The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17

tbe old ordinaries from the Battery TO Fifty
ninth street for 10 cents each, and I've beei
crowded with wheels that Il was almost i'm
possible for passengers to get In. When the
hrst safety made is appearance here the ciu'
""VRo Invented tho safety, anyhow asked
Agitl. s,..,.r , rro,,.hm,,. He ian,
more than 40 years old now. and lives at I'll,
great bicycle centre, Coventry. lie is q mah
Of wealth, 20 u Is said; ana d SI mu more "r ab5ui
Secorating and furnishing ,his lovely home
just to suit himself than he does about, HE n.
~vention, from which lao has gathered nttie
benefit. THAT seems strange, doesn't Il? ny
Invention has been. Of inestimahle value Z.
cconcciy"d and PRESENTED the idcn of low wheels
and gearing quietly allowed otherS 10 reap tho
"""iTc eypInins the matter by snyinS that there
were too many patents In existence ON the dit
ferent parts TO render II, practicatle TOT MN 10
and. 10 tell the truth, his former experienre
with patents had been so unsatisfactory that ne
had enough Of thG 6u ~ = ,Ss so i nS % wSs f nSi ns
accident. for It's construction had OCCURRED h,s
thoughts a long time. before he produced the
favorIte study. and from his practical knowl'
edge Of mechanics. he knew that the position
of =. the rider r. was wa, the t igss , thInE sx TO St S9" snd
the result was -"
THE safety clortled every one joyous.lhyr;,
'Yes, the SAFETY" echoed the pioneer. The
FIRST ono that appeared here had n solid tire, OF
course, and the smaller the tire was the faster
the machine could so.so it was believed. These
pencil. and the man who owned one OF THESE
~rafeties was thought 70, have, money TO BURN.
Then came the cushion tire, which DENOTED the
second degree In the craft. IT was still oetter,
aud It became very hard to handicap men who
tire or the cushion was the faster at first. We
used to have some great old discussions ana
heated arguments on this point at the cluo.
Finally the pneumatic tire put IN It's appear,
ance. and everybody cav at once that the
manufacturers had taken their third degree.
ut was very large at first and the shoe OF the
tire went right over the steel rim OF the wheel
and was split from the outside edge 81 that the
spokes could GO through and new ones oe pTs s, In
without removing the tire, which was iuliy
two inches in size. Soon they went back to
1A inches, and in ,95 the manuiacturers
them with lIS-inch tires. These we're. consid-
cred large enough, but they. found tLat the
people were riding, so much tina, tires OF t ,his
size wouldn't stand the wear and tear so th'S
"But 70 get back to the club. It soon out,
grew its quarters in Sixtieth street. and as go
many of the members were also members OF
the y. Y. A. C. we found II necessary TO CON
solidate. as bicycling was growing so rapl my:
We Joined In q body and most OF the menpers
can be seen riding today; and many or mem
belong to one or more OF the stxty'nve Dlcycle
tossther tfts are are very fond Of talking Of the
sport in the old days when the CitiAehs was
the bicycle club of New York
w neelWOTutu L 49,
riding than anything else Just now. Single
wheels still have powerful charms for them,
but old and young alike long TO take a spin
on a bicycle built for two. And they don't
care a penny whether the other one Is a man
or not, either. The rental departments con-
nected with all the schools in the city are hav-
ing a great call for tandems. None OF them
can supply the demand even when the charges
are SO an hour, and a great many concerns 90
not rent tandeme at all. Then the girls are
besieging the managers of the schools for tan
dem lessons. Fifty times a day requests are
made for tandem lesson tickets. The other
day a girl went to the manager OF q popular
and said:
II want 10 take q tandem lesson"
I'm sorry," he answered. but you can't
do It,"
IT will, thought she said. for I'm going
10 take n woman out who doesn't ride"
well, we can't give you any instruction
IN tandem riding. for we haven't enough tan
lens. to begin with. and the circle is already
90 crowded that l don't see how even n single
wheel could get IN; Why don't you learn on a
''Learn. indeed came scornfully. I'm an
expert. I've been on the road at least forty
lines in the last month. but want to go out
On q tandem" ,
We'll, Re. rent One and .!gg 80 G Gq y ON IT. It,, t 7 sacS
rider You can manage a tandem just as well as
you can a single wheel. There's nothing more
10 do. Just come to an understanding with
FOUR companion that you are to do all the steer
and that is all that is necessary"
"Oh. is that sot" she answered, %clapping her
a aoRaS shed usdi'f iny Skirt. and start right out. '"f I
.hogght one needed a special lesson or two in
The instructor had disappeared. and a man
Who takes a great interest in wheelwomen
oined the girl Just in time to catch her last re-
$50 one does" he answered empbatically
: / hope you aren't contemplating using a tan
lem without taking special lessons? You may
first. class rider on a single wheel; but with
tandem it's quito another story. even II both
.wo riders to do is to decide which one shall do
elf like the proverbial Yale football man, not
'hin-. II she does n spill Is sure to follow and
erions bodily injury may result.
nThsn on tot @ tah naeTs is 9 e Er cant as swing IN t arounS
wing around. the Fifty-third street curve.
'ou must remember to make n wide, comfort
Ible curve. Steadiness of eye and hand are
I ion can nss sfwsys te II th nee trail fn of a w thsdsm IN ste tinsi
~ a novice II you will notice these little things
When on the road. 1t looks as IL It might have
zen made by, a drunken boa constructor 1t is
o Zigzag. l believe that every woman who
steering a tandem should take n
But we can't sei them in the academies.
o what can the poor girls do?' ans wered this
poor girl.
''Then go on the road with a man who knows
Iow to ride a tandem once or twice and let him
instruct you. Next let aim ride in front and
ou do the steering. and In that way you will
earn, and soon you can take out n woman
rho has never been on a wheel before. Be
ware Of taking out such u one, though, until
do know exactly how TO steer a Daisy
,elle. Come on, and I'll give YOU your first
andem lesson on the road right now"
Her woebeRone look melted Into smiles, and
Fl she trotted to shed her skirts. as she ex-
ressed II, so that she could learn all the better.
A group OF wheelmen were talking about the
arious trades that had been affected for good
T bad by the craze for wheeling.
There's Just this much about It," said a
nan who holds a responsible place in one of
he largest bicycle concerns. 1T has made
he country hotel keepers. They didn't know
good business meant until cyclists began
o make runs into the country"
That's very true, and the newspapers that
'ublish runs have helped them out.
II should say So" answered the first. IT
lad n most amusing experience OF that kind
Sunday. A party of us took an almost en-
irely new run, or at least II Is little known