Page 24 - PBCOctober2013

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine. Volume 10 No.3 October 2013

More Extracts from “The Boys Own Paper” 1880

On the Choice of Machine

Choosing a bicycle, whatever make may be finally decided upon, it is most important that it should
be the right size for the rider, so as to allow of its being driven with comfort with the longest throw
possible – that is, with the treadle at the full length of the crank.

If the bicycle is too big, a long throw cannot be used, owing to the foot not being able to reach the
treadle at its lowest point; and if, on the other hand, the bicycle is too small, the long throw is
equally impossible, owing to the rider’s knees jamming against the handles when the treadle is
at its highest point.

When riding in a hilly country, it is a great comfort to be able to alter the throw of the crank if
necessary, for perhaps it need hardly be observed that the longer the cranks are the easier it is
to drive the machine up hill. We therefore advise our readers when selecting their bicycle not to
choose the biggest wheel they can manage to drive, but get one well within their reach, and not
sacrifice comfort to dignity, nor join the ranks of those who are continually advertising their bicycles
for sale, as being either too small or too large for the owner!

Very good bicycles may often be purchased second-hand cheaply. Only a few days ago the writer
saw a very excellent machine sold for £3.

This, of course, is an exception, but as a rule bicycles, when sold second-hand, can be purchased
at from £6 to £8 under the maker’s list price, and for the sum of from £7 to £10 one ought to be
able to procure a very fair second-hand machine indeed.

Considerable caution is, however, essential in purchasing at second hand. There are great
numbers of bicycles specially got up for sale in order to deceive the unwary. Never purchase a
second-hand machine built by a local maker; this is not because local makers cannot build good
machines, for many of them do, indeed, turn out first-class bicycles, but because in a very short
time you are pretty certain to want to get rid of it and go in for a machine built by a firm of reputation.

In buying a machine with a well-known name, you may reasonably be confident that the frame-work
of the bicycle is thoroughly sound, and it is only necessary to examine the working parts whether
they are in good condition. First see that the steering is thoroughly firm. The driving-wheel should
then be overhauled to ascertain if the spokes are at all loose, and if there is any side shake or
play in the bearings. The tyres should be looked to, and the bearings of the hind wheel should be
taken out and examined to see if they show signs of wear.

In purchasing a new machine the only difficulty is to select from among the thousand and one
makers in the market. It is not of course within the scope of this article to enter into the merits of
all the various bicycles sold. To do this thoroughly would require several entire numbers of the
Boy’s Own Paper. We propose, however, to consider, in the first place, what should be the points
of a first-class bicycle and then briefly to describe the machine sold by some of the most prominent
makers.