JUVENILE BICYCLES.
The Western Wheel Works, the Crawford and the Featherstone all produce miniature models of their regular product for juvenile use. Only one concern (the makers of the “Elfin”) confine themselves strictly to making juvenile bicycles. They build a cute little diamond frame for boys in four sizes of frames and wheels, and a double-loop drop frame for girls’ use in the same number of sizes; they also build a diamond tandem and a combination tandem. Their product is distinctively juvenile in every particular, even to the cork grips at the ends of the little handlebars. They use a reversible crank bracket and chain adjuster, by means of which an adjustment of 2 inches in the distance between seat-post and pedals is effected, so that an “Elfin” may be made to last a growing child for several seasons. This is a decided advantage in this type of construction, because in a year or two the youngsters outgrow the regular type of child’s cycle.
LADIES BICYCLE FRAMES.
CRAWFORD FORK CROWN.
There are no novelties in frame construction of bicycles for ladies’ use. The double-loop frame, like the arched crown, seems to be the most popular one with all the makers, both East and West, only one other pattern being largely used, and that having a straight lower main tube and a curved upper tube, as used by the makers of the Humber, Stearns and others. The makers of the Columbia, Liberty, Wolff-American, Keating, Crescent, Crawford, Eagle and many others use the double-loop style altogether. The Victoria seems to be the only single-loop frame in the market, but even the makers of the Victoria make a double-loop frame this year. Many reasons have been advanced why bicycling is so popular, but certainly nothing added so much to its popularity as the invention of the drop-frame safety for ladies’ use by Owen of Washington in 1888.
The old “[Ordinary],” of course could be ridden by men only, and therefore cycling was always regarded by the feminine portion of the community as a selfish sport, but with the invention of the ladies’ bicycle this objection was removed, and the sport became one for all people. In former years makers made about 10 per cent. of their product for ladies’ use. It is safe to say now that 40 per cent. of the product is now made for ladies’ use, and a great deal of attention has been paid to constructing a bicycle, particularly among the Eastern makers, that a lady could mount and dismount from readily. The majority of the Western makers have for some years past failed to note these tendencies, and continued building all sorts of straight-frame cycles for ladies’ use with a very high crank-hanger; these could not be marketed readily in the East, but for the coming season all the makers have seen the handwriting on the wall and they are all building with low-dropped crank-hangers in both styles of frames.