The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-06
BICYCLE AND TRICYCLE..
How the Three wheeler Is Going Ahead
in England.

LONDON IntvfuP'
Men: and youths who are athletic like
to look well when engaged in any favorite
pursuit; but no bicyclist yet ever succeeded
In appearing otherwise than in grotesque
light 10 the spectator who has an eye ior
The ludicrous His attitude, TO begin with,
Is exceptionally unnatural, and on his face
Is generally painted look Of stereolyped
agony only equaled by Prometheus Wing
tus in the fable. However experienced a
rider, his eyes are never diVested OF d
haunting apprehension. He looks neither
to the right nor to the left. He can seldom
derive much pleasure from surrounding
scenery, spreading landscapes, and distant
yistas, since his whole soul appears to be
devoted to the strain Of preventing u
close acquaintance with dusty road
or q bank Of sharp tiints. An instru'
ment 30 delicately constructed that an ugly
stone, hidden rut, or any temporary OBJ
struction will throw 1t out OF gear Is neces
sarily source Of anxiety to its owner,
who, II he do not break his own neck
through a sudden fall, is often under the
painful necessity OF trundliDg his toy in
isflominious fashion TO the nearest black.
smith. Itmay be said, then, that the bi.
cycle was tolerated rather than admired by
the majority. Owners oil horses would
have liked an act OF Parliament to put
down these insidious wheels whirling along
the roads in q ghostlike fashion, with II
hush Of swift mystery and dim tinkliug
of almost inaudible bells, since all nervous
cattle were found to shy at BIZ
cycles even more than at rail-
way trains. Heads OF families grew
10 believe that the medical theories con.
nected with the hidden perils Of the new
toy were scarcely exaggerated; the hearts
Of kind hearted mothers beat bard when
the bicycle was brought out Tor projected
trip on lonely and unaccustomed roads;
and susceptible young ladies' secretly
wished that any improvement could be
made in the machine which caused their
lovers to look so deplorably silly, not to
speak OF q costume only little less I'M
graceful than that Of convict undergoing
q long,term OF penal servilude.
This all.round difficulty was at once met
BY the newly. fashioned tricycle., which
seems fast eclipsing It's predecessor in pop.
ularity. The action and attitude oil riders
In tricycles are unobjectionable in every
possible respect; they appear to enjoy the
exercise and this convenient method OF
taking il; they git in d natural position, and
1t is quite possible to look to the right or to
the left, to stop or 10 pause, to slacken or
to quicken speed, without risking frac.
ture or dislocation. Besides, the selfish
ness OF bicycle riding is altogether avoided.
A woman can work tricycle. as well and
as easily as u man, and invention has pro-
ceeded a step further in the production Of
tricycles tor the use Of married or engaged
couples. It has not been definitely stated
whether on these double tricyles that cause
so much amusement the division Of labor
Is OF necessity equal. II not, the courteous
spouse may be burdened with the chance
OF endless difficulty should he start on an
expedition one hot day with lady OF deli
cate habit, or, still worse, uncertain tenn
per. Partners on an expedition OF such
aunlimited liability" would require to be
very evenly matched, lest any disinclina-
ton on one side or The other TO work the
vehicular treadmill might cause an awk.
ward dilemma. Even horses, ner.
vous or not, appear TO have with
drawn their objection to the modern
tricycle., and as vet few accidents have
been recorded owing to the now very gen.
eral use OF them, And, strange to say, it is
London that has become the stronghold Of
the tricycle., particularly now that the con-
venient wood pavement is 80 generally
found. When the shades OF evening close
around, and the street traffic is compare.
lively lulled, out come the gliding tricyCles
In every direction, particularly on the
Kensington road away to Hammesmith
or Kew, or on the great parallel stretch
from the Marble Arch 10 Shepherds.bush.