The age-herald., 1899-05-13
MAY SUNSHINE
 BRINGS JOY To All Bicyclists New Pads In .s. Fashions, Wheels, Drinks
 and CoIorS.

May sunshine brings out everybody-but bieyclists most of all. The man who got tired of his wheel when the winds began to nip, now pumps up his tires and gets astride ready to do his Sunday afternoon ride if no more. On his first trip out he makes only ten miles, for his muscles have grown soft during the winter and his sad dle has grown hard. Next Sunday he can ride further and soon he will be one of the Saturday century fellows, just as he WAS a year ago.
 The inveterate bicyclists are out now in their coIors and their new suits. Nellie Benson, the century rider pushed down Fifth avenue Easter Sunday in a dark gray suit. bloomers and coat. The first Sunday in May she changes to a tan and this she holds to all summer.
 There are many new things in bicycling this year, fully ten-without counting the very newest wheels. There are always slight wheeling improvements, changes in pedals, a difference in the size of tires and a new thing or two about oilng apparatus But the main differences are more noticea- ble.
 Saddles come this year in very fancy leather. Many of them are in bright plaids and the very fashionable cyclist who wants to have everything that is new will have a plaid leather saddle to match the tops of his stockings, and he will have tie of the same plaid. This is a sort of bicycle fashion which is becoming very popular.
 Another new trick in cycling is the color schome which calls for wheel the color of your suit You can get a wheel in rose- wood red to match your red cloth knicker- lockers, and you can get fern green wheel to match a fern green suit, whether it be worn by lady or gentleman.
 Ducks egg blue wheels, trimmed with white, are very attractive when ridden with suits to match. Be sure to observe the col or scheme whatever else you do.
 Wheels are very large this year. It is claimed by one prominent firm of bicycle makers that the thirty-inch wheel will soon become the most popular one. The pedals hang very low, which means a very low frame. This is for greater safety and also for grace. Stout people, wealthy peo- pie, and novices are much less afraid to ride a wheel if they feel that they can easi- ly lift foot off the pedals and put it on the ground The scorchers ride any way, high wheels and low, anything that has two wheels and @ pedal to make the wheels go round.
 The very fashionable ladies' wheels, rid
 
 are now being shipped to Newport, Narra- gansitt, Cape May, Bar Harbor and At lantic City, have such low frames that a man can mount as the racing men do, by throwing leg over the saddle; and the ladies can mount standing on a level with out stepping from the curb. They are able also to do the very pretty count, which is from the near pedal instead of the far one. This, however, requires a shorter skirt than most women wear.
 Another cycling novelty is in the handle bars which are very elaborate It is only very ordinary bicyclist, quite neglectful of appearances, who uses the ready-made grip. The others have the initials engraved upon the German silver with which many grips are ornamented. Other riders go further and have grips entirely of silver. A few have plated gold ones with a plate so heavy that it will not wear off before the wheel is worn out. The full name and the name of the wheel is engraved upon these precious metal handles.
 All wheels are named, not the name of the maker, necessarily. but the Christian