The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-24
THE COMING "CELER ETrE."
The Cheapest Of All Bicycles AuOid- tin
kicker, with Modern improvements

NJ. Henri de Parville. the scientific editor Of
the journal dies D,hdts, gives an interesting nc.
count Of a new kind of bicycle. or rather an im-
proved old one. which he calls a "celGretta.~
The ctlGrette is not intended 10 do away with
the cycle: its principal advantage lies in the
fact that It can be manufactured for a few
cents. strictly speaking. 1t is an improved
GTdsinS. the type OF bicycle thar came out in
the year 1918 and was invented by Baron
Won Drais OF the Grand Duchy OF Baden. to
whose memory a monument was erected In
CarlsruAe. MS native place. The present ma
chine las no pedals and no gear. 1t is the in
yention Of VI. tlcrC. II consists Of a little
wooden frkne, n saddle, two wheels, and .
handle TAR. In his account OF the original in
vcnt.un baron Won Drais says: o a good road
my machine can travc! six or even eight miles
an hour. and down an incline it can go faster
than a gal'oping horse"
There may be IA little exaEgeration in thas
statement. but 1t Is evident that with this ma
chine A man can get along easily at u faster
rate than IL he ran a: his fun speed and he can
t%is'"i,
To certain extent 1t is a funny thing. aud .
man may look "A little ridiculous on IL, but after
all. n Yellow LOOKS funny On a wheel anyhow.
Little or 10 training Is necessary 10 enable any
body to ride this new CuntrivHuCe. Just 40 in
the case of the old invention. tho rider runs
alun: the rpni while seated. The moment he
mounts the saddle he plants his feet on the
ground. starts or with "A few kicks, and away he
goes. giving u kick now and then To keep up
suruI. with the cheapest kind Of a ~cel6retto
one can get along vcry well, but at q somew hat
SLOW err rate than that ~ the regular machine
Win pneumatic tires IL ~ claimed that this
machine can he made to travel Just as fast a.
any ct her wheel.
When the old affair first appeared in France.
ut the close of the last century, the caricaturists
killcl IL; hut IN England II was used extern
sivelY by the young people. For them this mode
Of cycling was glorious sport. Already tho
cclrrett" il laughed AT in France, The idea otA
man dying along the road kicking like a mule
T. rather too much for the dignity OF dandy
F~TcLcUmrH: nut n must Ice remembered that it
took twenty years before French people dared
to show themselves in public astrido a bicycle.
Vi. Paul CleTC's wheel, as we have already
said. costs lItt!p or nothing. one can he bOught
Tor lfty oeuts or n dollar, and, rs II costs that
much Tor Il carriage ride, the wheelman can AT
ford to throw tho thing away NJ the end OF his
Journey aud buy u new one whenever he wants
to start ont again. 4 wheel that anybody can
ride. and that will run along the road AS fast a!
AN ordinary horse can trut, Is certainly "A usefui
machine. Young people will use II 70 atnuso
may also be used 10 advantage hV people who
wish to commence their education IN, regular
cycling. MorkmeR might als" take adyantaEs
OF II going and coming from their workshops
Children going to school and peasants going 70
the market could also uss II, Moreover, any
handy man with tools can make a celeretts.
aud II IL 20 light that It can easily be carried up
steep hills or along the PORTIONS Of TuSged roAds
where wheeling Il well nigh impossible,
beyond q doubt. tho ~Ctlcr'tte Is another ma
chine for the benefit OF humanity.