A CHAT ABOUT A BICYCLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1316, 20 May 1897, Page 28

A CHAT ABOUT A BICYCLE.

SOME REMARKABLE TESTS. Of all the crazes that have struck tbe inhabitants of this sublunary sphere none have had such far-reaching' or permanent effects, and conduced more to the progress of mankind, tban tbat of the wheel, which is undoubtedly the modern, fashionable method of locomotion. Vast improvements have been effected in the bicycle during the past few years, and it is quite possible that later-day inventive geniuses will contrive to effect further improvements and reduce the cost of the machine, which is at present a rather expensive luxury for most people. The oldfashioned bikes have disappeared from the roads and race-tracks, the lofty ordinary is no more, and the vast aggregation that had perforce to give way to the well-named and more modern Safety have either been destroyed, stored up in the gigantic lumber rooms of machine manufacturers, or exported as novelties to unparticular peonle in far-off ■ climes, located on tbe edge of nowhere, on the road to the setting sun. But we have nothing to do with ordinaries or the multiplicity of old-time bone-shakers that may be giving pleasure or pain to people we know nothing of; tbe purposes of this article are to make sundry references to the neatlyconstructed, smooth-going, up-to-date scorching machines that have taken their place. The number of manufactories in the world devoted to the production of the ■» Safety, and the different parts thereof, must be enormous. Never has a trade sprung so extensively into existence, employed so many hands, and received such an impetus as the bicycle industry. And still it is only in its infancy. The wheeling craze has caught on in every part of the globe where introduced, and nowhere, perhaps, in proportion to the population, has it become so wide-spread as in the colonies. There are, of course, innumerable patterns of machine, both English and American, on the-; market, and _ the " trade," not slow to recognise the merit of advertising, have been judiciously booming their own particular brand for all it is worth.

There are, of course, numerous good machines obtainable, and, as experience has proved, some particularly bad ones. What a wheeling devotee wants is a first-class article, because it pays best in the long run ; an indifferent bike is like a suspiciously egged racehorse who is susceptible to breakdowns, and has to be continually patched up by his disgusted mentor, which leads the writer to mention a series of particularly strong tests a locally-sold machine, The Victor, has just been put through by the enterprising agents, Messrs Yerex and Jone 3, whose shop and factory are located in Willis street. The Victor has a great reputation in/England and America, and is not a racer only, not a road machine, a light or heavy rider's machine, or famed _ for this that curve, or those rims, but ' famous as a bicycle, with lines and curves mechanically correct, tires durable and resilient, ©addles, rims, hubs, spokes, all one and inseparable from the perfect unity and individuality of a bicycle, original in its design, strong in construction, of light draft and durable in its wearing qualities. The tests it underwent in the yard at the rear of Messrs "Yerex and Jones' establishment rather astonished our representative. They were carried out in the presence of a select coterie of citizens, with the übiquitous photographer in the 'foreground, ready to snapshot the proceedings for placement before the general public. The first test applied was that of standing a rather heavy-weighted personage upon the hub of a Victor wheel, which had been stripped of all its impedimenta. The wheel was placed upon chairs, and the corpulent one, who had previously supplied himself with a manilla in order to secure;} cool camera effect, was invited to " step right on to the middle." The frail-looking object he was asked to plant himself upon did not engender any great degree of confidence in the victim, who appeared to be conscious of a possibility of stepping right through. He weighed 22st 21b. However, he carried out his contract, the wheel did not give way one iota, the spokes remained taught, and the camera took the picture. He repeated the performance a second time, though with a certain amount of circumspection, not being as athletic as aforetime, and once again the wheel stood the strain. And 3101 b on the hub of a single wheel, placed at an elevation, is as strong a i test as one would require. It was a single I tube wheel, wood rim, with spokes one sixteenth of an inch in circumference. This free and easy pleasantry, which astonished thoae Avho saw it, b.eing over, a second test was made. It was of a somewhat similar nature to the first, only that a considerable amount of steadiness was required on the part of the operators. The wheel was replaced on the chairs, and one of those present invited to step on, another being asked to climb up and plant himself on the other's shouldeis like a grey flag on the [North Polo. It didn't look the pleasantest of positions—for the man who did the carrying, or for his perched-up companion for that matter, if Ein accident happened. But a steady nerve consummated the end in view, twenty-one stone of humanity stepped on to the hub, which isn't as wide as one would wish for such an undertaking, the photographer's services were once again requisitioned, and three snapshots in all were taken, the performance being repeated that number of. times, the mechanism so severely tried never showing the least effect on any of the occasions. Good negatives were the result,' and they will see the light of day in due course.

The third test was a somewhat remarkable one, inasmuch as an astounding amount of deadweight was piled on to an ordinary Victor machine, in which the wheel already operated upon was now fixed. Messrs Vorex and Jones procured from Mr John Duthie's ironmongery establishment 15 kegs or nails, weighing . 1251 b each. The machine was placed in position, and a huge plank, which was rather thicker than a caravanserai steak, weighing 1501 b, affixed, to it. The heavy nail kegs were then hoisted on until iy*had been placed in position. These bulky packages, together with the massive wood on which they stood, totalled 17751b5, but the bike didn't groan under so many car* pentering requisites. A negative was taken, each keg showing a card "1251b5," and the legend in the background, " Victor Bicycles : They stand the test." But ibis did not suit Messrs Yercx and Jones. Two more nail casks were placed on top, making 1 the total weight 202i»1b. Some present thought that there would ba strained relations between that bike and its encumbrance, and that a smash was inevitable. But the machine came out on top, and would likely have stood another and looked pleasant. A peculiar test was next resorted to. The sam,e waj? placed in -the middle

