Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-16
on THREE WHEELS.
The Tricycle. and It's Growing Popular.
ify in WaShingf Ton.

The Tricycle. and Its Growing Popular
ify in Washington.
THE ADVANTAGES CLAIMED FOR THE ''TRIEE'-
Mr.. JOHN PATCH AND MRS. BELyA A. LOCK
WOOD AS PIoNEERs-sOCIABLEs, TANDEM5,
COVENTRY CHAIRS AND OTHER ODD MA
CHIMES.
The tricycle. has become prominent feature
in the wheeling world. To be it has not
yet reached that degree of popularity in Wash
ington that it has in other cities where cycling
is a recognized means of locomotion: but then
Washington is said TO be somewhat behind
hand in accepting any new style or innovation.
IL is. however. gradually growing TO recognize
the merits of the three wheeled machine, and it
is predicted that another year will see double
the number of tricycles that now roll over our
level asphalt. The number AT present in use Is
by no means small, being estimated at consid-
erahly over a hundred. Considering the pre-
JUDGES which existed against it when first in
trodueed here, the showing is considered q
very respectable one. In England, the home
of cycling, the tricycle. has almost superseded
the bicycle, and in good riding weather the
roads are alive with them, propelled by both
ladies and gentlemen.
ADVANTAGES OF THE TRICYCLE..
the two chief advantages OF the tricycle. are
its safety and ease of stopping, mounting and
dismOunting. As n roadster IT has the disad-
bicycle, which can travel with ease along q mar
row foot-path, but on the other hand 1t Is not
APT TO give the rider n severe header upon meet
ing some slight obstruction. as the two-wheeler
often does. IL has another disadvantage OF re-
quiring considerable storage-room. II one owns
q tricycle.. however, he has but little difficulty
in finding q suitable place for Keeping it when
not Tin, in use WASHINGTON we'll deserves its name
found in no other city in the world.
They offer the same advantages for the tricy-
Gle as for the bicycle. for business as we'll as
pleasure The bicycle was at first regarded as
toy. TO be used only by boys but when it be-
came apparent that ii answered all the pur-
poses OF a horse TO its owner, and was valua-
bic and time saving assistant in business as
well as afiording means for recreation and en-
ioyment. the Old time prejudice wore away,
and a feeling of endurance under protest, gave
way to a ready recognition of it as real We
hicle, whose rider should be entitled TO all the
privileges accorded rider or driver of a
horse.
EARIy pREIUDIcEs AGAINST THE "TRIKE"
After the bicycle won its victory, its sister,
the tricycle., whose introduction here followed
closely, had to fight against general feeling
that it should he ridden only by those afraid of
mounting the bicycle. That fight it is waging
still. but is gradually succeeding, as it has done
elsewhere. The force required to propel it Is
greatly magnified in the mind OF one who has
never ridden. w hen once tried it is found both
easy TO propel and easy to manage. To be sure
IA very ugly fall can be had from tricycle.. 1t
can tip over backwards, and can be easily upset
in turning a corner too short but a
very little practice and the exercise
OF "a moderate amount of carefulness will max e
one as safe on a tricycle. as walking along the
street. The more general cycling becomes the
more apparent is it that safety is the most inn
pOrtant consideration, and the popularity Of
tricycies and safety bicycles is the result Man
uiacturers in Europe have been for a long time
endeavoring 10 devise satisfactory safety
bicycle with varying results. The latest ma
chine OF this kind is the Rover. built by
Starley and sutton, of England and it promises
TO prove satisfactory in every way. There are
two OF them in this country, end both are in
Washington. The machine resembles some
what the primitive veiocipede, as the two
wheels are nearly of the same size, and the
rider is swung between them. The pedals are,
however. directly beneath the rider, and the
power is applied directly downward to the rear
wheel by means OF the chain, as in the tricy-
Gle. The machine presents much better ap.
pearance in motion than one would imagine.
THE PIONEER.
But to return to tricycles. The pioneer of tri'
cycling in Washington was John Patch. He
used a machine of a nondescript kind in his
business travels for many years before the in
PRODUCTION of the real tricycle., easy moving and
substantial. 1t proved very valuable factor
in his business As collector, and was the means
OF securing the payment OF many n bill. 1t was
So well known, even without the aid OF sign
that a man who wished to maintain respecia.
bic financial standing IN the community would
make strong effort to pay "a bill promptly
rather than have that machine standing before
his door every day so. Mrs. Belva
Lockwood was the next person to use a
tricycle. in connection with business. She
was lcT II HiiiS llIilt the only IdUN rluer In
Washington, and cut quite a prominent
figure in the street. She experienced no
difficulty in riding any place about the city Elk.
cept or Capitol hill. The grade was pretty
steep. especially in warm weather, and as she
frequently found it necessary to go to the SUI
preinc Court, she was compelled TO leave her
machine a. the foot OF the hill until she hit
upon the cXpedient OF timing her trips with
those OF the Black Maria on its way To- the iail.
Al the 1901 OF the NH siie would step from her
tricycle. to- the step of the van, and holding on
~ the former with one hand and the latter
with the other. the accent OF the hill would be
made by both rider and tricycle. without the
slightest difficulty or even inconvenience.
AMONG THE LADIES.
Other ladies. with less independence, hest
tated long before essaying the tricycle., through
fea: OF becoming conspicuous which accounts
for the very Indifferent reception that vehicle
received at the hands of the ladies. At first no
lady would ride il except after dark. They
very soon found, however, that it could be
ridden quite gracefully, and lady riders began
To- appear occasionally on the street in daylight.
At 1lrst they attracted considerable attention,
because of the novelty, but the compliments
were more numerous than the criticisms. Now
nothing is thought OF lady gliding along
The streets. and propelling herself, except
that she is having very pleasant
ride. and is taking very beneficial exercise. A
great many ladies tried riding through curios-
ity, and have always been delighted. On Cap
itol hill there is quite colony of lady riders,
VINO make runs together, and they enjoy the
SPORT immensely. OF course like any other ex-
ercise, il can be carried to excess and ladies
81 Guild be careful not to attempt too much,
either in distance or grade. For person who
is obliged TO 20 about the city much, the tricy-
Gle IL invaluable. and is even preferable to q
horse and buggy. II is much cheaper in the
first place, ana Is always in readiness. There is
but comparatively a small portion of the year
when bad weather prevents its use.
PHYSICIANS on WHEELS.
Several well known physicians have recog.
nized the advantages of tricycles and have pro-
vided themselves with them. Some are Der.
fectly able to keep horse and buggy too and
So do. There are occasions, however when the
Use of n tricycle. is much preferable. \ sudden
call at night can be answered on n tricycle
much quicker and with much less trouble than
with horse.
SOCTABLEs AND TANDEMs.
The sociable and the tandem, TO carry two
riders, have achieved quite a degree OF popu
larity. In the former the riders sit side by
side, and in tile latter the one behind the other
The sociable is rather in the lead here but else
where, particularly in Boston, ii has beer