HINTS TO PURCHASERS.
There is a very general complaint of the high prices maintained by the manufacturers of velocipedes, and it is claimed that they are pocketing immense receipts, at the expense of an excited and incautious public. Though there is no doubt that they can be manufactured at prices much below those at which the best machines are now held, and still yield a handsome profit, a reduction in price will not be probable so long as the demand so far exceeds the supply. And now that it is found that the machine is patented, we will not have the so much wished for cheap velocipede, which would assuredly have followed the competition that had commenced, before it was known that one man only held the exclusive right to their manufacture.
But it must be remembered that as long as materials and labor are so dear, the cost of manufacture must necessarily be great. A manufacturer requires draughtsmen to design his improvements, pattern-makers to prepare models for the foundry, blacksmiths to do the forging, wheelwrights for thewheels, machinists to turn and fit the work, foundry-men to cast the pedals and braces, bolt-makers to make the rivets and bolts, saddlers to prepare the seats, and painters and varnishers to finish the machine for the wareroom. The wear and tear in the ordinary use of the velocipede is so great as to require the very best of material in its construction. There is no other kind of vehicle which receives such severe usage. The weight of the rider and the concussions of the road are not only borne by two wheels, but the necessity of giving the fore wheel a sidewise motion, render it indispensable to connect the two by a frame, whose peculiar form and character make it exceedingly liable to be deranged and broken. This frame and its appendages must be of wrought iron, steel, and brass, and all its work must be of the best quality, or else the machine will soon get out of order and become useless. The fittings of the two wheels, their axles and their journals, must also be of the best workmanship. The same is true of the wheels themselves. No wood that is not perfectly seasoned should be used for them; and the hubs, spokes, and felloes must be built with the utmost care and thoroughness; otherwise they will soon become wabbling and unsteady, so that speed and comfort will be out of the question.
The price of a good machine will not fall muchbelow a hundred dollars, until there is a general decline in the price of all sorts of commodities.
We advise the purchaser, by all means, to get agood machine. It is now possible to buy cheap velocipedes; and they will, no doubt, be manufactured much cheaper, and yet be dear at any price. The best are none too good, and are certainly worth more than the difference.
The hall velocipedes are, for the most part, slim affairs; the frame made entirely of cast iron, without metal gearings, brakes, or springs, and useful only for floors. It is uncomfortable for the rider to go over roughnesses without springs, and a well-built machine is required to stand the jar of uneven roads.
It is no better policy to purchase a cheap velocipede, than a cheap ready-made shoe or other article of clothing.
It is a prevalent but erroneous idea, that the larger the bicycle, the greater the beauty and the greater the speed. A machine with a front wheel of a diameter of forty inches, is the largest that can possibly be rendered practicable. Thirty-eight inches is much better; and good riders prefer that of but thirty-six or thirty-seven inches diameter for the road.
Before purchasing any machine, especially the cheaper ones, examine them thoroughly; or if not ajudge of good mechanical workmanship, ask a friend to do it for you. Many defects are concealed by the coatings of paint, particularly in the castings and forgings; and a machine that is weak in any point, is a dangerous one in fast riding. Be sure that every bolt is properly secured by nuts that cannot be shaken off; they should be riveted into the bolt, as they will soon work loose if not so fastened. The crank should never be keyed into the shaft, but fastened on to a square head; or, what is better, shrunk into the shaft.
The ingenious way of supporting lanterns on the machine, is a waste of time and expense; better some kind of clamps to secure a light umbrella in front, when the sun shines hot, or it rains; and clamps for fastening a travelling bag or shawl in the rear, particularly if one looks forward to country excursions and summer trips.