The Modern Bicycle and Its Accessories

by Alex Schwalbach; Julius Wilcox

REAR-DRIVER—1893.

The most striking characteristic tendency is the effort to introduce chainless rear driving, not altogether, however, by the bevel-gear. A careful census of the makers shows that some thirty prominent makers had perfected plans to place a chainless cycle of some sort on the market in 1898. Thus the season offers debatable ground between the advocates of the chainless and the chain-driven cycle. During 1898 is being fought the battle for supremacy between them, the chain-driven cycle being ably reinforced by its great and coming ally the gear-case, and the bevel-gear and other forms of chainless construction coming away from the realm of theory and the special pleas of the makers’ catalogues, and in the hands of the riding public will be put through that great crucible of public test, use on the road, under load, and under all sorts of conditions. The introduction of the chainless method of propulsion has, however, not radically changed the prevailing popular type of frame construction, and therefore the general tendency of construction, except the methods of propulsion, may be here surveyed as a whole.

DROP OF THE CRANK BRACKET.

One of the most prominent tendencies of the season is the dropping of the crank-hanger bracket to a point from 2 inches to 4 inches below a line drawn through the centre of the wheel axles, the average drop on road wheels being 2½ inches, on light road wheels 2¾ inches, and on road-racing and track wheels, from these to the extreme limit. This lowering of the crank-hanger bracket has also necessarily brought with it a shortening of the steering head, in order to maintain the top tube horizontal or parallel with the ground. Lengths of head run from 4 to 8 inches, a fair average in length being about 6 inches, a change indeed from the long-head fad of a few years ago, under which heads have reached a length of over 13½ inches. Just what effect the shortening of the head will have on the steering remains to be found out by actual use, the makers who have used long heads having always claimed ease of steering for them.

Another point to be borne in mind in noting this tendency toward short heads, is that their use will necessitate the use of longer and therefore weaker handlebar stems, for those who use a medium or upturned bar, as well as long seat posts, more withdrawn from the frame. Of course, the scorcher with his drop bar will like the short head, and therefore its popularity may be wholly confined to this class of riders.

The most peculiar feature in connection with this drop of the frame is the very marked tendency toward the use of longer cranks and higher gears. In former years the average length of crank was 6½ inches for a man’s roadster, and 5½ to 6 inches for a lady’s wheel. A notable departure in this crank length this season is that three or four of the largest makers are equipping their ladies’ wheels with 6½ inch cranks, and men’s wheels with 7 and 7½ inch cranks. While this may be commendable in a cycle for men’s use, having a high gear, such crank length is positively objectionable on a ladies’ cycle, for several reasons, one of the chief ones being the increased knee action.

HEIGHT AND SHAPE OF FRAME.

The length of wheel base—that is, the extreme measurement between the points where the two wheels rest on the ground—is not noticeably changed, the average being still about 43½ inches; this measurement has a close but not a quite fixed relation to the shape and angles of the frame. The rake or backward inclination of the diagonal stay is in most cases somewhat lessened, not now being in complete harmony with the rake of the front forks and head. This may be considered a change in the preferred direction, the forward position of the rider, nearly over the crank axle, being an extremely popular one; to indulge this preference on position, in cases where this diagonal tube, which also carries the saddle, was well raked backward, the use of a long saddle-post in the form of an inverted L was necessary. This changed construction also shortens the upper horizontal tube, and thus, it is claimed, tends to stiffen the frame. The craze for riding exceedingly high frames has shifted to the other extreme, the average scorcher now calling for a very low frame with a short head, and a crank-hanger dropped well down below a line drawn between the wheel axles, obtaining leg-reach by raising the saddle above the frame. A peculiar and typical combination consists of the use of an extremely low crank-hanger together with long cranks; this obviously brings the pedal very near the ground at the bottom of its travel, especially when toe-clips are put on, and there must be danger of coming to sudden and sharp grief when going on stony or rutty roads or in swinging rapidly around sharp corners, which requires leaning to one side to preserve balance. If not carried to extremes, however, the drop of the crank-hanger may be considered a good point mechanically. It brings the centre of gravity lower, and makes mounting and dismounting easier, this last consideration being of especial consequence for ladies. Here it may be remarked that, a year ago, ladies who desired to use the double-loop frame, either with or without the low drop, were obliged to purchase the highest-priced makes in order to obtain it; this year, all the great makers of medium-priced grades, as well as makers of the highest-priced, furnish the double-looped drop-frame, thus showing not only the popularity of the double-loop but a keener desire and a better understanding to cater to public wants.