Jan, S, 1897.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
S3 
'heeling. 
Communications for this department are requested. Anything on 
the bicycle in its relation to t he sportsman is particularly desirable. 
POSSIBILITIES OF WINTER CYCLING. 
The official organ of tlie League of American Wheelmen 
publishes a number of letters from correspondents on the 
subject of winter riding which are of so much interest that 
we quote from them at length. 
We have always believed that the majority of riders are 
too ready to store away their wheels at the first approach of 
freezing'weather, and thereby deprive thenigelves unneces- 
sarily of much potential pleasure. Perhaps a better under- 
standing of the possibilities of the sport will result m an in- 
creased esteem for cycling as a winter pastime. 
A wheelman living in Ottawa, 111., who has ridden his 
bicycle regulaily during the last four wmters, only missing 
a few days each year, says that under almost any circum- 
stances he would rather ride a wheel than walk. "A 
bicycle," he writes, "will run very well through 2 or 3in. of 
undisturbed light snow. After the snow has been cut up 
and partially packed by other vehicles, steering becomes 
difficult for a time. As soon as the snow becomes packed 
bard and smooth, however, a wheel will run almost as well 
as in summer " When there is no snow and where there is 
sufficient travel, frozen loads quickly become ridable, and 
ure often harder and smo ther than ever in summer. A 
sandy road, for example, when frozen and worn smooth by 
travel is unsurpassed for cycling. 
"Riding on smooth ice is one of the pleasantest of winter 
pastimes, and far ahead of skating, to my mind On very 
smooth ice the novice may experience some difficulty i'l 
mourning, and care is necessary in making turns, though 
one can ride straight ahead without any trouble on ice too 
slippery to walk on safely. After the ice has been rough- 
ened a little liy skating or natural causes, there will be na 
trouble from shpping. A koit tire will slip less than a hard 
one, and a tire with a rough tread is belter than a smooth 
one. As to speed, I have beaten our best skaters in 100yd. 
dashes, standing start, while for longer distances the skater 
IS nowhere. I have always believed that the straightaway 
record would be made on the ice, though the latest combina- 
tion of mountain aide and Colorado zephyr makes it doubt- 
ful." 
A doctor living at Ft. Dodge, la , writes: 
•'I rode aU last winter, day and night, missing only three 
days. So far this winter, which set in very early, I've been 
at it, and expect to keep ai it all winter " 
The doctor finds little difficulty in riding through snow 
up to 4in, in depth, and, except for slipping, knows of no 
dangers in winter cycling that are not met with at other 
seasons. 
On icy and slippery roads he experiences no trouble ex- 
cept in turning corners, and not then except when the sur- 
face is unusually glassy. For slippery riding he partly de- 
flates his tires and rides them "a little soft." 
The doctor says, "Those who ride in warm weather alone 
lose more than half the true enjoyment of cycling," He ad- 
vises warm clothes and particularly hygienic underwear, 
recommending a kind made of "a heavy cloth fabric lined 
with unspun wool," which he says takes up perspiration 
speedily and deposits it in the outer fabric, leaving the sur- 
face of the body always comfortably dry. This underwear 
has the further advantage of not causing itching. 
A Boston man has also something to say on the subject of 
wear. While advocating warm clothing, he warns against 
the danger of overheating and subsequent chill and advises 
moderation. 
For the coldest weather he puts on a cap that pulls down 
around the ears, thick underclothe-s, two pa'rs of stockings 
and warm gloves, while a paper waistcoat, two heavy 
sweaters and a cycling coat add protection to his body. 
The Boston man has had trouble from frozen snow and 
advises wheelmen to avoid it, but under favorable con- 
ditions he says that long runs can be made as easily as in 
summer. 
A rider in Elgin, 111., goes out when the thermometer is 
30° below zero. He wears warm clothing, with large, loose 
arctic overshoes, a cap that protects the ears and a loose 
pair of dogskin gloves tanned with the hair on and fleece- 
lined. He does not suiier from the cold under such cir 
cumstances. 
This man finds he can ride at times when walking is very 
difficult, and what he writes will be news to some. ' 'I have 
ridden my wheel," he says, "tbe next morning after an ice 
storm, when it was utterly impossible for a pedestrian to 
keep his feet, but could ride up and down hills, and the 
only difficulty i experienced was in turning corners, which I 
could only do by running very slowly." He adds, however, 
that it is impossible to ride safely on the same surface after 
snow has fallen, as the wheel can then get no purchase on 
the Ice and will "skate" around in it and spill the rider. 