[ of the yard, and was mounted by six of those present. There were a couple of steadiers, and the other four got on the hubs, pedals, ot wherever they could perch. Though the positions of the half-dozen were not as comfortable as one would wish on a tourist trip, the machine was kept as steady as a rock, and the inevitable photograph recorded the compressed humanity and surrounding landscape. A second negative was afterwards snapped on a repetition of the performance. But six on a Victor wheel was not sufficient for the proprietors. Securing the same old machine in a good position for photographic purposes, the big plank which had hitherto done duty was placed on top, and ten men invited to surmount the woodwork. The total aggregate weight amounted to 18901bs, which had not the slightest effect on the wheels or spokes underneath. Two more then ascended, the total avoirdupois being 19201b5. Notwithstanding the numerous efforts to strain or smash the " Invincible,"^this latest was, like its predecessors, unsuccessful. Messrs Yerex.and Jones have great faith in the strength and durability of their machines. As soon as they heard that the travelling manager of the Victor intended landing his

first consignment in New Zealand, Mr Yerex went to Auckland and bought the lot, the largest number of a new bicycle ever purchased by a firm in New Zealand at any time. The history of thismachine will doubtless prove interesting. It is constructed by the Overman Wheel Company, of which Mr A. H. Overman is president, the factory being at Cbicopee Falls, Mass. It is one of the oldest companies in America engaged in the manufacture of bicycles, this being its nineteenth year. From the outset the aim of Mr Overman has been to make the best possible machine that infinite skill, the best materials and the best machinery can supply. As an illustration of the thoroughness of the man it might be mentioned that on one occasion a commercial traveller offered to do business for a consignment of leather, to be used in saddles, &c. Mr Overman agreed to take the lot, but offered him three cent 3 a pound more if the leather sent was up to sample. When the leather arrived half of it was returned, owing to it not being up to sample. There are not many manufacturers who would do that.

Some bicycles are built from parts supplied by different manufacturers. For example, one firm supplies hubs, another pedals, another the rims and so on, but the Victor is about the only one in the world that is made entirely in one factory. Those of an argumentative turn of mind might assert that where one firm made certain parts of the machine and other firms other parts, therefore they would be better by being made by experts in each line, but the guarantee of the I firm only covers the particular part of the | machine supplied. The Victor guarantee covers every part of the bicycle, and part of every part. The reason why they build every part is because they will not trust any other firm to manufacture up to their grade. Now for some important Firsts : The Victor was first made in the world to discard all castings, forgings being used instead. It was the first Safety Bicycle made in America on present lines. It was the first in that wonderful part of the globe on which a world's record was made. It is the machine that is first in all coasting contests, this being the supreme test for fineness of construction and easy running qualities. Those interested in bike manipulation might be interested to know that the important wearing parts of the machine are made of crucible steel, the finest and highest grade metal known to the trade and most expensive, not only to purchase, but to work. Now for a few little technicalities. The various crucible' steel forgings in the Victor, in the rough, weigh 201 b. fti their finished condition, as they are put into the bicycle, they weigh only 71b 9oz. The rear hub is possibly one of the finest pieces of mechanical workmanship in connection with any bicycle. Beginning with the rough forging it undergoes 35 distinct and separate operations before the hub is completed. The manufacturers assert, and apparently with excellent reason, that the reason why their machine runs easy and lasts long is because all cones and balls are hardened in oil right through instead of being what is known as case hardened, as is the case in nearly all the socalled high grade machines.

" Case hardening " means simply hardened exteriorly only, the interior being soft metal, which is affected when the hardening is once through. The chain of the Victor is of aluminium, which is exceedingly strong, and possesses easy-running qualities. The great difficulty in our rough roads in New Zealand has often been to secure a saddle that is sufficiently comfortable, but one of the appurtenances of the Victor is a goose-necked saddle post, a patent, which gets over the difficulty, and gives comfort to the rider. The Victor has been through the most outlandish places in the world. The American cycling paper Bearings contains reference to it in an article which related how Mr Sachtlebin started out to endeavour to find the remains of Mr F.

G. L'enz, in 1892. He had left New York under engagement with one of the papers to ride round the world, and write an account of his aciventares. He rode across the American Continent to SanFrancisco,got to Japan, rode across Japan, through China, Burrnah, India, Afghanistan, to Palestine and up into Asia Minor. From all these countries he wrote interesting letters of his experiences, but when he got to Asia Minor they ceased, and nothing was known of him until Mr Sachtlebin found'Jhe had been shot by the Turks. The bicycle he rode was a Victor. These machines are to be found in the wild fastnesses of America, in England, and in fact all over the globe where biking is the order of locomotion. The factory where they are made is an enormous one ; more than i 00,000 dollars' worth of leading American manufacturers' machinery is used in the plant ; the entire capacity of the building is about 30,000 high grade machines each year ; and it is so systematically arranged that steel and other raw material enter at one point and flow continually through the works until they come out at the shipping room crated bicycles. The local agents, Messrs Yerex and Jones, who are also agents for the Columbia, have a finely-appointed establishment, stocked with machines of both types, which it is a pleasure to visit whether one wants a bike or not. The firm is to be commended for the enterprise it has shown lately in connection with its business. Odd

A native of the Masterton district was included in the, contingent which was to have proceeded Borne. At tha last moment, however, he backed.out of the trip. In answer to an enquiry as to the reason for his conduct he said, " Trip very good; plenty tucker, plenty people ; no money, no tobacco ; might I stop there.six months sent to fight Turkey, get killed. No fear, not good enough,"— Star,