Cycling 23 September, 1923

A cautionary tale, and don’t dare suggest readers store their bikes for winter

Despite the superb Frank Patterson illustration, the Raleigh advert on the cover of this week’s issue is very much a product of its time. In the ’20s, ladies’ bikes seemed to be aimed at those going shopping. “Instead of the long tedious walk and possible rush at the end of it, shopping becomes a leisurely pleasure on a Raleigh,” it says. While we don’t argue with that sentiment, shopping is no longer women’s work, and an e-cargo bike might be a better alternative.

Finding the Loser, by Fred Gillett, is an ‘amusing’ two-page story (albeit a little slow to read) about a policeman lecturing a young lady about leaving her bike out when she breathlessly reports it stolen. While she offers him a beer and patiently puts up with his ramblings: “It ain’t no use telling me what you didn’t do, Miss. It’s facts we want to get at. I can guess what happened. The old story. You goes into the town and leaves your bicycle against a lamppost…”

He goes on (and on) pointing out how the search for the bike is a waste of his time when all she needed to do was lock it up. Eventually her sister returns with the bike, having borrowed it. Police Constable Drumhead then leaves only to discover, you guessed it, his bike has been stolen.

In the ‘Our Point of View’ page, we hear about readers who have been angered by “provincial papers” that ran articles on “hints on storing bicycles” over the winter. One indignant letter demands the writer is denounced along with all who dare encourage the storing of bicycles between September and April.

Cycling reassures its readers: “We are satisfied that the deliberate dry-docking of a bicycle, with the view that no further cycling is possible until the following spring, is now practically unknown.”

Maybe the ‘provincial’ writer was just referring to storing their lightweight, carbon race bike for winter.