle and rider at 2O0 pounds, then Is can be shown that their combina- ton weight. or rather their pressure upon the. track owing to centrifugal force, becomes as they begin the as cent of the loop more than a thous- and pounds. And this. too at the minimum speed theoretically required to carry them around. In practice this pressure may be considerably greater. Here, then, would seem to be a point of special danger. The rider must be prepared for his instantaneous increase of virtual weight. He has to keep his nerves steady and his head clear, and must retain control over his muscles in order to hold his balance and guide his wheel. But this is only begin ming.
 As he rises, in a moment he is going straight upward. and the pressure swiftly diminishes. Then he whirls across the overhead portion of the track and reaches the center O: the top of the curve and his head is down, his feet are uo and his bicycle is on top of him. They are sustained only by centrifugal force. Gravitation is pull ing them straight downward with a force of 200 pounds. If the centrifugal force but slightly exceeds graVitation at this point, the rider. if he has time to analyZe his sensations. must feel almost as if he were floating like a feather, deprived of nearly all weight.
 This is the critical point. Ii the cal Culations have been correct there will be enough velocity remaining when the tco is reached to counterbalance gravitation, and even if the excess is slight the rider and his wheel will pass on. and once over the center they are henceforth secure against a fall. They will remain on the track during the downward journey theoretically, with q ing resistance they must reach the top with a velocity of nsarly six feet a sec | ond. In practice the velocity will have
 to be considerably greater. But con sider the effects upon the mind and body of the rapid changes of appar-
 cnt weight that the rider undergoes.
 At the bottom of the loop his appar- ent weight was instantaneously in
 creased to a prodigiOus amount. all
 most crushing him down upon the han | dle bar. This lasts but a moment and | then again almost instantaneously his
 weight drops from him and at the top
 he seems to weigh comparatively little. only to be a second later again bent over the handle bar by the pushing | pressure, as the wheel having gained
 momentum swings up the slope lead l ing to the stopping place.
 It is apparent from what has been
 said that the peril involved is personal ] in its origin. The rider must not al- l low his head to swim or his muscles | to relax over the wheel. Given perfect ieelf-cCmmand the danger is reduced to
 a minimum.
 That the scientific world has figured
 out the principles to fact there can be
 no doubt. Nevertheless it is still a
 wonderful act which has cost the lives | oi a. dozen men. Ruel is the only man
 up to the present time who has been
 able to keep his n-rve. The Fitzpat-
 rick brothers. who are managers of the
 sturdy German. have been in constant | lookout for new men to take the place
 of Ruel vixen his health or nerve gives | way.