The evening times., 1899-09-04
WoMEN'S WHEELS HEAVY.
Many Complaints That Vacation
Trips Were Not Enjoyable

Since the return OF many Washingtonians
from their vacations there has been much
discussion of what next year is likely TO
bring forth in the way of bicycles and BIZ
| cycle appurtenances. Some of the young
people have been spending their holidays
where they could make everyday use of the
I wheel, and where they have had an op-
portunity TO test the quality Of machines
on nearly all sorts OF roads. Little but
praise of the 1899 models is heard from per-
sons who have visited nearby resorts, where
they have found cycle paths and hard.
smooth highways, but those who have been
sojourning in the country, and particularly
in mountainous regions, express themselves
as not altogether pleased with what they
| call the conduct of their bikes.
Remarks of dissatisfaction have been
heard frequently among wheeiwomen who
took their light roadsters" along with
them in anticipation of showing rural in
habitants how the bicycle girls of the Capt.
tai could distance their four-footed steeds
with nothing but a gravel road or cow
path to ride on. From the tenor of their
conversation is appears that. in many cases.
the short-skirted scorchers got the worst
of it; and now they are explaining TO their
friends how it happened. OF course, the
wheels were responsible for the results.
The following conversation, which took
place the other evening in one of the wheel
mems rests in this city, will give an
idea as to how the wheelwomen felt:
Unless some important changes are
made in the bicycles of next year." said a
well-tanned cycle woman, you needn't ex-
pect me to take my wheel into the coun-
try Even the offer of a free trip to the
exposition wouldn't induce me to be both
cred again with a bike that weighs thirty
pounds. Generally speaking, am not one
who has to dismOunt at every turn in the
road to rest but confess that never rode
for more than fifteen minutes at a time up
in Sullivan county without getting off to
quiet my nerves and take a long breath.
OF course, the roads there are not macad-
am, yet do not think they are much worse
than country roads elsewhere. The fact IL
that my wheel was entirely too heavy.
When / bought 1t / told the dealer it
weighed more than my last years machine,
but he assured me that, in this years mod
els, the additional weight would be more
than Offset by the superiority of their ma
terial and the workmanship upon them.
Perhaps his statement was true, but l be-
lieve IL / had had my '97 wheel with me
this summer it would have given much
better satisfaction than / got out of my
new one"
Where I was," said another young
wheelwoman who had returned from her
holiday a few days before, none of the
girls had a wheel that weighed less than
twenty-eig pounds. Nearly every day
they made up party and went out for
a tour of the neighboring villages. but their
experiences were very similar to those of
our friend. They declared that their
wheels were much too heavy and cumber-
some for them to push on rough roads and
that the little fun that they got out OF
their rides did not repay them for their
exertion. AS a last resort, they hired a
cart, with two horses, to go along with
them and when they tired of pedaling they
lifted their machines into the cart and
allowed the horses to draw them along
until they regained their ambition to re-
vert to their wheels.
LAS for myself. I have used the same
wheel for three years because 1 haven't
been able to buy another. The old thing
looks somewhat antiquated, but l think
more depends on how a machine runs than
how it looks. 1t weighs just twenty one
pounds and can lift it and carry it almost
any distance with ease. My friends said
1t would be dangerous for person of my
weight, 152 pounds, to ride such light
wheel over roads that were soft and full
of ruts. but. II you will believe me, did
not have breakdown all the while / was
away. / was able to make better time and
to ride longer distances than anyone Of
the party, and the old wheel behaved 60
well that, unless those of next year present
some very striking advantages over the
models of 1899, shall have no desire to
give up the one I-haye,"