The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-05-24
Bicycles and Bicycling.

Very curious and remarkable are the
present status and recent history of
bicycling. Without attempting to state
the case in precise detail, we may say
that the modern era dates from 1876. In
that year the high "wheel, in substant-
tally the present form Of that vehicle,
was exhibited at the Centennial EXPOSE
ton. Tens of thousands Of people there
saw for the first time practical bicycle,
though a multitude of clumsy contriv-
ances had been devised, constructed,
tried, and abandoned during the proceed
ing eight years. The Centennial wheel
was success. Improvements followed
fast, and the machine of each year be-
came almost obsolete the next year. For
time England led the United States
both in the quality of bicycles and the
extent OF their use, the latter especially
for real travel as distinguished from mere
sport. But Yankee enterprise and in
ventive genius did not permit this for
eign superiority to last long.
1t was not until the advent of the safe
ty that bicycling began TO be, in the true
sense OF the word, popular. The high
wheel repealed the average man by its
real as well as its imaginary dangers.
For women nothing better than the tri-
cycle or quadricycle seemed possible of
cycle kind. But when the safety arriv-
ed on the scene new day dawned. The
strange and fascinating privilege was no
longer confined to limited number of
adventurous young men who had time
and taste for athletics. Middle-aged
men, old men and boys, women and
young girls soon joined the ranks of
bcyclists. The development of the new
method of locomotion was marvellous.
Some people, refusing to yield to the
general enthusiasm, called it "fad," a
"craze," and various other uncompli-
mentary names. They said the fashion |
would die down as quickly as it had |
grown up. Events did not justify their
prophecies. As the number of riders |
multiplied, the improvements followed |
one another in bewildering succession.
Ball bearings were introduced. Tubular
frames gave the maxium of strength with |
the minimum of weight. The cushion |
superseded the solid tire, and the pneu-
matte tire left the cushion out of date. |
The 1892 style" seemed to be perfection
but the 1893 style" is as much ahead in
quality as in chronology. Last years
racing records are breaking in pieces
every day. Long ago the fact was dem
onstrated that for a journey of so miles a
man on good bicycle can hopelessly
distance a man on the best saddle horse.
The probabilities are, that before 1898
is gone the swiftest trotting horse will
have to yield his laurels to some combi-
nation of man and wheel. There are
many suburban railway trains that make
less average speed than was made by the
bicyclers who started the press relay race
the first of this week from Boston to |
Chicago. AS for the electric cars on the |
boulevard from the Reservoir to Exeter |
street, they are mot in it, with the rid |
ers of "scorcher" cycles who start even
and keep side by side with the cars I'M
til, weary of such slow travel, the wheel
men leave the motormen bowling along |
far behind.
The Rapid Transit Commission should |
look to this. Who knows but herein lies |
the solution of the problem which they |
have so long wrestled? What is the |
need of an elevated road, anyway, or an
underground road, or tunnel beneath |
Boston Common, ii, on an 1893 pneumat-
ic tire, ball bearing, tubular framed,
nickle-plated, every way up to date, safe
ty cycle, one can spin from the saints
rest at Auburndale to the sinners unrest |
on State street in 2Sl minutes by the |
clock in the belfry of the Old South |
meeting house.-Boston Advertiser.