Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-04
WHEELMEN TAKE THE ROADS
Revival of Club Runs Finds Many
Omaha RIDER Eager to
Participate.

Residents Of the smaller towns in the
vicinity of Omaha have been astonished
at divers times during the last few days
TO see a swarm of wheelmen in bright
cclored toys emerge from a cloud OF dust
down the road and descend upon the mu-
nicipality in its quietude. Sometimes the
bikers merely whir right on down the main
street and out at the other end Of the
! town. other places they stop, rest, eat
and return on the road which led them
there.
Not since 1895 and 1896 have such sights
as these been seen in Nebraska, and to
the youngster Of today they are as new
and as much OF a novelty as they were
to the boys of seven years ago, when the
bicycle club and club run fever was at its
height. The older heads, however, have
faint memories Of events of which the
present ones are exact repetitions, and the
village oracles can be seen scratching their
heads and wondering when was 1t | seen
a gang like that?"
These doings make 1t seem certain that
the bicycle burn has really begun to smart
again, and 1t has. Not in many years
has any crowd OF wheelmen secured along
the country roads till this spring, and the
revival Of the club runs is the surest
Indication Of the return Of the Tin horse"
to popular favor.
Omaha wheelmen have already made two
runs, and they have a regular schedule
Of them planned for Saturdays and Sundays
for many moons to come. The third OF the
series will occur today and will be to
Crescent City. Ia, and return. The start
will be made at 1870 this afternoon from
Seventeenth street and Capitol avenue. The
riders who have participated in previous
runs will be there, and 1t is expected that
many more will Join the party.
No one need stay away because Of a fear
that he would find himself entered in a
scorching contest. There is no feature OF
that kind in connection with the run. A
mace Of about eight miles an hour Is car
ried and frequent stops are made, so that
the tourney is in every way a matter OF
pleasure and not OF records and speed. In
fact. the one thing that above all others
makes certain the permaneney OF the
bicycle revival is the fact that the sprint
idea has been dropped, and moderation Will
hereafter be the rule. Wheeling had q
great run, and everything connected with II
went TO such extremes that 1t could not last
1t choked itself with it's own herceness and
is now re-establisbed to proceed on a diff
serent basis.
Twelve wheelmen took the first run o.
Il Ine kGdhOu WIFI Noo W
pleasant little jaunt. This was on April 2
and the bikers arrived in time to see thu
base ball game between the Fort Crook an
Bellevue teams. The road was found to b
in good condition and men in the party
who had not been on a club run in hy'
years could not but notice the great differ
ence in ease and comfort of riding tina
resulted from the later improvements L
BICYCLES, such as the cushion frames
coaster brakes and spring handle bars, un
known a few years ago.
The next Sunday. April 27, another rul
was taken, this time. to Willard. Nineteel
wheelmen participated and they formed
most unusual spectacle, as to see so man,
riders on the road together is something
hat has not occurred in Nebraska for g.
long that II looks new. Single riders, true
with their devotion to the wheel unshakei
by the desertion perpetrated by hekle popu
lar fancy, have gone on doing their littl
century runs and regular trips, and mayb
even some pairs. but their name Is no
legion, and II is doubtless safe to say tina
half a dozen Wheelmen in a bunch hav
not cut up the dust along a country roa'
around here for five years at the least.
I Those who took part in the last run were
John Dye. Emil Flescher, Guy Brown, Loui
Flescher, Roy Lewis, Ed Jackson, ia.
Lewis, Free Bradford, Walter Bell, Clarenc
southman. George Brown. Homer FixheI
]. Fairbrother, Albert Weberg, Will
Sprague, I. B. Callahan, A. H. Edison, Scot
johnson and A. b. Benson. They foun
the road good save for one rough mile,