The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
WHEELS As CHR1srMAs PRESENTS.
Some or the Pecuiinrities and Mistakes or
Buyers.

Some or the Pecuiiarities and Mistakes or
Buyers.
Bicycles as Christmas presents have been
growing more popular every year, Judging from
the dealers' reports Of increased holiday trade.
The consequence 10 that the busy tradesmen
have some interesting anecdotes that hang upon
the peculiarities and the mistakes of buyers.
They either mako q guess ct what size of frame
will be correct or else buy the machine as If it
were q bureau or q clothes-horse. having no
question of fit involved. They have no idea
what mako Of wheel, what tires or other equip.
ment will best suit the beneficiary. In fact,
they sometimes have no thought that the choice
in these things makes any material difference.
They are intent above all in making the gift q
surprise, and they imagine that II they simply
pay q good price and buy q wheel Of n well.
known name 1t cannot fail to satisfy. Women
should remember that 1t is not as easy to return
a wheel and receive the money In order to go
elsewhere and buy az 1t 10 to do this with dry
goods. Another mistake made by Christmas
shoppers Is that Of trundling o bicycle home or
allowing It to be sent by q boy and rolled
through muddy places, 30 that the tires are
soiled. In case the person for whom the wheel
10 bought wants to change It later, 1t will be dis.
covered that this makes trouble. The tires
have been made secondhand, and II different
ones are wanted q bonus must be paid. These
dificulties can DO AVOIDED by having the wheel
BY far the largest per cent. Of the Christmas
trade Is done IN juvenile wheels, and IN buying
10 actually serious. They are prone to get a
mount too large. just as they do an oyercoat. in
order that the growing youngster will not have
to discard 1t after using. 1t ono season. The
streets and roads tenn with children. boys espe-
cially. who, mounted on cycles too large for
may result In lasting injury. The trouble ia
made worse by the fact that the average boy
does not object to this proceeding. He likes
the rolling motion that he gets when the pedals
arc a little TOO much Of a reach. In the face OF
tho parents and the boy the salesman Is apt to
wheel that 10 too high for the child when the
saddle Is at Its lowest possible point. A wheel
that enabled the boy to reach the pedals com.
fortably and put his toes. on tho under side Of
them, would have been the sensible thing and
it also would serve several years, because every
Perhaps the greatest source of injury in a
wheel having too much reach" for tho rider 10
the saddle. Every experienced .cycler knows
that the best position is one in which the weight
10 divided between tho saddle, pedals and
handlebars. with. the rider 80 poised that he
his weight from one to another. On a wheel
SO high that this is not possible, all the jolting
caused by crossing car tracks or going over
cobbles Is felt at the saddle, whore the weight
Is, and then communicated to the spine. The
wheel should At so that the body can be lifted
is nothing more Important than this for parents
TO consider when buying a bicycle for 9 boy or
girl. Naturally cheap saddles are fitted to
children's wheels and they are often of O kind
liable to work injury. 1t Is well worth while
paying a little extra and getting a good. COM