Cycle Repairing and Adjusting
With a Chapter on building a Bicycle from a Set of Parts

MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS 149 tube the required length before unbrazing. The inside of the lugs will require cleaning out so that they will fit over the seat tube and head tube, which must, of course, be properly cleaned before refitting and brazing. The front fork tube will require cutting down to suit the new head length and re-screwing to suit the head nut. The job is a fairly simple one to anyone skilled in brazing. Altering Cycle Frame.—Assume that it is desired to alter a racing frame with 26-in. wheels to enable it to take 28-in. wheels. This can be done provided there is sufficient clearance between the toe and front wheel to allow of the extra size wheel. The best way to effect the alteration is to fit and braze 1-in. extension pieces to the front fork ends and the back forks and stays. Cut the forks and stays about 1 in. beyond the fork ends, and fit a similar section piece of tube with a 2-in. long thimble of tube inside, and braze securely. “Bowden” Brake for Bicycle.—The Bowden cycle brake principle is as follows. Inside a spiral wire coiled closely, and incompressible longitudinally, a stranded wire is placed. If one end of the spiral be held and the stranded wire drawn out, the other end will be drawn in the same distance. This relative movement transmits the power from the lever to the brake blocks. For a back- rim brake, the length of wire is from the handle-bar along the frame tube to within 3 in. of the back tyre ; if longer than this, the wire should be cut. File off the stranded wire which is turned over on the head of a nipple. Heat this in gas, and draw off the wire, turning it to the right. The solder must not be run out of the wire, otherwise the