A CYCLE BOOM.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13489, 8 June 1914, Page 2

A CYCLE BOOM.

When one hears of tho enormous increase in the number of motor cars, light cars, cycle, cars, cyclettes, motor cycles, and all the host of different kinds of motor 'wheels, one is inclined to think that the old laborious method of working one's way along on a pedal bicycle, or a "push bike," as the blasphemers call ■ it, would be considered altogether too much behind the times to be perpetuated. But apparently such is not the case. This year there is quite a cycle boom in England. The .firms, of cycle manufacturers are legion —there must be scores more than you ever hear of in Australasia—yet they all seem to be ''going strong." One of these firms has estimated the necessary, output for tho present season at 60,000 machines, but already, owing to the unprecedented rush for bicycles in. the early spring, they have set in hand 5,000 more. The explanation is thafc everyone is going on wheels nowadays. No one is too poor, .scarcely anyone is too rich, to\ride a bike, sometimes at least. All the workmen seem to have machines, some*of them worth 10 bob at least! Some of them look as ifl they had done many hard days' work, and passed through many hands, but at least they can still push one wheel before the other. Though not everyone can afford a "car," there are few. who cannot afford a "bike," especially when it means, as so often, a great saving of time in getting to and from ont's work. The other day I saw an advertisement of three cycles offered for sale at £4 the . lot —"all in good order."