A Rival to the Bicycle.
The Edinburgh correspondent of the Otago Daily Times describes a new kind of skate for use on roads. The blade of the ordinary skate is represented by a steel frame in the shape of a girder, which has a small wheel in front and two small wheels behind, with rubber tyres. The diameter of the wheels is six inches, and each skate weighs 3£lb, but it is said this can be reduced. The new machine may consequently be described as combining some of the characteristics on the roller skate and the bicycle. To set forth the excellencies of their invention, the inventors engaged the services of Mr James Smart, the champion English skater, who ran ont along the Queensberry road on the skates. Cabs had no chance with him, and he easily kept up with a cyclist. He skated a mile in four minutes, and came back, having the wind in his favour, m Srniu 26sec, without a trace of strain or fatigue. Going down hill his strides were 20ft long, and averaged 80 per minute. Of course this is an exceptional performance ; still it would seem to show that a new method of locomotion, easily learned and cheaper in price than the present cycle, has been discovered.
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Bibliographic details
Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 124, 23 November 1895, Page 2
Word Count
213A Rival to the Bicycle. Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 124, 23 November 1895, Page 2
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