The ball-bearings of a cycle require attention in order to get the best results. A noise of any sort from such bearings denotes trouble, and the bearings should be taken to pieces, care being taken to count the number of balls on both sides. The balls should be rubbed clean and bright in a cloth, and each one carefully examined. Any with defects or cracks should be replaced with new balls. Next examine the ball races, also the cones of the bearing. These should be free from any defects such as worn places, roughness or cracks; if such are present, then replace with new parts. If no apparent defect is visible, check over the balls for equal size and correct number. The ball-bearing, of course, should be free of any dirt, dust, grit, or any foreign matter, and be well oiled. A ball-bearing will sometimes make an intermittent clicking noise if the wrong number of balls are present, and the makers will state the correct number and size, provided that they are given sufficient details to identify the classes or type of bearing. The ball-bearings used on cycles are of a different type to those used on heavier machinery, and it may be of interest to read the pages on Ball Bearings.

Cycle wheels are now nearly always found to be fitted with " tangent" spokes, whereas formerly many had "direct " spokes. Tangent spokes are so called because from the point at which they leave the wheel hub, they lie at a tangent to the hub flange. This type are formed with an enlarged head at the hub end, with a sharp right-angled bend close to the head. The spoke is pushed through the hole in the hub flange until the sharp bend is reached, the spoke is then so worked until it lies in its proper plane, and the head is snug against the hub flange. The other end of the spoke is screw threaded and engages into a nipple which is put through the wheel rim to meet it. The nipple has an enlarged head and generally a curved washer is placed under the nipple head in the wheel rim. The nipple is then engaged with the spoke end, and turned with a key until the spoke is tight. Direct spokes were screwed in a radial direction direct into the hub flange, and were then taken radially to the rim. The disadvantage of direct spokes was that in the case of a breakage close up to, or even in the hub flange they were difficult to replace as the broken piece in the hub flange was sometimes impossible to get out unless it was drilled out, whereas tangent spokes when broken were quite easy to replace at once. Another point was that tangent spokes are in the better position to transmit the turning movement on the wheel hub to the wheel rim. In the event of an accident to a wheel while on the road and spokes being broken it is possible to make a repair so that the cycle may be ridden home, provided that patience, time, a spoke key or small spanner and a pair of pliers are available. With the spoke key or the small spanner turn the spoke nipples while holding the spoke itself firmly with the pliers and tighten up the spokes that remain to hold the rim fairly truly on the hub. Now collect the broken spokes, with the pliers form a hook on the broken end of a half spoke coming from the hub and engage it with a hook formed on a broken half spoke coming from the rim, having previously almost withdrawn the spoke from the nipple in the rim. Now tighten up the nipple and so tighten the spoke. Proceed thus with all the available pieces, then having the wheel in the cycle frame spin it, and by loosening or tightening spoke nipples as required the wheel can be got to run very decently truly. It may be feared that as some spokes, perhaps a large number, will now consist of two broken ones hooked together, that the wheel cannot take the rider's weight, but this is not so ; wheel spokes in action are in tension, not in compression, and a wheel with 12 broken spokes has been treated as above, put in riding order in 30 minutes, and ridden for 50 miles without altering its visible shape, although this was not exactly a circle. Of course due care is required not to strip the screw threads either in the nipples, or on the spoke ends. Cycle wheel spokes should be tried over at intervals to see that all are tight and at equal tension; to test the latter point twang them with the fingers, they should all produce about the same musical note. Watch that no rust forms at the sharp bend by the spoke head.

Lamps may be either oil, acetylene, or electric. Oil lamps require that they be kept clean, free from soot and the wick trimmed properly, New wicks should be provided at intervals, care being taken that the new one is quite dry. Many object to the oil and soot troubles, but with proper care these troubles should be small. Acetylene lamps give a brilliant light and except that the carbide and water require fresh supplies at frequent intervals (say every 6 hours working) should give no trouble. The necessary points to watch are that a supply of water is given, that the water valve does permit the water supply to drip into the carbide as required, that the carbide supply is ample and fresh, that it does get its supply of water, that no gas leak occurs except at the proper place, i.e., through the burner, and that the burner is in good order, i.e., clean and not blocked up.