PREFACE.
The average intelligence of the Cycling fraternity can, with justice, be said to be above that of any other association of men and women, devoted to pastime, sport, and exercise, in the world; yet withal it is with some considerable feeling of anxiety that this book is sprung upon them. There can be no question but that we are a reading community, and yet all attempts catering to our wants, in the way of books, seem to have met with a less hearty support than should have been expected. The author of one of the greatest works connected with Cycling has recently informed us that he is still many hundreds of dollars behind, and other authors have good reason to complain that their books can be searched for even at club-houses, where they surely ought to be found. Books consisting largely of advertisements have, no doubt, paid the compilers, as have also the numerous periodicals, but when we ponder over the colossal efforts of Kron and Stevens, and think of the poorly-rewarded devotion of Sturmey, “Faed,” the Pennels, Stables, Cortis, and others, the encouragement is not at all stimulating towriters; especially since all books of these authors are of the most attractive character and easily comprehended, whereas a large portion of this work is written with a view to inspiring a close study of the art, and for that reason, if for no other, is liable to be dry reading. However, it is too late now to swerve from the task; if one more must be added to the procession of dejected, empty-pocketed venturers, “so mote it be.”
No petition is made to the Fraternity to read this book in particular, but it is hoped that all cycling books and periodicals will be patronized, hereafter, with the usual liberality so characteristic of wheelmen in connection with other matters, and if this work should, in any way, foster this hope, its mission will be more than filled. In one way the writer has already been amply repaid; if he had never undertaken this task it is just possible that he, like many others, might never have followed a cycler through India, or have made the acquaintance of “The Best of Bull-Dogs.”
The nature of this book has drifted, to some extent, from the rigid mathematical character originally intended, partially because it just drifted, and also perhaps intentionally, in order to give it a more popular bearing. If some severely practical readers should notice an attempt at humor, or an amusing turn given to what should be stern mathematical or mechanicalreasoning, it is hoped that it will not be considered undignified or trivial, for it is done with an object; and if the popular reader should be averse to running off into abstract theories, let him but remember how little we realize that everything we do, or make, in our daily experience rests upon some fundamental principle which we ought to know and be able to explain. Who would have thought that the principles underlying the simple matter of balancing a bicycle would confuse even a school-boy? Perhaps it ought not; nevertheless, the article on that subject is cut rather short, for the reason that the writer, even with the help of others more competent, was unable to definitely determine all points in regard to it. My thanks are due to Prof. E. W. Davis, of Columbia, S. C., Gustav Bissing, Ph.D., of Baltimore; Prof. Robinson, of Columbus, Ohio; F. R. Smith, A.M., of Cambridge, England, and others, for valuable assistance courteously rendered.
Respectfully,R. P. Scott.
Baltimore, 1889.