also bolted to the U rims by T-shaped bolts moulded in the rubber, with the tail of the T passed through the rim, being nutted underneath the rim. The average size of solid india-rubber tyres was ¾ in., but sizes from ½ in., for racing machines, to 1¼ in. for roadsters were used. The larger sizes were, however, too heavy.
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Fig. 17
A ROADSTER SAFETY BICYCLE OF ORTHODOX PATTERN MADE BY RUDGE-WHITWORTH, LTD.
The first attempt to provide more comfortable tyres for cyclists was by the introduction of the cushion tyre. This was a hollow rubber tyre varying from 1¼ to 1½ ins. diameter, the hole through the centre varying from about ⅜ in. to ¾ in. If the hole was small the tyre was heavy and the machine ran "dead"; if large, the sides pressed hard against the edges of the rim and cut through. Some cushion tyres were more like a glorified thick garden hose, and various shaped rims were introduced to obviate the tendency there was to cut through at the sides. The expense of india-rubber resulted in great
