Social forms stick, often in spite of reason, and it may be a long time before it will be generally conceded that woman is in her legitimate sphere when perched upon the saddle of either a tricycle or bicycle, and if the lack of physical development continues to be one of the chief angelic characteristics of womankind in the mind of man, the time will be very remote indeed. But should it be discovered that less seraphic and more muscular tissue tends to make us all happier, then perhaps the time and doctors’ bills will be shorter.
It is scarcely necessary to explain the construction of the bicycle intended for ladies’ use; suffice it to say, that a modern Rover Safety is used in which the backbone drops down to a level with the cranks, and the rider can step between the wheels and rise into the saddle by the pedal mount; not a difficult task, to judge from the grace and ease with which women accomplish the feat every day. It is not within the province of this book to pass encomiums upon any tribe, class, or individual, nor to compliment any sex, but it would be heinous selfishness not to give the ladies some credit when it is so justly their due, as in this matter of the “bike.” When, on the streets of Washington, I see apparently timid girls make the pedal mount and move off so naturally and adroitly, the feeling of comparative superior physical dexterity, generally accredited to our sex, suffers a tremendous blow within me. In meeting these fair riders at their homes it is quite evident that they still retain the old-time graces and accomplishments common to the sex which men delight to honor. All this proves once for all and conclusively that some of the ideas entertained by mankind about womankind approach very nearly to the sphere of unmitigated humbug. Below will be found an energetic opinion of one of the ladies, as chronicled in the Bicycling World.
“WOMEN, BICYCLES, AND DOCTORS.
“Being a member of the L. A. W., I naturally see the World, and I have beside me a copy of your paper, in which I notice an article on ‘Why a woman should ride.’ I agree with the writer in that the ladies should ride, and from my own experience I have found it improves my ‘health and complexion’ very much. I have only been riding since last June, but I am stronger now, and enjoy living much better than I ever did before that time. The pains and the doctors have both gone, where, I don’t know and care less, so long as they have gone and so long as I still have my bicycle and can take my ride every day. It seems to give me life, and I feel the life-giving exhilaration born of this splendid exercise after I take a five-mile run around the city, or, perchance, the country. It is such sport to leave far behind fast-trotting horses, and men and women who are obliged to take the street-car every place they go. And what could be more amusing than to see some or all in a car rush to that side to see a ‘lady riding a bicycle.’ I sometimes get just a trifle angry when I hear some old feminine fuss and feathers say, ‘Oh, isn’t that disgraceful to see a woman riding a man’s bicycle!’ They, I suppose, never read the papers, as they would scarcely ever have time after working, worrying, and scolding their husbands (if they are lucky enough to have one). If they could just for an hour have the pleasure of riding as I do, I think the cross, fretful, and worrying fits would be few and far between. I could not do without my bicycle now. Sometimes when I have been out I come home laughing, and as I trot my five-year-old baby on my knee, she sometimes says, ‘What’s happened that’s so funny? tell me.’ And as I take her little hands and we fly around the room together, I feel that no woman on earth is as happy as I. Even after riding ten miles I do not feel tired, but come home feeling better than when I started. My husband is very much pleased that I ride, and here I will mention that the advantage in having a lady’s Safety is that either can ride. I actually think sometimes that my bicycle is keeping me too young in actions, and that I am not growing old gracefully as I ought to.
“Now I don’t want any one to infer from this that I am one of those strong-minded women that want to vote, and keep the men in petticoats. Oh, no, indeed! I am very well satisfied to let the men run this government as it is, or as it will be after March next.
“Grace E. S.”
CHAPTER XVII.
TANDEMS AND THE RATIONAL.
The Tandem is a cycle in which two riders are mounted, one in front of the other, upon the same machine. We have the tandem tricycle, which is a two- or three-track machine on the tricycle principle, and the tandem bicycle, or single-track machine with two wheels.
Of the tandem tricycle I shall have little to say, as my experience does not justify the attempt; also of the single tricycle I cannot give much of an account. This book does not pretend to treat of man-motor carriages so generally as to include all of the two- or three-track devices, nor of the three- or four-in-hand. Latterly remarkable records have been made on a “triplet,” and we hope this machine is all that is claimed for it. But there is too great a step from a single-track machine to the double or triple to treat of them all, so for the present I shall confine myself principally to that class in which the rider is maintained in an upright position by means of steering.
The only single-track tandem which now bids fair to attain any conspicuous position is that built upon the Rover Safety principle, where two low wheels support two saddles and the rear wheel is made the driver by means of a series of sprocket-chains and cranks. No lever-motion machine, for two, of any pattern, has as yet made an appearance in the market. It is quite probable that the rear-driving tandem will acquire an enviable place in the sphere of cycling, and it certainly deserves to be enthusiastically welcomed among us. Very few cyclers care to take a spin all alone, and it takes two riders at least to make company: why not then mount them sociably upon one vehicle? Surely the tandem method must steadily gain favor, and when it is finally and securely launched in our midst, we shall derive much pleasure from its use, and for touring it must become invaluable. No doubt a very little increase of weight of parts and cost can and will finally serve two happy cyclists. When this is accomplished it will take but little palaver to sell to touring parties at once, since one machine, even if of double weight, can be handled, in many cases, by two men much more easily than each can handle a light one alone. The Tandem takes up less space in a railroad car than two separate machines, and any store-room can be made to accommodate an increased number of saddles. The machines will mostly be made for each to accommodate both a lady and gentleman or two gentlemen, as may be preferred, and on this account they will, at some not far distant time, partially supplant single mounts. Some will also be made convertible; that is, capable of being divided into two single cycles. It is hardly probable that machines for more than two will ever become general, at least not for social riding; no better reason can be given than the old saw, “two’s company and three’s a crowd.” We do not, however, venture to prophesy positively about multiple riding (that is, more than double), since it has a start now, and there is no telling where it will end.
In experimenting on tandem bicycles, I have found one difficulty which, so far, has been very serious; it is the tendency of switching between the riders; that is to say, the twist of the machine. It is difficult to make a frame strong enough to prevent this, since the rear end has to be kept perpendicular by means of a direct twist on a long backbone. Both riders cannot be uprighted as the same weight can be when it is all centred in one spot. It is the distribution of the weight more than the amount of it that causes the trouble. It is well known that a man of two hundred and fifty pounds avoirdupois can ride without much trouble, but two men of one hundred and twenty-five pounds each, sitting two feet apart, will strain a single-track machine tremendously; this annoyance will not be finally escaped by means of mere strength of parts. Some novel arrangement of the wheels, saddles, or other mechanism will have to be called into play to modify the unsightly length of the present tandem bicycles, though it is not right to disparage them on account of it. Much objection has been raised to the “shape of the thing,” but since the advent of the Safety bicycles, appearance must take a second place to that which it held when we sat perched upon the noble old Ordinaries. If we must slip along the ground like beetles, let us not be too fastidious as to just how we look.
Let the Tandem come on; and be received with open arms. Those of us who are a little weak want to make a combination with some flyers, to make up our deficiencies in scorching runs. If we can get on the rear seat and eat doughnuts part of the time, so much the better.