A Brooklyn wheelman remarks that 2 or Sin. of snow 
in his native city "expedites wheeling instead of re- 
tai-ding it," by forming a carpet over the uneven pavements. 
"Nothing is more exhilarating," he writes, "than a ride 
through the snow covered streets of the city. The 'crunch, 
- crunch' 0f the tires as they speed over the smooth surface of 
. the snow proves an innovation to tliose who have never as 
yet tasted of the pleasures of a snow ride." No doubt more 
wheelmen would like to taste of the innovation were it not 
for the icy mountam ranges in which the snow is piled in 
most Brooklyn streets once the householders begin shoveling 
it off their pavements. 
A gentleman residing in TJtica, N. Y., who states that he 
is past forty and weighs 300, rides over ice and through 
snow up to 4iu. in depth, and only experiences difficulty 
when ruts are encountered or when the ice is cut up by 
horses' feet. 
A Watertown, N. Y , rider who has had trouble in riding 
over wet snow and ice, advises to prevent slipping under 
^ such conditions the use of strong unbleached coiton ciolh, 
' which he tears in strips 3in, in widtli and wraps about his 
tires,., putting it over and over between each spoke. He 
fastens the ends by sewing, and partially deflates the tires 
while putting on the baud, to that it will tit snugly when the 
tires are blown up to their normal degree of hardness. 
After riding in sloppy weather it is well to take the bicycle 
into a warm room to clean, and care should be taken to get 
the nickel plated parts thoroughly dry. Before going out 
these parts should be well greased, and a coat of varnish 
might be of benefit as a safeg~uaid against rust. 
Punctures are not greatly to be feared, though of course 
there is more chance of getting them at this season than in 
summer. Ice rarely if ever causes puncture?. 
From these extracts it is pretty clearly shown that winter 
weather itself does not necessarily check cycling. The only 
weather that absolutely puts a check to the sport is when ice 
and snow turn into water and frozen roads to mud. 
kchting* 
FIXTURES. 
MAY. 
31. Harlem. 
JUNE. 
5. Knickerbocker. 
12. Douglastoti. 
19. Larehmont, spriDg- regatta. 
26. Seawanbaka-Corinthian. 
28. Stamford, special. 
29. Indian Hwrhor, special. 
30. Coricithian Fleet, special. 
1. Horseshoe Harbor, special. 
3. Sea Cliff, special. 
3. New Rochelle, animal. 
4. Larchmont, annual, 
(i American, annual, 
10. Riversidf. 
37-24. L'srchmont, race week. 
28, Stamford. 
3 1. SeaUliil. 
7. Indian Harbor. 
14. Hempstead Harbor. 
21. Horseshoe Harbor. 
28. Huntington, 
SEPTBMtJER. 
4. Huguenot. 
4. Larchmont. ispeeial. 
6. Larch monr, fall regatin. 
11. Larchmont, special. 
The past ten years have worked wonderful changes in 
New York harbor, and the center of yachting has practi- 
cally been transferred from the Bay to the Sound. At the 
same time, in spite of the growing invasion of commerce 
and the pollution of its waters by garbage and sewerage, the 
Bay is the port of New York and can never be entirely 
abandoned by yachts The Larchmont Yacht Club builded 
better tnan it knew sixteen years ago, when it found a birth- 
place on the north shore of the Sound; the Seawanhaka 
Corinthian Yacht Club did a wise thing ten years ago, when, 
after a careful study of the entire situation, it permanently 
abandoned New York Eiy and selected a site that, in spite 
of the difficult transportation, is both the best harbor on the 
Sound and the nearest on the south shore. Tne New York 
Ya-'ht Club, after several failures in the effort to establish a 
station on New York Bay, has solved the question in a 
most satisfactory manner, so far as its peculiar conditions 
are concerned, by a number of small stations at the mostim 
port-mt yachting points instead of one waterside club house. 
