BICYCLING. 



If t^jeue is any form of recrea 

 tion that is thoroughly rational, 



IT IS RIDING A BICYCLE. If A RATION- 

 al, practical- business man had bi- 

 cycles to sell, he would natural- 

 ly advertise them in a high-class 

 magazine, devoted to out-door 

 sports, and called recreation. 

 Would he not? 



THE MATHEMATICS OF WHEELING* 



The mathematics of bicycling show, with 

 surprising force, the wonderful ground-gain- 

 ing powers of a high-grade wheel. One 

 revolution of the pedal of an average bicycle 

 drives the wheels ahead 15 feet. In cover- 

 ing 15 feet each wheel revolves twice — that 

 is, 15 feet to each stroke of the pedal. A 

 mile is covered in 352 strokes of the pedal, 

 10 miles in 3,520 strokes, and a century run 

 in 35,200 strokes. These figures are apt to 

 stagger a man who knows nothing of wheel- 

 ing, and he fails to see where the fun comes 

 in. 



A rider in I ngland recently rode 475 

 miles in 24 hours; that is, he drove the ped- 

 als 167,200 times. 



On the basis that a man's step is 2% feet, 

 in covering a mile he takes 2,110 steps, or 

 about six times as many steps as a cyclist 

 makes strokes in covering the same distance. 

 In covering 10 miles, the pedestrian takes 

 21,000 steps; in covering 100 miles 211,000 

 steps, and in walking 475 miles he would 

 take over 1,000,000 steps. Probably he 

 would be footsore and weary by this time, 

 and his steps would be shorter, therefore 

 more numerous. If he covered the distance 

 in a week he would be a wonder. 



Some interesting comparisons of a similar 

 character have been made by the Scientific 

 American. " The great distance covered by 

 bicyclists with ease," it says, "shows conclu- 

 sively that the human walking apparatus, 

 although it may be the best possible contri- 

 vance for all the uses for which it was de- 

 signed, it is not to be compared with wheels 

 for the purpose of getting over the ground. 

 A single observation of a wheelman going 

 at moderate speed shows that, with an effort 

 which in walking would result in two steps 

 of say 2 feet each, or a total advance move- 

 ment of 4 feet with the wheel, the advance 

 movement would be two bicycle steps, or 

 downward pressures of the feet, each resulting 

 in a forward movement of 7% feet, or 15 feet 

 for one entire revolution of the pedal shaft, 

 and this with less exertion than is reouired 

 to take two steps. In fact, it would be 

 easier for the bicyclist to make the 15 feet 

 on a level, with one pressure of one foot, 

 than to take two steps. 



" Now, in \ x w o\ tj.i. 

 made by the l>i< \ < list, it would be 

 ing to know what the stature ol .1 m 

 be to make, in walking, the 

 made by the bicyclist with the same- nui 

 of movements ot the feet Clearly, the 

 in this case must be 7 1 .. iert long, whi< 

 the lowest estimate, represents three step* 

 of an ordinary man. It would, perhaps, D< 

 nearer the mark to sa\ 4 steps, but to b- 

 the safe side we tall it 3." 



An illustration is given showing the com 

 parative size of a wheelman ami .1 p< 

 trian built to keep step with him. " I h. 

 pedestrian must be at 



The man with his great stature would, 

 after all, fall far short of making the S] 

 of the bicycle. There is nothing like rotar) 

 motion. The wheel would be the winner in 

 any race. While the bicycle has the 1 . 

 tage over the extremely tall pedestrian 

 obvious that the tall wheelman has no a< 1 

 vantage over the short one." 



The wheelwomen of this < ity hi red 



the political field. They are led by Mrs, 

 Eva Sawyer Merry, who has been b . 

 canvassing for names and money fol 

 Federation Cyclists, which held . 

 meeting recently in Lenox Lyceum tor tin 

 purpose of adopting a constitution and elei t 

 ing permanent officers. There are aires 

 600 members of the federation, and m 

 hundreds more will no doubt join. 



Mrs. Merry will be joined in the work h\ 

 Mrs. C. L. Bolton, Miss Yatman, Mr- 

 Boardman, Mile. Lagaczi and othei 

 as enthusiastic on the subject ol bicycling 

 as she is. 



The Chicago Cycle Show will be held at 

 Tattersall's, in that city, under the mai 

 ment of the National Cycle Exhibition ( 

 pany, [anuary \ to 11. The addren 

 the company is 334 Dearborn st. 



S. C. Cox. oi ( 1, ntly 



transferred from Class A ti ( LSI B b) th< 

 L. A. \V., established d at 



Fountain Ferry track, Louisvilh the 



one-third thing start. unpa< ed, i 



A. !•'. Seim lowered the two-mi i< 

 flying start, unpaced, to 4m. aoa. Tin 1 

 was 4111. 30 3 £9 



Cyclist— Well, old man, I am 



of my hike? 



Mr Ha 

 fool tiling built. W lout put th< 

 an' side, an 1 you'll g 



"One is dressed to kill and ti 

 dress.' The conundnin '«• 



something about ■ dude and I Chrlstrr 



P. J. Berlfl "lie at H.ir" 



( )ct. 10. in 1 . 



297 



