CYCLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue XXVI, 18 December 1897, Page 812

CYCLING.

’Not many persons. I fancy, are aware that blind people are able to cycle." said a London bicycle manufacturer. ‘I know of several blind persons, however, who. since the craze set in, have taken lessons and learned to ride, surprisingly well too. But it’s less astonishing than you might think, remembering how acute the other senses of the blind become, and that many ordinary eyelists can ride blindfolded for short distances. We have built seven machines for blind customers this year, constructing them specially low. for easier mounting. 1 know a blind gentleman who travels for a provincial cycle firm, and rides a tandem. He is accompanied by a friend who can see. but quite often he rides on the front seat and steers himself by his friend's instructions. Another blind gentleman, a customer of mine, thinks nothing of a thirtymi les’ run.’ Rather more than a year ago the Italian Government decided to tax cycles, dividing them for that purpose into three classes. It seems that the tax has yielded 650,000 lire, equivalent to about £24.200. The number of cycles in use is estimated at 62.000. so that they paid on an average about 7 6 a-piece. It is impossible to form even an approximate idea of the number of cycles in use in the United Kingdom. It cannot, however, one would Imagine. lx* far short of two millions, a calculation which allows one machine to every twenty of population. If. therefore, cycles were taxed in this country at the same rate as they are in Italy the yield would oe £750.000. Never allow a stranger to mount your bicycle on any pretence whatever. The other evening two cyclists - young men —were resting at the curb while engaged in conversation. Two young women in neat bicycle nstumes came along on the pavement and appeared to take much interest in the fine wheels owned by the young men. ‘I (1 like to try to ride a diamondframe wheel.’ remarked one girl to the other. ‘So would I.’ was the replv. 'Lucy Thorne told me they were much nicer than the drop frames.' The young men were gallant, and at once offered to permit the girls to try their wheels, which offer was accepted with charming giggling. The fair ones were assisted to mount, and seemed to have some difficulty in managing the machines. They 'wobbled about for half a square or so. when they suddenly became proficient and proceeded to scorch for dear life. The young men have not seen their wheels or the girls since. No cycling club within the past few years has attained such prominence as the London County Club, which under the energetic guidance of G. LacyHillier has engineered the principal races at Herne Hill track, including, of course, the world-famous Cuca Cup race. It is. therefore, with considerable regret that one hears the rumour that it is likely to be disbanded in the very near future. The London Countv Club will always lie associated with the wooden track at Herne Hill, but since the cement tracks have put the old-fashioned wooden. dirt, and cinder paths in the background the London County Club seems to have gone into the Itackground also.

It will be strange (writes a London correspondent) if before long several enterprising firms for hiring out and for repairing cycles do not come into existence and bring down the absurd and nearly always exorbitant prices charged by the existing firms. Repairs are executed by most of the cycle shops in the west end of the town often very badly indeed, and the charges are ruinous. Some firms charge threepence for inflating your tyre if you have left your pump at home, and this charge is made even if you buy something in the shop! The fact is the well-to-do and fashionable cyclists, especially, perhaps, the ladies, are far too easy going and too willing to be overcharged where their favourite pursuit is concerned. Professional cyclists in New South Wales are obliged to dress like jockeys in silk jackets and white knickerbockers. Every rider obtains a number and a distinguishing colour from the Government, and these he is obliged to use in every race he takes part in.—Home paper. That wonderful quality of the bicycle known as ‘life’ * is rather mysterious. We have seen two bicycles built by the same maker, and apparently similar in every respect, yet one was as dead in running as the proverbial door nail, while the other ran as if under-some occult influence It is difficult to account for the difference in similarly constructed machines. but that it does exist is perfectly certain I don’t know how true it is, but I heard a story the other day about a cycling parson (says a writer) which seems to show that some of the clergv. when they take to the wheel, throw's tremendous amount of enthusiasm into the hobby. A congregation in the North of England was kept waiting nearly half an hour a few weeks ago, and when the parson put in an appearance. hot ami out of breath, he apologised for the delay. It afterwards transpired that he had been having a neck-and-neek scorch with a stranger he had overtaken on the wav to the church, and was so taken up with the task of endeavouring to beat the unknown cyclist- that he forgot his appointment, and kept on until he ran his competitor off his legs. It then dawned on him where he was bound for. and he made his wav back as quickly as his cycle could carrv him. Most of the attention of inventors this year has been directed towards the improvement of brakes, but chains are also receiving some consideration just now. An entirely novel tvpe of chain has been invented bv quite a vetem cyclist. Mr J. v. P.' Tacagni. Another chain which is being placed on the market, and of which there are very good reports, is one which is being adopted by the Triumph Cycle Company, of Coventry, and their 189 S machines will be fitted with it. It. has been tested for the past, two years, and. in fact, has been fitted to a'number of American machines, under the name of the Morse chain. It is a chain of the block variety, and tue point in which it differs from other blocK chains is in the construction of the rivet. The inner joints of the chain require no lubrication, and it is said to stand a w-orking pressure of over 12001bs without in the least wearing or injuring the rolling surface. Quite the newest thing in cycle brakes, and one which strikes us (says a cycling authority) as being a most admirable invention, is the horseshoe rim brake, invented bv a eveling journalist. E. M. Bowden by name. This brake is a new departure.' for it is actuated by an entirely novel mechanical movement. There are no complicated levers or pulleys, but the power is transmitted along a slack wire cord. It is very difficult to describe in a fewwords the method in which the wire acts on the brake, and I am afraid I cannot do so here. Suffice it. to say that the Horseshoe brake is applied by a mere turn of the handle-bar to which the wire cord is attached. The brake is applied to the rim of the back wheel. Air Bowden has spent a couple of years in perfecting his idea. The other day while a lady cvclist was making her way up Tottenham (burt Road with a huge brown paper bag attached to the handle of her machine, a cab passing in the other direction damaged her parcel, and out dropped a lot of collars, cuffs, handkerchiefs. etc., which she was evidently taking home from the wash. 1 he wheels of a huge drav coming immediately Ix-hind played 'sad havoc

with some of the articles. The lady deftly picked up the linen wreckage, stuck them back in the bag. which she tucked under her arm. and. after dartirtg a glance of scathing scorn at the few tittering pedestrians who had witnessed the accident, trundled her bike homewards. A late invention which is interesting medico scientists is called the bicycle health meter. It is made of two strips of steel, so thin as to be flexible. These are fastened together with pivots about one-fifth of an inch long, lietween the steel plates is the mechanism, and fastened to the portion of the steel that comes against the wrist is a thin strip of what looks and feels for all the world like oiled silk. In a mortise at the top of the meter one sees certain figures, which change from time with the physical condition of the wearer. These figures denote the rise and fall of physical condition, just as the mercury in the thermometer indicates the change of weather. Women have displaced men in every branch of the machine shops of a bicycle manufacturing firm having a large plant at- Toledo. O. In this establishment girls are now employed on milling machines, drill presses and other machines used in the manufacture of bicycle parts. The substitution of girls for men has certainly not been prompted by a desire on the part of The company to assist in the great purpose of making the female portion of the population self-sustaining, but rather to secure cheaper labour than their competitors. Pace on cycles has gradually been growing less dependent on the human being who actually bestrides the wheel. It is the natural tendency of things, and we must look upon this development of pace by artificial means only as t-he precursor of a new form of locomotion. It means that mere pedalling has nearly had its day. The evolution of the humandriven cycle into the motor-propelled cycle is in progress. There is no finality in locomotion, and that the cycle of to-day will become the flying machine of the future there seems little doubt.