The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-02
SAFETY" AGAINST "REGULAR.D
The Squatty Bicycle Driving Out of Ex
issence It's Graceful Rival.

The Squatty Bicycle Driving Out of Ex-
| issence Its Graceful Rival.
| The bicycle world has its two schools
j., now, the old and the new, just like the
ology and other branches of learning The
! conservative element is mounted on the
| old style machine, with one tall and one
small wheel, while the liberals" use the
! ''safeties." E.s former kind was, and to
some extent still is, known as the ''crdi-
nary" but an incident will show that this
| is misnomer.
| A man lately went to a big establishment
near Central park which does large bust
! ness In renting bicycles to riders and asked
| for a machine. The day was such fine
| one that there was a great demand for
| wheels, and the would be customer was
told that there wasn't bicycle in the
| place; all had been rented. The young
man, much disappointed, asked If they
didn't have any kind of an old machine, so
that he could take spin Yes; if he was
willing to take high one he could have
one of those When he asked for bicycle
there few years ago a tall one was inva-
riablY brought out unless be asked spe-
officially for safety"
a visit to Central park on a pleasant
day will show how much more popular the
"safeties" are than the old kind. Often a
dozen low machines will be seen to one tall
one. From an aesthetic point Of view
there is no comparison between the two
makes. The old kind is exceedingly grace
ful, and the rider seems 10 skim along on
single big wheel. The man on a squatty
safety looks mean beside his brother, who
is two feet above him Beauty, however.
ic viz ,,rslsAr- Tor L. l..
ridden both kinds of wheels almost al
ways pronounce the new kind by far the
more satisfactory.
To begin with, learning 10 ride tall hi
cycle means lots of bruises and torn cloth
ing, not to mention the vexation OF having
people laugh at your mishap. The tyro on
the safety runs much less risk of falls, al
though he is sometimes cautioned 70 De
more careful by finding himself sprawling
on the road. Even an expert rider on a
tall wheel Is likely TO take header" at
any time, for a small stone or gravel in
his path often dismounts him. He must
keep a sharp lookout on the road, while
his companion on the lowly safety ad-
mires the landscape or watches the people
whom they pass
In rough places the nan on the homely
machine may rush. WneTe the other has 20
dismount and push his machine like a
baby carriage Going down hill the new
style Of bicycle IS also superior. the danger
Of fall being so much Jess. Il would be
suicidal for the xbeelman who Is Derched
on regular" 20 put on mis- brake while
coassing down hill, but the other man can
do il with perfect safety.
In point OF speed the advantage is also
with the machine the wheels OF which are
OF equal size. In fact the ''safetiesr have
been barred ont Of the intercollegiate bi-
cyles contests, a. If it were as unfair 20
have the two kinds compete, as IT would be
10 have trottiEg and running horse race.
Manufacturers are bending al their euer-
g1es IN improving the ''safeties, and the
graceful regular" seems doomed 70 the
fate OF the bufaIo-gradaal extinction
New York Tribune.