The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-04
The Helena Bicycle Club and the
More Than One Hundred
Wheelmen.
Some OF the Women Who Have
Taken to the Exhilerat-
ing Sport.
The Safety Wheel the Favorite Because
OF the Grades-Choice Routes
Of Travel.

1eleua. beelOeS tneSe tneEe are IL Grea6
number of school boys who own wheels.
Here and there about the o may be seen
one or two riders any day, but n would
not think Shere are 30 many wheels as
stated. The local club, which was organ
lied last season, has done much to develop
interest in this healthy outdoor exercise.
Fifteen new machines nave been brought
here within the past few weeks. A call for
a meeting of the club will be made in a few
days and arrangements made to take some
runs to ~favorite resorts in The country.
Mr.. Peter Beaudry, one Of the best known
wheelmen in the city, reports the roads to
be in fine condition. One of the favorite
trips is that from tho city ont to the Broad
water over the Hansen boulevard. This
t~horoughfare is in splendid condition
until late in the fall, and has been
used n great deal by wheelmen
since it was opened to the public. A spin
out to the hotel followed by a bath in the
natatorlum and a dinner and the return
trip to the city are much relished by mem
bers Of the club. One noticeable thing
about the sport this season is the interest
taken in it by the women. About eight
members of the sex have taken to riding
safety wheels in Helena. Davis street is a
%favorite place of practice for them. The
time selected is generally III the evening
about dusk and when pedestrians and We
hlcles are few in the neighborhood. Several
ladies have already become excellent riders
after a few lessons, and noun their wheels
for a run with zest. A pretty sight that
may he seen almost any day of the week, ia
a married couple mounted on their safety
wheels taking a run down into the valley.
Probably one of the best riders in
the city is young married woman; who
lives on Broadway. One of her favorite
rides is down Helena avenue, and hence
out toward Canyon Ferry. She wears a
i've appearance on her wheel. Her husband
is also an expert on the bicycle. and usu-
ally accompanies his wife on these trips.
Tho most interesting feature of the cy-
cling outlook is the number of women who
wheel. Here the difference of motive be-
tween the two sexes comes out strong. Men
wheel because they want to, women be-
cause Others do. Tn manager of an east
ern house says: "It makes an immense
difference whether bicycling starts right or
wrong in a town. If women of character
and social prominence happen to take to
the wheel first in a place, the dealers are
happy in plenty of orders. If the sport
starts wrong it may languish for years un-
less the leaders happen to taxi hold of it,"
When men began to ride they
generally made use of the
WIZ WIZ wom OF il Is costume d;ffarsnt. now prsss c wo1n;
NlpkA ol41 Az 10 blCoS OIlGb
first of all. Here is a costume much adj
mired: cit is made of dark blue serge with
a Greek fret of light blue about the bottom
Of the short skirt. another light blue fret
upon the belt and still another, narrower,
upon the collar. The soft felt hat is dark
blue, with a light blue cord about it. Tail
or made Such dark colors rs black, blue,
gray and brown, with short skirts un-
trimmed, and close-titting Sbodices seem to
be the fashion. The English Bicycling
News says that q ladies' college debated
the question whether wheeling was a
women voted on it, thirty-two f~avoring the
sport, fourteen d~enouncing it and seven
hedging" The perfection of the safety
wheel and the invention of the ladies' bicy-
Gle have done a great deal toward popular
izing the sport. Prices of machines have
become lower as they have become inn
proved. 1t is said that the Improvement of
the common roads has been largely due to
the persistent clamor of cyclists.
1t is expected that there will be a large
attendance of the local wheelmen at the
meeting to be held this week. DR.. d. j.
Waite, the president of the club last year,
will probablg preside. Mr.. Beaudry, who is
the captain of the club, is looking up the
owners of wheels who have not yet joined
the club. The meeting will probably be
held at DR.. Waite's Office on Broadway.
Most of the cyclists here are members OF
the League of American Mheelmen. The
local organization is mainly for the purpose
of keeping informed as to roads, resorts and
such other questions as interest its mem
bers. One of the purposes of the club is to
arrange for parties of ten to fifteen to visit
neighboring points of interest. such as
Mitchell's, in Prickly Pear canyon, Hilger's,
Canyon Ferry, Alhambra and the Broad
water. Most of the wheels in Helena are of
the safety pattern, a style which has found
much favor on account of the natural fea-
lures of the surrounding country.