Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

6 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Advertising

[No title]

Advertising

The Cycling World.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

The Cycling World. -:0:- Favourite spots for operations amongst cycle thieves, are those around the precincts of the many public libraries dotted about the country. While the book-worms are within changing their books the cycle thief is busy, and emerging from the library with some old volume under his arm he evades all suspicion as lie jumps on the first machine he comes to and rides away. Even from special stands provided by the library authorities, cycles have been stolen, and in very few instances recovered. Thanks to the Birmingham Centre of the N. C. U., who have been solely instrumental in bringing under the notice of the right authorities the bad state of the tram-lines in that city. The result of the deputation which waited upon the city Surveyor is, that that gentleman has promised to have the dangerous spots on the tramway system put in proper order. Prior to his great dive from the roof into a tank, Eddie Gifford, on his Dunlop-tyred machine, rides down a ladder from one side of the house and drives the machine up a flight of steps. This puts a great strain on both machine and tyres, but the combination stands the racket unflinchingly. A little lesson has been driven home to a driver of a horse and cart on the Cardiff and Newport road, who, besides refusing to make way for a cyclist resorted to insulting language. A police constable cycling along in private clothes came up with two carts, and upon ringing his bell one driver turned in to the left, and the other man turned out to the right and refused to make way. He charged him for the offence before the Newport magistrates who inflicted a fine of ten shillings and costs. The number of Road Hogs is fortunately decreasing, and if in all cases prompt measures were taken like in the present instance, the tribe would soon be quite stamped out. 1 — There is, however, another case of the kind reported from Marlow, and in this instance the ruffians were given a lesson even more severe. Four scoundrels, out for a days' spree, relieved the monotony of driving by the occasional boring of cyclists, until they met a lady and gentleman who had a very narrow escape from a serious accident at their hands. The gentleman rode after them and stopped the trap, when the four young men got out and set about the cyclist; but by their appearance in court they came off second best, two having heavy black eyes, and the other two bearing evidence of rough usage. The Chair- man of the bench stated that they were deter- mined to put down ruffianism of this character with a firm hand, and passed on each of the prisoners a sentence of two months' hard labour. Another fatal accident has now to be recorded, and this time the free wheel plays a conspicuous part. At the same time it may not have contri- buted to the accident in the least. A cyclist was descending a hill near Rochester at a fast pace on a free-wheel machine, when it was suddenly and unaccountably stopped dead, pitching the un- fortunate rider on to his bead. On examining the machine the back wheel was found to be immov- able. No doubt the cause of the accident will be cleared up in due course. The only explanation forthcoming at the moment is the evidence of the widow, who stated deceased had told her the back wheel very often stopped dead." In the course of time itwill probably be found that the ac- cident occurred to a back pedalling brake being too suddenly and forcibly brought into action, as this form of brake is apt to show signs of becoming congested if not use in a methodical manner. To the cyclist, the process of making inner tubes for Dunlop tyres is, of course, full of interest. The pure Para rubber is first laid on a table in strips, the size of the tubes. They are then wrapped round laths, and along the side where the two edges of the strips touch, another strip is placed outside, and pressed on so as to form a perfect join. All this is previous to vulcanization. The rubber is then placed on a specially designed tool to insure a correct size, and also that circular shape which has always been a feature of Dunlop tubes. They are then hung up on long iron racks, and run into a large valcanizer, from whence they eventually emerge, that beautiful elastic and air- tight tube we know as the Dunlop inner tube. A cyclist journalist, who we might almost say, has had as much experience in road riding, both from a doddering and raoing point of view, as any man who has ever mounted a wheel, has been dis- cussing the effects of a ride of some seventy miles on a cyclist who has been in the habit of only taking short jaunts. He states that a man out of practice should not attempt a journey of this dis- tance, with which we quite agree, but as he bases his conclusions on the personal effect of a 70 mile run, after confinement to jaunts of twenty-five miles per day for several weeks, we must really differ with him as to what constitutes the standard of fitness." Twenty-five miles a day for two, or even one week, is quite sufficient training in our mind for a journey of seventy miles; indeed, in the days of the solid tyres and weighty cycles, we have easily covered one hundred miles in a day with far less practice than mentioned above. Of course, a long journey must be tackled carefully a uniform rate of speed should be maintained and occasional halts made for rests. It is rushing off early in the day at a high speed which usually V jooks over the majority of wheelmen. Wheelmen will find it a great improvement to occasionally remove their chain and after giving it a thorough cleaning to lubricate it well by boil- ing it in a can with mutton suet, and afterwards coiling it up on a plate to drain. Before removing the chain from the cog wheels, however, a notch should be filed on a link of the chain and on a tooth of a back chain wheel, so that on replacing the chain the teeth of the cog wheel will work in the same links. This is a capital idea, as the chain is bound to run sweetly and smoothly in the old groove, whereas, should the running be altered, there is likely to be a grinding sensation for so ne little while

FROM THE REV. L. TON EVANS…

BARRY DOCK TIDE TABLE.