The time has at last come when the other of the four great 
New York clubs, the Atlantic Yacht Club, must take some 
decisive step; and by good luck the conditions of the case 
have so changed by the course of development that £^ satis- 
factory solution is possible in its case as well. The recent 
improvements on the point of Coney Island. Norton's Point, 
promise to make it a most eligible site for a yachting sta- 
tion, as breakwaters will be built and regular mean.s of 
transit provided in connection with other schemes. For 
about a year the club has been in negotiation with the Sea 
Gate Company, the founder of the enterprise, and it is prob- 
able that arrangements will soon be made to secure a per- 
manent site for the club. A basin about 300 by 350ft. will 
l)e built tor the smaller yachts, and the club house now at 
Bay Eidge will be moved down to the new site. With such 
.a location, almost on the sea, well outside the Narrows, with 
its calms and tides, surrounded by clean, deep water and 
reasonably convenient to the city, the Atlantic Yacht Club 
will be most admirably situated, and the whole problem 
that has vexed the large clubs for years may be considered 
as finally .disposed of. 
The Massachusetts Y. K.. A. at a special meeting on Dec. 
31 made an important change in one of its classes, which is 
creating much discussion and opposition. The officers of 
the Association are desirous of keeping as closely as possible 
in touch with the Sound Y. R. TJ., though the Eastern men 
are unwilling to use the sail area as a factor in the rule. By 
changing the limit of the "4th Class" from 17ft. l.w.l. to 
18ft., it will he possible to huild a boat for the M. Y. R. A. 
class in Boston, and if she should prove successful to race 
her in the 30ft r. 1. class on the Sound, including the Sea- 
wanhaka trial races. This of course is desirable, but it is 
claimed that the change to 18ft., as made at the special 
meeting, is against the wishes and interests of many Boston 
yachtsmen of the two classes affected by it. A¥e' are not 
fully conversant with all the details of the question, which 
is purely a local one, but it has been very thoroughly dis- 
cussed by the Boston Globe, Mr. Robinson favoring the old 
limit, 17it. 
It is unfortunate, and it seems to us entirely unnecessary, 
that such a radical difference in measurement rule and class 
limits should exist between the two important yachting cen- 
ters, Boston and New York. Granted that the Sea^yanhaka 
rule does not produce a racing yacht of adequate accommo- 
dation, substantial and durable construction, and capable of 
all the diverse uses of yachting, it at least comes as near to 
this end as the Massachusetts Y. R, A. rule of simple water- 
line measurement; and as against the other it can claim to 
be practically the universal rule in American yachting. 
Pending an entirely new formula or the extension of the 
Seawanhaka rule by the addition of new factors, it seems to 
us that much good may be done by a common effort on the 
part of all clubs and associations to eliminate the existing 
differences of detail in the rule as used in various localities, 
and to use it for the present in exactly the same wording and 
with the same class limits, 
The action of the Massachusetts Y. R. A. in adopting the 
waterline without the sail area, and with different class 
limits, is a stei3 in the opposite direction, as is also the adop- 
tion by the new Lake Yacht Racing Union of the method of 
sail measurement and the class limits of Lake Ontario. The 
present time seems peculiarly propitious for making changes 
toward instead of away from uniformity, us in most clubs 
the existing classes are well run out and vested interests 
count for comparatively little, while there is good reason to 
hope that the present year will inaugurate a new era of 
building. 
Even if there were any evidence to show that length alone 
in a formula is better than length and sail, it would be a 
very difficult matter to induce the large number of clubs now 
racing under the Seawanhaka rule to abandon it in favor of 
the waterline rule of the Massachusetts Y R. A On the 
other hand, if the Eastern men once made up their minds 
that the change would be advantageous, it could be made 
with comparatively little difficulty, possibly not all at once, 
but with special exceptions that would make it more gradual 
and easier to existing yachts. 
One possible outcome of the waterline measurement is in- 
dicated in the 17-footer Ripple, which we describe this week. 
This yacht is provided with a sprit topsail, which will 
doubtless be a material advantage at times over all yachts 
with the usual main and jib only. Therein certainly noth- 
ins: gained by the carrying of a topsail in a 15 or a 36-footer 
when all carry them alike; but if one boat can do so under 
the rule and win from the others, they will be forced to fol- 
low her example, the result being a very undesirable rig. 
Of course this would not be possible under a length and sail 
area rule. 
The new year, which in many ways opened so auspicious- 
ly for yachting, finds the Boston HeraM in its accustomed 
attitude — casting anchors over the stern in the vain hope of 
kedging yachting backward into the era of the "has been." 
It is not often that the Herald is consistent, but we must do 
it the justice to admit that it is so in two things: its exaltation 
of the third Deed of Gift and its abuse of small yachts in 
general and the Seawanhaka C. Y. C. in particular as re- 
sponsible for the affliction of good racing in the smaller 
classes at a time when there is none in the larger; for bring- 
ing out a fleet of thirty new boats in the 15ft. class in a sea- 
son when the famous 90ft. class was represented by De- 
fender, moored at New Rochelle, and Vigilant, hauled up at 
Citv Island. 
