THE WHEEL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1217, 28 June 1895, Page 25

THE WHEEL.

SPOKES.

By "Cyclometer."

Tho question is often asked —How is it that American manufacturers can build lighter machines than those of England ? The answer has generally been that the roads in America are better than English roads. This may be so. I have my doubts on that score, but I cannot authoritatively contradict it. But how is it that Sanger, the American amateur crack, who is a bigboned man standing 6ft, rides a track-racer weighing only 181 b, while Megson, the New South Wales crack, who is sft 9in and nearly three stone lighter than Sanger, races on a 221 b machine ? The only inference that can be drawn is that American wheels are at least equal to the English make. The prejudice at Home against American wheels seems to be dying out, as this season they are being exported to England by several of the larger American firms.

I clip the following interesting table from the Irish Ctjclist, showing at a glance the number of revolutions of the pedals per minute necessary to cover certain distances in the hour: —

A cable message from London, dated June 23rd, says:—" Fontaine, cyclist, rode nearly 456 miles in 24 hours, thus beating all English records." Oh! Is not P. W. Shorland's record of 460 miles 1296 yards in 24 hours in the Cuca Cup Eace at Heme Hill last year an English record ? And is not 460 miles greater than 456 ? The cable man has evidently made a bull; or else the figures have been mutilated in transmission. Perhaps the figures should bo "465"? Pending later information, I will not comment further.

A York (England) cyclist named Lovely was recently stuck up by two highway bicyclists. He was riding home one night, and when a few miles from tho city ho observed two men standing by their bi-

cyclles <m tho roadside. On nearing therm one at tide mew flashed a revolver and demanded ""Your memey or your life." Lovely, rode right on, but ere he had got far the pistol was fired and thebullet lodged in his* thigh. He pluckily continued riding, and reached York in a very exhausted condition. He was taken to tho hospital in a critical state".

A Brisbane wire of the 22nd inst. says:—At the Combined Cycling dabs' Carnival! ihs Milo Championship of Australia was. won by Swensen (Brisbane) % Stewart (Brisbane), 2; Ifiibwpatrick (Sydney), 3. Time, 2min 31 4-ssec. The Three-mfib Championship of Queensland was won by Broith, of Queensland. Time, Svaiu 57sec.

An electrical apparatus for detecting: flaws in steel tubing has been zasvented.With this contrivance it is claimed! that; cycle manufacturers will be able to term out light wheels of more reliability tfcam heretofore. The Americans, who build much lighter wheels than English firms, attribute their ability to do so to the use of an apparatus of the nature referred to.

Cyclists are often called upon to act promptly, and, indeed, it is wonderful how they escape injury sometimes. The other day a Christchurch cyclist found himself mixed up with the legs of a horse, and he promptly extricated himself by gripping the horse's upraised hoof and swinging himself clear.

A cycling club in Denver, Colorado, iscollecting subscriptions in aid of a fund to provide a free bed in one hospital in every large city in the United States for the accommodation of injured cyclists.

A French cyclist named Pingault has patented a new motor bicycle, which will travel at the rate of from 31 to 38 miles an hour.

There are 3211 cycling clubs, representing 55,000 wheelmen, affiliated! to the National Cyclists' Union of England. During the past two years the Union has recovered nearly .£4OO damages for cyclists belonging to the Union.

Zimmerman, who was expected to arrive in Australia on August Ist, will not leave America until Bth August.

E. L. Jefferson, an English sporting writer and cyclist, has undertaken to rid© from London to Moscow and back in 50) days. The distance is about 4200 miles, and as the roads are said to be worse than the worst English roads, he will not find it a light task to average 84 miles a day.

The other day A. Kerr, the trick cyclist, who is now in Christchurch, saved a boy from drowning in the river Avon. Kerr was one of a boating party, when he noticed, a boy fall into the water, and he immediately plunged into the river and brought the boy to the bank in a very exhausted state.

A prominent Parisian cyclist named Medinger was recently shot dead by his wife, who immediately afterwards committed suicide by shooting herself. Jealousy is supposed to have been the cause, and during a wordy warfare between the two the wife resorted to firearms as a more convincing argument.

Mr E. Center, who is said to have been the first to introduce the bicycle in New York, was in April last thrown from his bicycle and crushed under a cart. He was 55 years of age.

Miss A. Londonderry, the American young lady who is riding round the world on a bicycle, and who started without money, has reached Colombo, having so far earned «£4O.

Eecently 500 wheelwomen took part in a bicycle run at Oakland, California, all of them wearing bloomers.

Mr and Mrs Darwin Mcllraith have started from Chicago on a tour round the world on wheels, part of the route being over the Himalayas.

Bicycle road-racing has been declared illegal in Victoria.

Miles Height of Gear in Inches. por 50 54 57 CO 63 66 70 80 Hour Number of Revolutions per Minute. 10... 67 62 58 56 53 50 48 42 12... 80 74 70 67 61 61 57 50 15... 100 93 88 84 80 76 72 63 18... 121 112 106 100 95 91 86 75 21... 141 130 123 117 112 106 100 8S 24... 161 149 141 134 128 122 115 100 27... 181 168 159 151 144 137 129 113 30... 201 186 176 168 160 152 144 125