385 
THE MECHANISM OE BICYCLES. 
ILLUSTRATED BY 
SPECIMENS AND DRAWINGS. 
BY 
MAJOR S. B. YON DONOP, RA., 
Professor of Artillery at the Royal Military Academy. 
(A Lecture delivered at the Loyal Artillery Institution, Woolwich, Thursday, 10th March, 1898.) 
C. Y. BOYS, ESQ., F.R.S., IN THE CHAIR. 
THE CHAIRMAN : I will ask Major von Donop to give his 
lecture on “ Bicycles and their mechanism.” 
MAJOR S. B. YON DONOP, R.A. : Mr. Boys, ladies and gentle¬ 
men. No apology, I think, is necessary for bringing the subject 
of bicycles before any audience owing to the very large number of 
people who are now in the habit of riding them daily either for health, 
pleasure, for the saving of time or exertion, still I feel somewhat 
diffident in being che one to bring the subject forward, especially in 
the presence of such an audience which includes many who have been 
able to bring greater ability and greater scientific skill to bear upon 
it. I allude particularly to the chairman, who is an expert in this as 
in many other matters, and I consider that he has done a great honour 
to me and also to the Royal Artillery Institution in coming down to take 
the chair this evening. As long as our rales have permitted it, Mr. 
Boys has been one of our special honorary members. 
My intention is to first of all deal with a few points which are 
common to the riders of all forms of machines and then to bring 
before the notice of those who are not in the habit of going to the 
annual Bicycle Shows just a few of the many different varieties of 
driving mechanisms that are to be met with, and before I go further, 
I would ask you to allow me to add to my own your thanks to the 
many firms and gentlemen who have so kindly placed these interest¬ 
ing machines at our disposal this evening. 
In what I have to say about the various machines, I would ask you 
8. yen- xxy. 
