The Wheelwoman and Society Cycling News from London, Greater London, England • Page 6

2 THE WHEELWOMAN. Saturday, August 1896. rate of wages paid to cycle mechanics high one, the hours and work the last six months have been long and arduous, and good substantial living must have been necessary to keep the men in anything like fit condition to get through the long spell of constant labour which the cycle boom has caused. A punctured tyre and eight or ten miles of country road between the damaged wheel and home inevitably brings on heimweh in its acutest form. This is what happened to a lady cyclist in the wilds beyond Harrow the other day, and a mere male thing would have succumbed to the difficulties and sought the aid of the L.

N. W. Railway at a great price," as Balbus values virtue in the Latin grammar. However, this particular damsel secured a rope from a cottager and replaced the damaged tyre with it, actually reaching home before the shades of night had fallen too far. But this leads us to moralise that the greatest evil in life to the bicyclist is a punctured tyre, and the sort of leech-bite punctures that can occur on a country road are simply awful.

Even with the beautiful mending up apparatus, supplied nowadays, it is not easy to render the wheel convalescent. It seems to us that one or two things might be done to wipe out this misery from the life of the cyclist. It ought to be easy to carry a solid tyre along, packed up into as small a space as possible, and considering that the country is how studded with inns bearing the C. T. C.

trade mark, surely these taverns, which are supposed to cater specially for cyclists, should have ample arrangements for mending wheels, and even on a much frequented road should be able to loan out at least a solid tyre to the victim of an accident. The parks show what an exodus of society from town, has taken place during the last two weeks, and the roads in the Isle of Wight prove that many who wheel are recuperating on the beautiful little island. Folkestone and Cannes have also a larger share of visitors this year than ever before. The Welsh inland watering places are inundated with good people who cycle. At Llandrindod Wells it is a usual sight now to see convalescents after taking the waters, go for a little spin on their machines instead of for a walk as formerly.

Blackpool, it is needless to say, is crowded. Bathing machines have not only to accommodate sleepers for the night, but bicycles also. Scarborough also, amongst northern resorts, is enjoying a large and most prosperous season. To those who intend to go touring on their bicycles during the coming weeks, it were wisdom to join the Cyclists' Touring Club." It has many advantages, details of which were given in WHEEWOMAN for June 27th. And only recently it has shown itself successful as a body militant on behalf of its members; the case which occupied the Tynemouth magistrates a few days ago, was the instance in point.

Numbered with those who have become members this season are the Countess Cairns, Lady Margaret Campbell, the Hon. Mrs. A. Greville, Hon. Mrs.

Brand, Lady Violet Greville, Hon. Miss Irby, and Lady Marion Loder. Mr. E. R.

Shipton, the secretary, is always ready to supply any information relevant to the huge society for which he is responsible. Lady Harberton, so well known as a cyclist, is recommending knickerbocker suits, as an every-day attire for maid servants. Her ladyship avers that skirts are dangerous in more ways than one to housemads, cooks, and in fact to women who have to go about their work quickly. But it would be a great surprise to many people to have a slender young creature in knickers waiting upon them instead of the usual much-beskirted Mary they have been used to. Cycle club land is deserted.

The Gymkhana sports concluded the entertainments at the Wheel Club. The Queen's Club gave the last of its delightful cycling displays the latter end of July. Ranelagh, which has proved so successful in organising unique cycling races and competitions, finished its interesting list by the Musical Rides at Barne Elms two weeks ago. The Trafalgar Club also has not any more of its pleasant competitions to look forward to. Cycling Associations, however, the majority of whose members are either brain or manual workers, still continue their healthy, companionable rides and jaunts in different places near the towns in which they have their being.

Riding Schools are also open, and have no dearth of pupils. We differ considerably from Mr. Arthur Pen- denys in his excellent little account of Books for To-day and Books for To-morrow," when he says that Bicycling is the most exhausting and deforming pursuit. When a few mo: pretty women have spoilt their figures by it, then it will cease to be the madness of the hour." The anti-cyclist breathes in every word, and we feel sorry for the clever writer, who evidently has never tasted the joys of spinning along a breezy roadway. Mr.

Pendenys commences his onslaught by saying, Bicycling is not to be compared with walking." There we entirely agree with him. Of course it is not. Walking may not be up to much these days, in comparison with cycling, but it would be cruel on walking to talk too loud about it. We dare say that pedestrianism knows its weaknesses without having them rubbed in. To show the great popularity of the "Woodley" tyre, over 200,000 have already been ordered from the manufacturers for the season 1896 -7.

All the large cycle makers make use of them. The Company is making very extensive arrangements to cope with the rapidly increasing demands..