New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
THE DAY OF TIE BICYCLE.

>. -, -, raou,re the sudden burst Of mid
.s,,,,ar h.,t last week to make It plain that the
bicvcle IL going 10 enjoy this year rar srea'e'
degree OF popularity than at any time IN 'he past
The evidences Of this were Observable "eehs' e'e
months. ago. The immense CROWDS that at'e"ueu
the Cycle Show held In this city last January
furnished most significant testimony 70 the "'ue
interest felt In this instrument OF exercise
and locomotion 1t certainly was fact OF more
than common moment that upward OF i",v'"
neople were drawn tc the Madison square "a'ue"
during the week that the show continued '"e
sole attraction being bicycles ond picyc'e equip
me nts displayed In every available loot OF space
on the three floors OF the vast building. The pre-
diction OF such an exhibition and such an attehu-
ance ten or even five years ago would have peeh
reckoned a wildly improbable dream. Its occur
renee spoke volumes as to the NUMBER OF peope
deeply interested in the silent steed'
Further proof of the growing popularity OF the
vheel ha . been furnished by the large NUMBER OF
,eorner. I'm attendance at the various instruction
schools. as well as by the extensive preparations
made by the bicycle manufacturers to meet the
anticipated demand OF the season which mas now
opened and the large number OF new makes o'
wheels put on the market. So numerous are the
wheels offered for sale that there nave pee"
many predictions Of break In prices put IL nan
not vet come, and from more than one Factory
the intelligence Is that It IL impossible to I'LL or
ders promptly. Then just as coon as the season
began to open the riders were seen ABROAD IN
force. and the last two Sundays-in the first nan
OF April be 1t remembered-have witnessed such
crowds OF wheelmen on our bouevards ana park
ways az had never been seen before IL IL ~
thus at the beginning Of the season. what VIII IL
no when the season is really opened and all those
To-
equipped with them and have taken to the road!
There is not a scfntilla Of evidence TO support
the claim OF those who have confidently asserted
that cycling was lad" and that popular inter-
eat Ir II would soon decline. An estimate already
made is that ten times as many people VIII De
riding bicycles this year az last; and really II
does not seem as IL this was great exaggeration.
The bicycle Is assurcdly 10 be reckored Win
seriously, not only as cans or exercise out an
n locomotive power. Like all things OF surpas~
ing merit. II is liable 10 gross abuse ana there
can be no question that SON. Of Its votaries use
II TO their temporary and perhaps permanent
harm But in the vast majority OF cases II IL or
undoubted benefit and numerous physicians nave
no hesitation In prescribing 1t for their patients
| az superior TO drugs and lotions.
As respects form ard construction the present
| year has witnessed no marked advance In the
bicycle. In general tEere IL iltte Chahse as eo"
pared With the wheels rat out In 1895. Such diff
ferences as appear are mainly in the direction or
making the machines stronger and more durable.
| There has beer somewhat OF a reaction against
| the extreme lightness OF weight that marked
| many OF last years wheels. and 1t seems plain
that the limit has been reached in the efforts TO
| reduce weight by all possible means. 1t would
rot b. strictly within the bounds Of truth to de-
scribe the bicycle as a perfect machine but no
| one can doubt that the wheels OF the best type
are a close approximation to perfection from the
human point Of view. The question OF saddles
has no, been satisfactorily settled. but 50 many
new designs are offered this year that the fastdi-
Gus ought 10 get themselves suited without ex-
IRENE difficulty The choice Of a saddle is large
| ~ a matter OF individual preference or idiosyn-
Grassy. for what is perfectly comfortable and sat
isfactory for one person may be quite the opposite
! for another