BICYCLING. 



THE FLYING STEED. 



MADELINE LACK. 



Oh, what joy we know as we ride along — 

 As we flit and spin by the walking throng; 

 With a whirr and dash we are out of sight, 

 On the flying steed which is still as night. 



Scoffers in scores but a few years ago 

 Declared it was only a fad — and lo ! 

 They now pedal by, in wildest delight, 

 On the flying steed which is still as night. 



" Honi soit qui mal y pense " let us say — 

 For the cycler's bliss, all the world gives 



way; 

 Let no dame be heard, whether wrong or 



right, 

 Till she tries the steed which is still as night. 



Yet one timely hint may be all you need — 

 Dear ladies all, to my word give heed; 

 Know the wheel's great joy; give up the 



fight; 

 Buy a flying steed which is still as night. 



NICKEL AND ENAMEL. 



Nickel plating and enamelling of bicy- 

 cles has become an art and a trade in itself. 

 There are so many riders who have be- 

 come attached to last year's mounts, and 

 who prefer to have them overhauled gen- 

 erally for use another year rather than 

 buy new models, that shops are giving es- 

 pecial attention to securing elegant effects 

 in finish. 



The bicycle of a few years ago, when 

 wheels were uniformly enamelled black, 

 relieved only by nickel plated handlebars^ 

 spokes and a few other parts, has given 

 way to works of art in decoration. The 

 advance has been gradual, to some extent, 

 although at one time there was a sudden 

 movement for glaring colors; but this has 

 been toned down to a reasonable degree. 



Without radical changes in models, it is 

 practically impossible to decide whether a 

 handsomely finished wheel, fresh from the 

 plater's and enameller's hands is a '97 or 

 a '98 model. Many small dealers have , 

 taken up the art of converting travel 

 stained wheels, somewhat battered, into 

 sightly and beautifully finished " '98 mod- 

 els." 



" Isn't it tiresome! I've just got a lovely 

 new bicycle, and now my doctor absolutely 

 forbids me to cycle. What would you ad- 

 vise me to do? " 



" Change your doctor." — Punch. 



A WESTERN PARADISE. 



Some wheelmen in the far West appar- 

 ently live in a chosen land. 



The elevated bicycle path, between Pasa- 

 dena and Los Angeles, Cal, running 9 

 miles through a picturesque country, was 

 completed April 1. This cycle way is 18 

 feet above the level of the streets and, of 

 course, varies so that in some places it is 

 50 feet, in the valleys, and through one hill 

 a short cut was made at grade. Electric 

 lights are set every 100 feet along the track. 

 This will be 9 feet wide on the roadway, 

 with flaring edges, making the width 12 

 feet at the top of the guard rail. It is built 

 of wood, the floor of boards turned on 

 edge. In the centre of the track, which is 

 of a dull gray color, to be restful to the 

 eye, there is a 3-inch separator, to prevent 

 collisions of cyclists going in opposite 

 ways. 



MODERN CHIVALRY. 



A knight came pricking o'er the plain, 

 With a helmet and spear rode he; 



And he sought yon lofty tower to gain 

 Where his ladye fair might be. 



He climbed the hill — but his steed was 

 slow— 



Ah, then fate did her worst; 

 A wheelman captured the girl, you know — 



For he scorched and got there first. 



If you would live next to nature, read 

 Recreation. 



PASSING OF THE SWEATER. 



The garment which is everywhere known 

 as the " sweater " has had its day in cy- 

 cling, and will be succeeded by more com- 

 fortable and sightly substitutes this year. 

 There has been a gradual change in cos- 

 tume, as cycling has developed, and the 

 tight fitting suits of years ago, with their 

 festoons of braid and amplitude of frogs 

 and buttons, have given way to the com- 

 fortable loose fitting golf suit of the pres- 

 ent day. The sweater has retained its hold 

 longer than any other of the old time 

 garments, but is no longer proper for any- 

 thing but cold weather riding. Some rid- 

 ers, ordinarily neat in their attire, have been 

 remarkably careless, and even slovenly in 

 appearance, when dressed for the wheel; 

 but a better state of affairs is at hand, and 

 the tailor and furnisher will now " make 

 the man " to as great an extent awheel as 

 when on promenade. — N. Y. "Evening 

 Telegram." 



When a woman is asked to guess the 

 price of another woman's bargain, she al- 

 ways makes it twice as big as she really 

 thinks, for the sake of courtesy. — Atchison 

 Globe. 



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