Show 51 BICYCLES CYCLES IN OLYMPIC GAMES wheels amid the scenery of ancient greece the grecian athlete has taken up the bicycle according to our consul at athens r ho in a letter to the state department part ment calls attention to the chance american have of disposing 9 of their product consul george horton says there are at the present time about bicycles in athens they are mostly of english make the average price at which wheels sell here is and the average weight is 26 pounds the character of the roads renders a lighter make impracticable unless t ibe be machines are of t a high grade and with a wide bhae the duty on lii cycles is insignificant not being manufactured here the history of the bicycle io greece a int erecting the th first machine n a chire WE brought here mary macy years ego ago by th king it was an allwood all wood affair front driving of the variety known as boneshaker naturally his majesty did riot not appear in public on the streets as bicycles were regarded by the natives as supernatural and uncanny for many years the pioneer bi cyclists of greece were subjected to many inconveniences and even dangers they were hooted and laughed at on the streets of athens and were sometimes stoned and tumbled from their wheels at the present day the rustic generally crosses himself and utters a prayer when a bicycle passes him bicycling may be said to have commenced here in earnest about eight years ago with the founding of several clubs and the adoption of the wheel as tn rn amusement by leading greeks it is s safe to predict a craze in the near future as the royal family and many of the leading diplomats are now e enthusiasts thus lasts the crown prince and the english american and german ministers among mthr pt hers may be seen on the streets every day mounted upon wheels such leadership has more weight in III greece than it would have in america last 3 ast year ons one of the dealers b here ere brought over five wheels of a celebrated american type from new york ile he had no difficulty in selling them immediately at 1000 drachmas apiece they were lighter than the english makes ordinarily used here and very much admired no ko attempt has since been made by american makers to place wheels in Ath athena enill many agreeable excursions can be made with the wheel among them from athens to Pha lerum to the pierius Pie reus to the kings property at toioi tutoi to thebes and other places many long trips are po possible for example there thee the e ia i IL a magnificent road skirting the sea all the way to corinth after stopping 9 a flay day or two to visit the ancient acropolis one may continue ahe journey to Xau Nau plia the capital of greece under otho taking in the ruins of mycenae argos and alid cyreus on t the he way the scenery of such a trip is magnificent beyond description and the points touched at are of kurpa surpassing sing historical interest the climate is I 1 favorable for bicycling there being abet and a dry season so 0 that one knows before starting what weather to expect the revival of the olympian games which occurs in april will include bicycle races and consul horton thinks american wheel makers would find it advantageous to have bave a representative senta tive present boston herald |