Oct. 5, 1883. 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



213 



versed easily, tliree or four times in a minute, while going. 

 Tliere are no levers to move, nor anything to think of. 

 So soon as driving forward becomes harder work than 

 you like you have only to pedal backwards to gain 

 power. 



One great advantage of this arrangement is tliat in 

 driving the slow-speed gearing to ride up-hill, you bring 

 another set of muscles into play, which, of course, act more 

 vigorously ; and, meanwhile, those used for riding over the 

 level roads are being rested. The machine is too liighly 

 geared for my own riding. Some strong riders would 

 prefer it so. It is excellent in workmanship, and very 

 strongly made. It would be improved if the wheels were 

 smaller and the weight reduced by 10 or 20 lb. ; but, even 

 as it is, after trying it for weeks over all conditions of 

 roads, and in all kinds of wind and weather, I can say that 

 I have not been able to get it out of order, and that it runs 

 easily and well. 



Lloyd Brothers' two-speed Quadrant Tricycle was the 

 next machine I tested. This is a very ingenious con- 

 trivance. The gearing-down of the machine for hill-riding 

 is effected by pressing a lever. This causes the upper 

 chain-wheel to expand, and so carry the driving-wheels 

 round slower than the cranks are turning. The machine 

 is a double - driver and front- steerer, central-geared. I 

 tried it up steep hills, over roads rotten with rain, and 

 against a strong wind, and none of these unfavourable 

 conditions stopped me. The machine I tried was the first 

 experimental machine, and so was unnecessarily heavy, but 

 as the makers have pi'oduced the lightest " Sociable " yet 

 made, I suppose that future machines of this kind will be 

 proportionably light. 



Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Grace, I next tried the 

 "Diana." This machine has two pairs of chain wheels, 

 and two chains. Either of these can be thrown in or out 

 of gear, and the other one allowed to run freely. One 

 chain drives for speed and the other for power. When 

 the high speed is on the wheels are level-geared — that is, 

 40-in. wheels run as 40 in., 50 in. as 50 in., kc. ; in other 

 words, the greatest speed depends on the size of your driv- 

 ing wheels. Pulling back a small lever gears the machine 

 down for hill riding. In an intermediate position of the 

 lever, both chains are out of gear and run free. On long, 

 slight downward inclines this is advantageous. 



The machine tried was built specially for Mr. Grace, who 

 kindly consulted me before he had it put in hand. 



The wheels are 46 inches, because that was the smallest 

 size the makers could supply. 



This, as I have explained, determined the high speed for 

 th(! level. When geared down the machine ran as 32 

 inches. I have ridden it on several occasions, once for 

 half-a-day over muddy roads, up-hill, nearly all the way 

 against a wind so high that I had to drive hard even down 

 a long steep hill at the end of my trial. The machine is a 

 great success, but it could be made 20 lb. lighter with great 

 advantage. Making the wheels 40 in., and gearing them 

 up to 4 8 in. or 50 in. for high speed would facilitate this 

 reduction of weight. 



As a proof of the power of the machine, I may say that 

 I have seen Mr. Grace ride it up the steep rough hill 

 which leads from Ktdliill to Blctchingley — the road at the 

 time being covered with mud which buried the tires and 

 rims, and in this mud there was a quantity of loose stones. 

 This iiill is a severe task for a first-rate rider in tine weather 

 when the road surface is in tlu! best condition. Mr. Grace 

 will, I am sure, agree with me that if the " Diana " were 

 made with 40-in. wheels, and were geared so that the speed- 

 gearing ran as iifty inches and the power-gearing as thirty 

 inches, and the weight were reduced about 20 lb., as it 



might easily be, we should then have a n-olel two-speed 

 machine. 



The last two-speed machine I have tried is Grout's 

 " Adroit" tricycle. 



This is a lever machine in which the fulcrum of the 

 levers can be changed by turning the holding handle on the 

 left-hand side — that is, on the opposite side to the steering 

 handle. There is so wide a range of adjustment that the 

 machine may be altered while running to equal any gearing 

 from 20 in. to GO in., and stopped at any point between at 

 pleasure. It is a front steerer and double driver, and the 

 Ijand brake will stop it dead. The machine is light, and 

 the maker will construct it with wheels of any diameter 

 from 40 in. to 50 in. I tried it on rough wet roads and 

 it performed well. With those who do not object to a lever 

 machine I should think the " Adroit " multi-speed tricycle 

 will be a favourite next season. 



On a single tricycle the two-speed gearing will be 

 valuable in many ways. 



A beginner who commences with a two-speed machine 

 may ride with the power-gearing until his muscles become 

 accustomed to the unusual action, and put en the speed- 

 gearing as he acquires strength in riding. 



A man who uses a tricycle for the purpose of carrying a 

 heavy weight will ride with the power-gearing while he is 

 carrying the weight, and with the speed-gearing as soon as 

 he is relieved from it. 



Thus, a rider who carries a set of photographic apparatus 

 of the largest size, to take pictures 12 in. by 10 in., which 

 will weigh from 30 lb. to 40 lb,, will use his power-gearing 

 only, and will ride with the same ease with a reduction in 

 his speed. 



A " Sociable " with a two-speed gearing, when used by a 

 gentleman with an unpractised or weak lady rider, would, 

 as a rule, be ridden geared down, that is, with the power- 

 gearing ; but when ridden by another gentleman as strong 

 or stronger than himself, the same machine would be ridden 

 geared-up, that is, with the speed-gearing, and a much 

 higher speed attained without undue exertion. 



Dr. Richardson, in his admirably-suggestive essay, just 

 published in Lomjman's Magazine, has protested against 

 cycling being treated simply as a sport, and has pointed 

 out in weighty words the evils that must ensue from 

 pursuing such a course. 



I look forward to the adoption of the " Sociable " tri- 

 cycle as the most likely means of elevating tricycling as a 

 healthful pastime and an intellectual recreation. The suc- 

 cessful application of changeable speed-gearing is a new era 

 in cycling. 



BuRNii.\M Beeches. — Mr. F. G. Heath is issuing, through 

 Messrs. Rider it Son, at the cilice of Forestry, a shilling 

 edition (illustrated) of his little work " Burnhani Beeches." 

 It will appear opportunely in connection with the public 

 dedication of Burnham Beeches, next week, by the Cor- 

 poration of London. 



Ev.\i'OK.\TiON .\ND Electkicitv. — Dr. L. J. Blake has 

 been investigating the statements of Pouillet and others to 

 the eli'ect that electricity is produced by the simple eva- 

 poration of a liquid. He worked with sea-water, sulphate 

 of copper solution, chloride of sodium solution, kc, but in 

 every case the results went to show that electricity is not 

 produced in this way, and that seme other means must be 

 found of explaining the production of atmospheric elec- 

 tricity. Dr. Blake also negatives the hypothesis of 

 Franklin and others to the effect that electricity is con- 

 veyed by still evaporation from an electrilied liquid. The 

 experiments were conducted with a quadrant electrometer 

 of M. Yoss, Berlin. — Emixnceriny. 



