THE BI-TRICYCLI,

original dandy-horse, 15 perhaps the oldest cvehist now alive. It was driven by cranks upon the hind wheel, actuated by pedals, bent levers, and connecting rods. With its great flopping back whecel and its small, sensitive steerer, the machine might have been more handy, but it was a sound machine in its safety principle, and well built. Its stable companion was the Challenge tri- cyele, almost identical i design, except that two steering wheels were used, turned by Blood's patent gear. Thiswas the first tricvele made with wire wheclsand rubber tvres. Morc than onc 1nventor has built a bi- tricvele, a machine combming the faults ot the two- and three-whecler, with the advantages of neither.

In 1880 a very novel bievele—or dicyele, This was

as some called 1it—was 1mvented. the Otto, whercein two large wheels were placed side by side, both driven by cranks through endless metal bands. The rider sat aborvethe centre of gravity, and his chict busi- ness in life was to cguard his noscand the back of his head from the assault of theroad- way. Steering wasdonce by cither hand, the driving

e e e

THE STRAND M AGAZLVE,

band being loosened upon the inner side, whercupon the outer (driven) wheel turned upon the mner one. The Otto was a pretty mvention, but 1t never succceded asa machine for pace,

Onc more American invention, and we have done. It 1z Schaffer’s monocycle, and looks a terrible thing. The victim 1s entirely caged up inside the wheel, and what means of escape he could avail himsclf of i casc of collision or bolting nobody but the mventor could tell us, and he doesn't. A large flap of the wheel and spokes, 1t scems, was to be removable to cnable the victim to be inserted. It is a charming

SCHAFFLERS

THE oTTOo.

thing, and with all 1its index letters (which scem to have been sprinkled m {rem a

MONOQCYCLLE,

pepper-box) has quite a lcarnced and scicntific appcearance ; not- withstanding which, there 1s no rcecord of 1ts usc upon the high- road. So that the high-road 1s a less dangerous place than 1t might be, after all.

With thchighly finished machine of the present day our business does not lic.