New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
AT LAST THIS STATE is TO HAVE A SIGN
BOARD SYSTEM.
CONTRACTS FOR MORE ASPHALT PAvING-sEND-
ING YOUR WHEEL TO THE FACTORY

CONTRACTS FOR MORE ASPHALT PAvING-sEND-
ING YOUR WHEEL TO THE FACTORY
SOME CURIOUS ACCIDENTS.
1t is an altogether cheering announcement
which comes from Chief Consul l. b. Potter that
the State Division Of the League of American
Wheelmen is to enter Immediately on the work
of erecting guideposts throughout the State.
The nucleus of the fund for the purpose coming
from the Manhattan Beach meet Of last
year, a start will be made on Long Island.
Queens County is to have sxty-four, and Suffolk
about seventy-fve. Long Island has been rather
better provided with signboards than many other
parts of the State and this new arrangement
ought to relieve touring out there of enc embar-
rassment. Cyclists who have had wide expert
ence say that the Empire Commonwealth IS
far behind its Eeighbors in its supply OF road
directions Mr.. Potter sought to remedy this
by having q law passed compelling Commission
ers Of Highways, on the written request of a Ger
tain number of taxpayers, to erect guideposts
Apparently, little advantage has been taken or
this by wheemen. although the procedure is
extremely simple.
The touring cyclist whose bump of locality is
not a bump at all, but depression, is certain
to come to grief ct intervals. Even If he studies
out his route most carefully on the road maps
before starting. he is sure TO reach some FORK IN
the way where he must trust to luck There
arc no statistics to how often he chooses
wrongly but he firmly believes that in five cases
out Of six he takes the fork which leads to some
place that he doesn't want to reach at all. FER
haps. after he has traversed a few miles, he
meets a farmer comes upon house, ana
learns Of his mistake. Like as not, he is told of
some short cut to the right way. and then MS
fate is hard, indeed. He strikes a wretched road
al and nd mt q
VOWS to expunge the word shortcut from his
cycling lexicon Sometimes he tries TO follow
line of telegraph poles. but immersed In the
pleasures of cycling, he forgets about this, ana
the first thing he knows there are no Telegraph
wires in sight. Perhaps he determines to rely
on the sun 10 give him the general direction he
is to pursue, but it is all the same Inc points
Of the compass seem TO shift in unaccountapie
fashion, and as meal time draws near he Is
far from his destination.
1t is difficult to believe the blunders OF one OF
these men, who is consttutionally unable to
find the right way. In a strange region he Is
in constan. danger of going wrong, and even
the fact that he has been over road halt-
dozen times is no guarantee that he can traverse
II successfully The Boston Post Road, along
the Sound is as plain thOroughfare as can be
imagined yet one victim Of this habit of losing
ones way rarely travels thirty miles along it
without turning off at some point where he ought
to keep straight ahead In towns and cities he
is especially likely to go off at a tangent With
all this. he magnes that he enjoys touring I'M
mensey and is always ready to laugh over his
msfortunes.
The touring agencies abroad have entered the
cycling field and organizing parties for
taunts on the Continent The trips per
sonally conducted" and have the advantages
and disadvantages of the ordinary tour Of this
kind. One plan is to make up parties of school
boys an instructor imparting permanent knowl-
edge on the way. One agency adVertises week
in France. including passage to and from Lon
don, for So The itinerary Is forty or fifty
miles day.
Gymkhana cycle gameE could be made popular
here. especially at summer resorts. where every
one is ready and willing 10 be entertained. At
such a tournament in England, where Duke
and othe- persons Of quality were the judges
the women displayed extraordinary skill. In
one contest each person had to ride fifty yards
dismount and post a bill, and then ride 100
yards. In another, one Of the feats was TO open
and close a psrasol while in motion, and an
other to steer with one hand trundling hoop
with the other Even more remarkable was the
achievement of a woman. who rode round ana
round in small space, knitting stocking IL
would no. be easy to find many women In this
country skilful enough 10 enter SUCH coiHpeu-
tons.
The ordinary starched outing SHIRT Is
wretched thing to wear for cycling. 1t sticks to
the flesh in most annoying fashion. and Is likely
to cause colds to persons easily susceptible to
them. A loosely woven woollen shirt Is best, II
sufficiently light material can be secured, but
closely woven stuff should be avoided Gray
vooIIen shirts can be found which answer the
requirements but they are not handsome to look
on A mixture of silk and wool is also on the
market This may be bought In attractive
coors and will be found far more desirable than
the ordinary cheviots. etc, which have to be
starched.
A piece Of obvious but not always superfuous
advice to the cycst is, don't go out riding With
out money in your pocket OF course, the man
who goes for an all day trip. or on longer tour,
will hardly start out unprovided with cash BUT
for short spins in the city no expenditure may
he needed and in hurriedly changing his clothes
the wheelman occasionally forgets to transfer
his purse or any of its contents Thus 1t may
happen that after he has enjoyed particularly
refreshing glass of lemonade at roadside booth
he nuts his hand into his pocket to 1nd IT empty
Of change Or he may lose nut or break MS
chain and have to take his wheel 10 repair
shop. He can, OF course ieave H. out II ne iacks
tho humiliation Of having to borrow a nickel or
dime from the proprietor OF the shop, or course
his wheel affords ample securl,y. ne I.,oi a. III
all this Is. always Keep lie" 0o''i' III jun WY
Gle suit.
Rids are to be opened Wednesday for laying
asnhalt In these streets: The west side OF Park
ave from Ninety -seventh-st to One-hundred-
and-0rst-st; Hamilton Place from the Boule-
ward to Amsterdam-ave. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
,birteanthst from Amsterdam-ave to Morning
eda-ave. One-hundred and -fourteenth-st.. from
Amsterdam-ave to Morningside-ave.. and one
hundredth-st from Fourth-ave. TO fifth-ave
ha Lot
maIntainino the asphalt in a number Of streets.
There is nothing more annoying in the wheel
mans experience, perhaps. than to have some
slight break occur in the frame of his bicycle
through no fault of his own, which makes II
necessary to send the machine to the factory for
repaIrs He is assured that the break was due 10