The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12

hlhTfN bkeCOFu WIZ " EFVuCH htni'
wheei-Tho Promised American Models
The Wheeiwomcn aud Zine bicycle Tracks
OF Pnris-A Travellers Budget or News
They nrc back in town-thc bicycle girls.
The favoritc runs arc thronged with them and
they appear to he just rs enthusiastic over
their steel steeds as ever. A midsummer sun
may continue to beam, but the wheelwomen
do not complain; they follow suit. During the
month of August their ranks thinned out con-
siderably, but thoso who dropped out came
hack along with the oysters, and most OF them
declare that they IRE glad Of it, notw thstand-
ing the heat. Their faces glow, some with
satisfaction and others from applied effort, as
they skim or pull over the never-old, always
new routes through the Par and along the
boulevards, It's wheels, wheelcrs, and wheel.
Ing every where that one goes nowadays. AZ
ter all, cylists and oyster eaters arc o good
deal alike. A lot Of people who are fond or
oysters eat them on the first day OF September
on principle, even II the mercury In the tube
Is playing tag with tho 100 notch. And It's
the very same way with people who ride
wheels, particularly women. They take to
the road on tho lst of September, after giving
up the sport on account Of tho August sun.
no matter II they broil in tho act.
The bicycle boom continues. 1t has broken
out afresh. The cyclists aren't tho only poo.
pie who arc b~lissfully happy. The manrfac-
turcrs and dealers are in high glee, too. They
say that the good times are already being felt
In their business, though this Is their dullost
season. A lot Of feminine enthusiasts met In
IN academy on the Boulevard n few days ago.
After telling all about the perfectly lovely
summer they had spent. and perfectly grand
or perfectly awful roads, rs the case might be,
that they had encountered, they fell to talking
about the revival with all the easerness Of o
score Of Wall street brokers.
They tell me- said a tall girl, tanned as
brown as u Cuban. that the fall trade in bicy-
cles Ia bigger than 1t has ever boon before in the
! history OF wheels. l wonder II 1t Is true"
'Of course it is." answered q business-liko
young woman. land for my life l don't see
what people are buying wheels for now. Tho
idea OF buying a wheel now when We are so
soon to have one that Ii chainless on tho mar
kct."
"Pshaw. I think it's all bosh about there be-
ing q boom in the bicycle business now in
terrupted a stout woman, impatiently. "Hore
comes Mr.. Bridgman. Let's AJAX him about 1t
and also about the chainless wheel
And about tho cyclists in England and on
the Continent" put in q w~ide-awake young
girl. You know no has just returned from
abroad, where he went TO look into the matter
of q chainless wheel for America"
YES" said Mr.. Bridgman, in response to q
volley Of questions, the revival in trade'has
made itself very noticeable in the bicycle bust
ness. though, of course, this business would
perhaps feel it less than any other. the good
times starting. as they did. in the fall How
ever. our trade has been larger this fall than
ever before At this season. and I'm sure AL
dealers in hish.grado machines have had the
Tell us all about the chatnlcss wheel that
N we are to TO sa aaT sns ns sidi5yS saF; .w H5sed i. a !, wa % Se
t,,t np axhthfts0n and what 6nAS II lOnk HEa
and hoy does it run. and how much is it going
You had all better wait and examine the
chainless wheel for yourselves" lapghingiy re-
sponded Mr.. Bridsman. lust when the
is %G being w psrs Ss Sa e aow, Per Il t psf Il W Vii IL" g. out Ut
by the ArSt Of october. maybe not until No
sert that It Viii be- the Wheel Of The coming
year. While in England and France | made :
machine ne'Ii Is decidedly the best that they have
over there. 1t was on this machine that
Huret mado his wonderful record. riding 56+
ty-four miles during the last hour. ROBBIE.
who Is in this country now, was q competitor
after seventeen hours. and finished the last
seven alone. There is practically no other
chainless wheel manufactured on the othor side
Of s%uficient interest TO speak about, An Of the
others are experimental some OF them even
b b2 isv e9 na~ %ho 1hiSk i hSye h sssn a brought R1sat ,bi oS'
but they all find that their work Is far from
perfect. Il q man can make such a record on q
Ell VIC - AheiSh c". thAoo iOoI w
think Of what the record will DO on an American
chalnless -
vance in the manufacture Of bicycles since !
was there four years ago. They madc only q
t ont , some A good inn machines how now. ON they o shta
hand, England has been at q standstin. There
has has been ,im. q "a little little iSmPF fSsy srs In he c, Th9 ,Rs
same that they were four years ago Tho Eng.
fish people are a money making people and tho
wheels, 30 OF course the manufacturers were
only too glad TO keep in the same rut- One
Paris and London. Our machines received a
black eye over there, though, for a great many
have been shipped theie by the trade and sold
TO retail men, who gave out the impression that
, ass r abdsis a., sssir s. mere i The bS Sm. Amer,
English and Continental trade
"It:nust be like fairyland."
thoriiiy' ssThe Partisan women Iifde Wen. but
not so well as AinSricansi They all wear
posing their bare legs, but this is the cxcep-
ton and not the 9a rule "a, as Il Is 50 often asserted.
wear wear tHs long skirts and ride the io%p tra %Ss
round business with, the. women Of both ooun.
tries; They never stop for weather or atmos-
"T6e cyclists In Franco arc a great factor.
Everything possible is done for their pleasure
and comfort. The Palais Sport, the most won
dcrful bicycle academy In tho world. Is a most
interesting and beautiful place. 1t Is built
with what might be called a series Of spiral gal.
leries, and as a pupil grows more and more pro
ficient he or she goes higher and higher. 1t 10
one mile from the top gallery, where a pupil is
supposed to take u diploma, 70 tho ground foor.
walls of each gallery are decorated, with scenes
from every COUNTRY, and beautiful plants and
IL connected with the Palai-. Everything In
Paris has the cafe attachment. That Is the
most important feature. This school 10 owned
by n stock company"
'"Ts II true that they have outdoor schools
therei' as cd a whcelwonHn.
"Yes," answered Mr., Bridgman, "and that
something we ought to have right here In Now
York. Tho most famous outdoor school In
Paris occupies q large space, about equal to one
Of our blocks X ut 1t Is m sgTrS on,Ssnc by a high board
cent cafe. A circular, track Is built around
sufficiently TO keep the surface from being
affected by the rains, On this races are held
and when 1t is not in use for such purposes
cyclists are at liberty to ride there. In the very