The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-12
BY WHEEL THROUGH EUROPE.
Women May Travel That Way with
Entire PrOpriety.
Harper's Bazaar.

women May Travel That Way with
Entire Propriety.
Harper's Bazaar
When any one says to you that it is Inn
possible or unWise for woman, or TWO
women, to go go on bicycling trip through
Great Britain because 1t is not proper or be-
cause women should not travel alone, you
cause to anything you Ike. 1t is perfectly
possible for couple OF women 10 take a
five hundred or a thousand-mile trip through
and provided they have the physical energy
to carry 1t out. The day when women
Sa can 90 things alone b mas gone ONE
orous woman can leave her home in Amer
lea, sail from New York TO Liverpool or
England, and return TO New York in Septem-
Der or October, have a glorious summer If
she keeps well and her tires do not puncture
too often, and spend as small an amount as
$50 to 500 in hundred days, including her
frst-class passage both ways. The only i'm
portant thing that is necessary after
healthy body and good wheel is a sufficient
amount of common sense and self-posseSsion.
There viii arise occasions when a ten-fnile
ride must be taken over the Scotch moors
or on Rannoch Moor at dusk tire may
give out back of Loeb Lomond somewhere.
Anything of this kind may and is likely to
happen. and 1t Is at such times that the self
possession and common sense of an ordinary
man helps over a bad quarter of an hour
prodigously. If woman is going to lose
better stay at home; but little practice in
such matters soon fits her for her part of
as the globe trotter. find amusement instead
of annoyance In unforeseen circumstances.
The first two requisites are, however,
good wheel and good body. AS for the
first, It may as well be dropped here, for no
two men, and, so far as any one can find out,
no two women, will ever agree on the merits
of any one wheel. unless they happen TO be
financially interested in one particular BIZ
cycle firm or have friends who are. 1t would
be foolish to discuss bicycles here, therefore.
The second requisite. however, is. one upon
which doctors will pretty generally agree.
If you will try to ride wheel ten miles for
the first time after two months of inaction
a five-hundred-mile trip requires, therefore,
a certain amount of definite training. Sup
pose, then, that Mrs. Allen and Miss Bartlett
are planning to SAIL from New York on one
of the smaller boats on June Is. They have
each purchased a round-trip ticket for $50.
On the 1st of May they begin riding their
absolutely raining. That is perhaps four or
five miles. They set out for some definite
point known to be half that distance from
then straight back. When they reach home
they are warm. Consequently they go at
once to the bath and then change their
clothing. AT about the middle of May they
ride an hour an hour and a half, cover
ing eight or twelve miles, according to the
time, but always going to some definite point
and returning again at a steady businesslike
speed. And by the LIST Of June they are TAX
ing three rides a week of about forty miles
each..twenty in the morning and twenty in
the afternoon. This, 1t is important to note
is done without at any time using up
either Mrs. Allen or Miss Bartlett.
If all goes well, the condition of the two
young women is good when they set sail
on the 18th for Southampton. Then follows
a week of rest the steamer, and finally
they are ready to start awheel some bright
day about the 18th, riding northward from
Southampton.
The question of custome has of course be-
come am important point long before this
as well as that of luggage. The actual
bicycle costume may be whatever you
make it. One word may be said as to the
re.ative merits of skirts and boomers. No
one can DENY that boomers. or anything
approaching trousers, are better than
skirts, but either we have not arrived at
sufficiently emancipated era as yet or
boomers are not womanly AT all events.
Mrs. Allen and Miss Bartlett will do well
Just at present, especially IL they travel
without male escorts, to cling to skirts. That
will prevent any comment by the way. The
skirt should be light, scant, and weighted
at the hem. and the superstructure to 1t
all in colors of a subdued hue, preferably
a snuff brown with CATERS and soft felt
hat of a similar color. and stout laced
Shoes
The question of luggage is naturally IF the
utmost Importance If these two ladies are
going with Mr. Allen and Miss Bartletts
boomers. they have an opportunity for car
rying a little luggage that is denied Ter
who adheres to the garb of womankind.
W whey r and can therefore strap one OF thoae
irregular diamond-shaped portmanteaus In
side the frame of the wheel. Within this
can be easily arranged a little -oilet case
for brushes, combs, pins, needles, soap, etc.
This is attached to one end of the portnan-
teau, and is complete in itself. The rest OF
the bag is left for two changes of under
clothing, nightwear and anything else that
is light and takes up little space. A little
camera may also be strapped in Its case on
to the frame of the wheel. Having packed
this important bag, the next thing is to fill
up a good-sized valise witt changes OF cIcth-
ing, an extra pair of shoes, aEotner COM
Pete gown and iSs s0 s,nes of all
that is in the bicycle portmantea1 Finally,
this being DONE one trunk Is packed with
dinner gown, and several other suits that
any travelling woman may nee1. besides mats
and shoes. The portmanteau gees on the
wheel. The valise-supposng the start from
Southampton for London, thence to Derby,
thence to Manchester. thence to W'nder-
mere, to Carlyle; to Dumfnes' Ayr Ayr,
MILITANT Inverness and Edinburgh-the va
lise Is sent ahead from southampton to Lon
don. On arrival at London. you send 1t on
again 10 Manchester or Windermere. or even
TO Glasgow From Glasgow it goes TO the
Trossachs, or Oban. or Inverness, or TO Edin-
burgh and from Edinburgh 10 New Castle,
Oxford or Cambridge and London. 1t only
needs a letter sent day ahead to any hotel.
explaining that the valise VIII be called Tor IN
a week or fortnight The trunk Is sent IN
London. thence to Glasgow, to Edinburgh and
finally back to London
III this simple rule Is followed, neither OF
the ladies will be Inconvenience at any time
They have enough with them to last three or
four days They are sure OF finding as much
more in that time ahead of them, and at any
time they can take a train and reach LONDON,
Glasgow or Edinburgh Tor, in other words,
course of the trip can be altered at any time.
The yalises may be shipped to Derby or Man
chester, and sent for from Edinburgh. If it
is decided 70 stop at Broadway or Ely or
Cambridge a week, a telegraph message will
bring the trunks back And. altogether. 1T
costs little or nothing. If Mrs. Allen prefers
woman's wheel. the portmanteau IS, OF
course impossible but she can procure port
manteaus of other shapes which either strap
on behind the seat or in front Of the handles.