Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-26
The Bicycle
Where Is It?

"Why are bicycles not used 50 gen.
orally now?" asked the Journal rep
resentative of Il Waterville dealer yes
question because of Il conversation he
had previously had with Il member OF
the Watervillc Bicycle Club.
"As a club" said the whcclman,-"wc
have been in existence over 10 years,
anu for the past seven years have oc-
CurifI the same quarters for club
rooms, those over the Larkin Drug
store in the third story. When we or
Eanizcd we had over 10 members and
all of these, with but very few cxcep-
lions, owned and rode bicycles 1t was
our custom to make weekly trips into
the country in which all of our MEM
bers We're participants. AS the years
went by, however. the members grad
ually gave up riding their wheels and
after Il time not Il third of the total
membership rode them. Four years ago
we made our last run and at that time
there probably were not over 20 wheels.
The rest of the members found more
JOY in going by team. l don't believe
that half dozen members of the club
own wheels now, although our member
ship is still large and our club rooms
are successfully maintained
But why are bicycles not ridden
now" was asked by the Journal repre-
sentative. This question the club man
could not answer easily. We'll" he
parried at last, 1.-The only real reason
car possibly think of is that riding a
wheel is too much like saving wood"
The local dealer in bicycles had some
interesting suggestions to make when
replying to the question.
Il know that there has been a great
decline IL the bicycle trade in the last
five or eight years." he said, "but
think you would be surprised even now
to find just how many people there
were in this city who own and ride
wheels. Workmcn use them great
deal. They go to their work and come
from it at the early and at the busy
tines of the day and the number of
wheels in use are not noticed. However,
the number now used when compared
with the number used ten years ago
and more seems very small indeed.
Then riding a bicycle was the fashion,
but nOw-a-days it isn't quite 50 much
so for practical purposes. and not
merely for the pleasure of riding.
But i actually believe" continued
the local dealer, that wheels will
eventually come back into more gen.
cral use. The change has been already
noticed. My sales this year have been
greatly in excess of those a year or five
years ago. | haven't any doubt but
that the price of wheel has some
thing to do with the change. a good
bicycle used to cost all the way from
$40 up. but now you can get the very
best make for S6S to S75. The average
price for a good wheel now is right
around $50. While the profit on the
sale of Il wheel to the retailer has gone.
the workmanship in the wheel and its
real value has been increased.
"No, indeed, bicycles have not gone
by, and they are bound to come grad
ually into more general and popular use
again. 1t was a craze a number OF
them, and it was helped along by the
national organizations comprising Il
membership of those who used wheels.
The craze passed by, and those who
buy wheels now, buy them because of
their value as vehicles in getting to
and from their employment. Now the
craze is among the younger people to
whom the old wheels owned by father
and mother have been bequcathcd. And,
by the way, the craze that once swept
over Maine has been travelling west
ward, and in some of the Western cit
les everybody uses wheels"
But what has taken the place of the
bicycles in giving physical exercise? is
a question that might wisely be asked
in connection with the above.
Apparently, nothing; and this is GER
tainly to be regretted. The daily use of
the bicycle took the clerk who had been
confined to the store all day out into
the open air, and the eXertion in riding
gave him good lungs and strong
muscles. The exercise was excellent for
the body and the mind,-just as good
if not better than physical exercise in
a well-equipped gymnasium.
But fashion has had it's say. and she
does not always take into account the
need for the development of strong
muscles, good lungs. and clear eyes. AT
the least. it will be interesting to watch
the triumph of the bicycle over fashion,
which is so confidently predicted by
the local dealer.
Il al