The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-30
THE BICYCLE WORLD.
The view Ideas Anasng the 1nfatsafeA
Wh~eSmen ~ the Coon-


try.
CHICAGO. May IA small. and pre-
.urrabsy. ssIect. wheel club has recently
tried the effect Of vivid eniors in nssn's
c..ssng costumes bar Chicago has not
taken kindly 20 shs Innovation The club
hsw homo an the Seush Side, In the
fashionable district wherein reside fsw
score Of Thscs COS richest pork packers
ana railway snaguztes. and almost any
day, except Sunday, a few Of the eosder
members may be spotted on Michigan
boulevard The OUTFIT is not com rsiczted.
hat for strength of colorfng II rivals the
toys affected by the cross-cauafry riders
OF Great Britain. The coats are KNOWN
10 hab~rdashers as fgolsng coats. They
are made Of bright red uraadcioth with
patch pockets and brass buttons Any
sort of Knockers go with the coat for the
w.arsr can trust 40 the balance Of his
makeup being overlcoked b. even the
careful observer hit an English cap and
a fat stock are considered 10 be essential.
These cyclists ride with ursarned bars.
rubber pedals and all the accoutfements
Of the society cycllst, hut the small boy
has sufficient joy from the combination ~
make up for any discomfort the rider may
De hs wing from the smothering stock and
the warm coat. There rs small chance OF
this kind Of an outfit becoming more than
slightly nor sensible though IL a rider Is
in search of something conspicuous he is
certain 10 succeed in taking UP with the
style
When I INST began to attend national
l. A. W meets the clothes worn by cy-
cIists we're varied and one could almost
locate a man by the cut of his coat. We
had good bit OF respect then for the
fastener. for New England was then the
center of the bicycle industry and consa-
0uently OF the sport. This was in IS and
the popular idea Of correct costume Tor
the wheel was a pifir Of fniI length tights
and q shirt with laced front, the whole
made Of worsted and knit to order OF
course clothes of this style made a man
look more like an acrobat than anything
else and when rider was of his mount
he felt like fleeing for cover. but we man.
aged to enjoy riding for all that and until
we were brought into contact with the
New York cyclists we felt pretty we'll sat
tsfied with the jerseys. The Metropolitan
riders leaned toward blue and black
broadcloth with many and devious orna-
ments of black silk braid sewn on the
front of the coat and down the outseam
Of the tight knee brooches. These breeches
were invariably laced at the knee and the
silk lacing cords were left in a supposedly
artistic bow outside OF the stocking. 1t
was considered to be the right thing to
black with broadcloth suit and very low
black shoe completed the outfit. For a
head piece a cap OF the same material as
the suit was worn. This cap was a won
derful production H. had visor of pat
ent leather and heavy silk cords were
strung across the front. and the name Of
the club to which the wearer belonged US
ually appeared on the front In letters of
gold. There was an effort to make the
cyclist appear military and many of the
coats were cut with standing collars. the
Initials OF the club appearing on the front
of the collar. Shoulder straps denoting
the rank OF the rider were used by many
of the clubs. and II Is to be presumed that
the title of captain or lieutenant carried
as much honor with 1t as though the
owner had won IL on field of battle.
The style of the Eastern wheelmen
never penetrated TO the Middle states and
when the Chicago wheefmen attended the
national meet in 81 at Detroit the bloomer
costume was offered as a substitute for
the blue and black suits Of the New York
and Boston cyclists. Chicago did not
originate the bloomsr. but borrowed the
style from England. number of English
riders who visited Chicago in the fall of
30 having brought the regulation riding
suit of the British Isles with them These
riders come over here TO Introduce the
prominent English wheels which for few
and as the pneumatic tire was an untried
experiment in America thousands of
Numbers, Swifts. Rovers and other ma
chimes were sold to riders in this country.
The Chicago wheelmen must be given the
credit however, Of taking up with the
loose knicker and popularizing ii. for I'm
the face OF ridicuie the garment was
worn continuously and today it Is the only
rational style In vogue.
The first bloomer suits. as they were at
first called. were made up of two gar
ments. coat with outside pockets, and
pair of loose knee brooches. Pockets on
the outside of coats were at that time a
novelty, the old style being to make the
coat perfectly plain with two breast pock-
cts inside. ! believe this was done To keep
the wearer from tearing his pockets at the
corners when mounting his wheel, bit a
man who will drag himself up over the
back of the saddle might as well go back
to Jerseys and eschew a coat for the old
style OF riding with the saddle up high
and then climbing into 1t has passed into
history. The material used for the early
boomer suits was varied, grays and mixed
browns being the favorites, and later
plaids. This year. however. the latest
style for wheeling costume includes
dark blue serge coat and waistcoat and a
pair OF Knockers of bright plaid. Some rid
ers have taken up with Shepherd paids.
out lNESe are Il tFtflS stTcUk III contrast
and the best of the English trouserinGs
are 10 be preferred. The knieker should
he made with fawn Coiored cuffs button
ing below the knee. and these should he
preferably made TO lace up the inside seam
so that they may be made to button snug
around the top of the calf.
Cycling hose are so varied thar the
choice Is simply a matter of taste. though
the best dressed men 10 he met on the
boulevards wear stockings with bright
plaid tops and solid colors fer the body of
the stocking The cum should always be
worn Inside the stocking with about two
inches showing above the ton, presenting
a plea sing contrast and dash of color.
In the matter of linen the most popular
things are blue and white stripes and
checks Of all coors 10 please individual
tastes III being worn with shirt and cuffs
10 match and white linen collar The
sweater has been laid aside except by the
confirmed scorcher and the cyclist who
cannot afford an occasional change of
linen. although sweater Of white or
some other ligh; color Is a sine qua non