3 
tage when a machine was folded up. 
The following regulations in regard to military cyclists in France is taken from 
a most amusing book, the Paris-Velo Almanack de 1896 :— 
The conditions to fulfil for service as military cyclist were laid down in the 
order of 2nd April, 1892. 
The essential points of this order, as recently modified, are :— 
Art 15.—Every year, before the 1st of June, commanders of army corps name 
the time of examination to which all candidates for employment as cyclist must 
be subjected. 
Art. 16.—Men of the active army in their last year of service and men in the 
reserve and territorial army are eligible. 
Men of the active army will be examined in their own corps; those of the 
reserve and territorial army in a corps of their own arm situated in the same sub¬ 
division as their residence, or failing that, in the infantry regiment of that sub¬ 
division. 
Art 17.—The trial will begin with a medical examination, which determined, 
the accepted candidate will be given a certain course to run by the results of 
which he will be classified. 
Art. 18.—The medical examination carried out by a regimental surgeon, is to 
be directed specially to the soundness of the organs of respiration and circulation; 
varicose veins, hernia and indifferent sight, are to be causes for rejection. 
Art. 19.—A candidate will receive credit for any prizes he may have won at 
cycle races, provided he produce documentary evidence thereof. 
The Board will satisfy themselves that the candidate can take to pieces and 
put together again his machine. 
Art. 20.—The course will be determined by the General Commanding the 
army corps and will be accurately measured. 
Men of the reserve and of the territorial army will furnish their own machine 
which must be a rear-driving safety; men of the active army may make use of 
the regulation machines. 
The course is to be 90 kilometres in less than six hours for cavalry cyclists ; 
or 58 kilometres in less than four hours for infantry. 
In reality these rules are not adhered to very closely, and the examination 
varies according to the post the cyclist is to occupy. 
The reserve and territorial cyclists who will be attached to the service of for¬ 
tified places, are subjected to a very simple test, mount and dismount from their 
machine, a few turning exercises, a course of 1500 metres in less than four 
minutes, that’s about all. 
Those who wish to serve on the staff have to do 50 kilometres in less than five 
hours, a very difficult task in this sense that it is generally carried out in a hilly 
region and upon a course which includes a considerable length of cobble stones. 
As for the machine the soldier supplies it and keeps it in order at his own ex¬ 
pense. As company cyclist he receives 25 centimes a day, on the staff 50 cen¬ 
times, and as attache of a general the ordinary pay of a soldier of the first class 
plus 50 centimes. 
Regimental cyclists may use the regimental cycles furnished by the Govern¬ 
ment if they prefer them. 
It is probable that an entirely new set of regulations has now been formulated 
to govern the conditions of service of the men with the folded cycles. I met half 
a brigade in the manoeuvres when bicycling recently from Dieppe to Rouen and 
back. Their regimental cyclists_ all| k had ordinary machines. The half brigade 
was manoeuvering in the neighbourhood of Totes, and on my return in the after¬ 
noon to Dieppe I found them all billetted there. Totes is about half way be¬ 
tween Rouen and Dieppe. 
