The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-16
ITALY WANTS our BIKES.
Consul Johnson's Report on Cycling In
King Humbert's Dominion.

Consul Johnson's Report on Cycling In
King Humberts Dominion.
H. a. Johnson, United States consul
at Venice, sends an interesting report
to the department Of state at Washing
ton on the conditions of bicycling in
Italy and the prospects of increasing the
American trade i'll that country. He
says that III his district alone there are
10000 bicycles i'll use. LII the entire
kingdom of Italy there are ten bicycle
factories, the two most noted and most
patronized being Prinetti 81 Stucchi and
Orio IL Marchand, both houses estab-
lished at Milan
Italian factories turn out very fair
work, but they are lacking in several
important elements-first, the material
used in construction; second, lack of
necessary capital third, the want of
confidence on the part of the buyer. The
material used comes in the main from
abroad, and, the bicycle being an object
| placed i'll the category of Injuries and
used almost exclusively for amusement,
| the purchasers i'll the main are more
prone to invest III foreign article than
III one produced in their own country,
/ for the same reason that fashionable
woman prefers to have her gowns made
i'll Paris rather than in Italy.
The Italian machine costs from SO
to 800 and is from four to six pounds
heavier than the English machine.
1.-THE Italian peninsula is in large
part mountainous, and for general use
here, " says the consul, sit is not dis
advantage to employ machine slightly
heavier and more solidly constructed
than those destined to be used in cities
and level country. 1t may be roughly
stated that about four-fifths Of the bicy
Giles used in Italy are of foreign make,
being chiefly English or German, the
former excelling in finish and the latter
being superior i'll strength and solidity.
The prices of these machines range from
$50 to $3.50, the general opinion among
wheelmen however, being that good
machine cannot be had for less than 800
"The prospect for opening up large
export trade to this place in American
bicycles is, in my opinion, most favor
able for the following principal reasons:
First, bicycling here is in its first stages,
and it is destined to increase enormous
ly; second, almost any novelty placed
upon the Italian market, if well and
judiciously advertised, stands every
chance of being pronounced success
third, the bicycle being rather an article
of luxury than of necessity, the cycling
class seems hardly satisfied with the
European product and much prefers u.s.
ing machines of American make The
only obstacle at present worthy of notice
to the successful introduction of the
American bicycle is its high cost.
GAS yet, in Italy women have not
taken very enthusiastically to bicycling,
but their interest is daily increasing,
and it seems to be considered quite the
proper thing for a woman of II smart
set to be an expert bicyclist. With Ital-
ian women in general there seems to be
: a strong, deep seated, traditional preju
: dice against all forms of athletic sports
but the bicycle has been most active
agent in encouraging them to abandon
such prejudice. 1t may be stated APP
proximately that at present in Italy
only per cent of the people using BIZ
cycles are women"
The consul thinks that three grades
: of American wheels, costing respectively
$115. so, $SG. So and 100, would sell
well in Italy.