New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-14
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
RECKLEssNEss OF wHEELMEN IN CITY
STREETS

STARRED PATH BETWEEN PORT JEFFrR
son AND PATCHoGUE. on LONG ISLAND
INDEPENDENTS OF WOMEN
RTDERs-THE SIDEWALK
REGULATIONS
The fatal accident to a woman cyclist a few
nights ago seems to have been due solely to her
self, ana her husband exonerated from all blame
the man with whom she came in collision. There
may now be increased caution among riders in
the city for time. but the old carelessness will
again manifest itself The marvel is that the
serious accidents are not more frequent espe-
cially those in which cablecars run over bicycle
riders Every ono has seen cases in which wheel
men have run the gravest risks. merely to save
few seconds Of time. or for no reason at all ex-
cept that they fools The writer two such
occurrences on recent afternoon in Broadway.
In one the rider was going downtown and cut
across the outer track to ride on the cable slot
He did this within ten feet. go it seemed. of car
going at its regular speed The very slightest slip
would have meant instant death. All who saw
the foolhardy affair held their breaths until the
rider was safe distance away. At Fourteenth
St another reckless fellow crossed the curved
tracks at an acute angle just ahead Of car. 1t
perfectly insane thing to do The sight of
such act is shock to all onookers Two or
three nights later the writer beginner ride
down Coumbus-ave. between the two sets Of
tracks If he wasn't a beginner he rode like one
for his wheel swerved constantly. Yet he rode
beside a cable-car. now little ahead of ii and
now dropping back The following night
woman tried to cross COlumbusave. in front of a
car This was about at Eighty -fOurth-st. She
slipped and fell BY rare good fortune she landed
on her fee; and able to get out Of the way Of
danger The gripman tried TO stop the car and it
just srazed the wheel as she was dragging II
away. 1t is pity that such acts are not regarded
as disorderly conduct punishable with arrest and
a small fine. They really akin to bridge
jumping.
The nuisance Of the gongs which youthful
wheelmen attach to their mounts has been
ferred to in this column. device which has
been suggested if it has not already been adopted
by noise loving riders. is a chime of bells. of har
mOnious tones. If the thing goes much further
the Board of Health will have to take a hand To
protect the nerves OF a suffering community.
noise producing arrangement which is common in
some parts of Connecticut and elsewhere. al
though wholly or comparatively unknown i'm this
city consists Of strips of rubber passed around
the diamond frame Of bicycle The ordinary
bands can be used If the front wheel is removed
50 that they can be put on or long strip of rub
Der. wound around and around. will serve. The
strips must be stretched as tight as possible. In
"A wind the rubber acts as an aeOlian harp, giving
forth "A sound not entirely unmusical. Sometimes
il resembles the buzzing of an approaching troll
ley-car and is a great mystery to those unfam
lar with il. especially if there are no stree. rail
way tracks in sight. This improvised harp has
such destinations for callow bicycsts wherever
1t is introduced that 1t will probably rage in New
York City ere long.
The beauties OF the autumn flowers and foliage
now invite cyclists to tours on country roads and
lanes. Golden rod is in rich bloom and the
highways are lined with wealth OF yellow and
red and blue
More than one person has noted the self-re-
lance which bicycling gives women. Many Of
them, conscious that in this sport they must
rely wholly on their own efforts for locomotion.
feel called on to refuse all the little attentions
and assistances which the other sex naturally
gives to them. 1t is not necessary that the young
woman should be advanced" and she may
shrink from suffrage and be frightened at a
mouse. but she will scorn aid in putting her
wheel in a rack and will almost be offended
if a male companion wants to trundle her bicy-
Gle UP a hill-unless she is extremely tired.
Yet this same person if she plays tennis. VIII
allow her partner to run after all the stray balls.
and if yacht Will accept all the attentions
to which she is accustomed in a ballroom.
OF course il is of advantage in more ways
than one that a woman should learn to care for
her wheel and be able to tighten nuts and even
mend punctures Perhaps she IL likely to be in
vited out riding oftener If her escort does not
have to spend half Of the time available for
their haunt fixing up her machine. 1t is a great
delight no doubt. to be met with pretty smile
shining through woe-begOne look. and the eX-
PLANTATION that her brother most thOughtlesslY
neglected to blow w the tires You attend to
this. and then you find that her chain Is too
loose and clanks against the guard. or that the
bearings of the crank shaft are too tight ana
80 on. until YOU have resolved yourseii lhto d
"Bicycle Oliver" OF course charming S,''le
and some III city words reward you. but II there
is another acquaintance whom you like nearly
as well. and her bicycle Is usually all Snip
shape when you go to take her out Tor SPIN
YOU are likely to prefer her as a companion L"
the helpl' IS one. However, '"e WV J" SUI
prsinglv rare now
This independence often shows itself in an in
sstence on the pant of women that they pay
,h,;r share of the expenses when trip which
involves luncheon at a hotel or railway rare.
These SANE women would accept an invitation
to 90 on n sailing party without even a thought
that II should he a Dutch treat III ~ anus
mo ia hear the discussions which sometimes
arise over the question whether no'h seNts
should he on the same financial roofing on thsSe
outings However. the subject is hluch "iuei
tban its single phase which relates to hcy'llhg
The hopes Of a means Of communication be-
,uoen the north and south shores OF Long
Island across that great space OF sand ana
,vaete land which stretches over so much OF the
middle of the island. seem doomed TO long de-
Law There we're several projects for cycle paths
and the most promising. apparently. was that
for route from Patchogue 10 Port JEFFERSON
Eoth OF these places are OF considerable size and
contain many wheelmcn. besides being visited
l,v numerous cycling tourists. The local inter-
est in the path was considerable on Doth SHORES
ond fair sum Of money was raised me
trouhIe was not however. with the intentions OF
l.t with the moor acknowledgements