These two themes, with the proposed new league, form 
the Uemld's text for the new year 
The proposal to put the New York Y. C. at the head of 
the movement for a national association, which already has 
practically the indorsement of the other larger clubs, is mtsrep 
resented and abused as "a motion to affiliate the club with 
small boat associations," and "the coming down of the New 
York Y. C. to small boat clubs." Secure in its ostrich-like 
blindness, the Herald fails to estimate the strength and ex- 
tent of the modern movement toward union and uniformity, 
or of the favor this last proposal has met with within the 
New York as well as other large clubo. Looking back to 
the few 90 footers that were, it cannot see the hundreds of 
smaller yachts that are. and whose interests are all that keep 
alive yacht racing in America to day. Where would the 
sport be now if all building; and racing ceased until the New 
York Y. C could find another yachtsman of the stamp of 
Lord Dunraven who would challenge unrler the new deed? 
There is nothine of moment in the Herald's comments on 
the rules for the Seawanhaka cup, everything is garbled and 
misrepresented in the usual way; but there is one novel sug- 
gestion that we commend to the club in view of the high 
standing of its maker — that the Seawanhaka Y, C should 
"changeits deed of gift according to the terms of the Amer- 
ica's cup " This quite jexceeds anythina: we have yet seen, 
even from the Boston Herald; certainly no one else could 
have conceived such a piece of opera louffe. that any Ameri- 
can yacht club would willina-ly and knowingly assume the 
burden that the New York Y. C. has so long sought in vain 
to rid itself of. 
We publish this week a short list of fixtures for the season 
of 1897, all that we have thus far been able to collect. We 
would call the attention of the clubs to the desirability of 
arranging dates at the earliest possible moment. 
A BLOW ON CAYUGA LAKE. 
Otjr home was situated near the village of Seneca Falls. 
N. Y., and we had been talking for more than a month of 
visiting some friends at Ithaea, three young men, students at 
Cornell University. My family, which included my wife, 
two boys and a girl — the boys, Cecil and Thornton, aged re- 
spectively eighteen and fourteen, and the sirl, little Ruth, the 
pet of the family, Rged ten— had been looking forward to this 
visit for a long time, as we intended {joing by wav of the 
canals and lake in our steam launch, the Ruth We pur- 
posed going up there one dav, staying over night with our 
friends, going through the University buildings and coming 
ijonie the next day. 
Our launch, the Ruth, was a staunch little boat 35ft. long 
and 5ft. wide, fitted with an oil-burning boiler and Shipman 
engine. She was capable of carrying sixteen people and 
could make in still water eight miles an hour, so we ex- 
pected if the weather was fine to reach Ithaca in six to seven 
hours- from time of starting, according as we were delayed 
or not at the canal locks. 
The canal locks frequently make much difference in a 
day's journey, as at times there will be a number of boats at 
the lock ahead of one, and as each boat takes from fifteen to 
twenty minutes in locking through, you are apt to be de- 
layer! an, hour or more on this account. When taking a day's 
ouling in the boat we always had to make allowance for 
waste time at locks. The locks are also a good place to 
study human nature, it being in the power of a lock tender 
to make it very unpleasant lor the owner of a small yacht, 
as by letting the water in too fast he is liable not only to in- 
jure the boat, but also to endanger the occupants. I will 
nere say, however, that although we passed through many 
locks many times on the different canals, with one excep- 
tion we have found the lock tenders very kind, gentlemanly 
and obliging. 
We finally decided' that on Wednesday of the following 
week we would make our start, and in the meanwhile the 
boys made use of all their spare time getting everything 
ready, and as there really was considerable to do Tuesday 
afternoon found us with much left undone, as the oil was 
yet to be put into the tank, the engine looked over to see 
that everything was in running order, and everything had 
to be generally cleaned up and wiped off, Cecil also in- 
tended carrying his camera, as he expected to take a picture 
of the University buildings and snap shots at anything else 
interesting that he should see. 
As a family we were all very fond of boating and the 
water. The early years of my life were spent on the shores 
of Long Island, and my wife's childhood was spent by Lake 
Ontai-jo not far from Charlotte, so it was very natiiri^l thg.1 
