CYCLING (from cycle). The use or act of riding the cycle, either bicycle or tricycle. Al though now a common utility of every-day busi ness life, as well as a means of recreation, it had its origin at the beginning of the latter half of the nineteenth century in what was then an improved velocipede, and was only used for sport or recreation. (See BICYCLE.) The prog ress of cycling as a means of recreation has been very rapid, its greatest general popularity oeem ring between 1890 and 1900. At the begin ning of the twentieth century it apparently has taken its real position as a permanent means of enjoyment and recreation, and an added means of locomotion for either business or pleasure. Apart from the many physical advantages de rived from the practice of cycling as an exercise, it has been of inestimable benefit to the com munity at large, in that it has given to all a capacity of locomotion, which formerly none but those of ample means and leisure could enjoy; and, as a natural consequence, has developed a general interest in the many 'good roads' move meets through the United States and England. Many long-distance tours have been accomplished by its means, notably that of Thomas Stevens, who, between April, 1884. and December, 1886, rode round the world; and Lenz, who (1892-94) rode a wheel carrying all his necessaries, as well as a canwra. across America. Samoa. Japan, through China, Burma, India. Tielooehistan, Persia, and Armenia. Road racing has always been a popular sport, and in the early nineties had attained such proportions that nearly every city and town throughout England and America had its annual road-racing fixtures. This phase of the sport is not now so general, but the annual road races of Chicago and those of the metropoli tan district of New York are still events of con siderable importance in the cycling world.
Track racing is entirely artificial, and confined usually to professional riders racing under un natural conditions. Long-distance and relay races, such as have been held at Tattersall's, Chi cago, and Madison Square Garden, New York, while financially profitable to their projectors, have been very severely condemned as of no real value to the sport, and frequently injurious to the riders themselves. Several cycling associa tions exist for the benefit of tourists, notably the League of American Wheehnen, which sup plies maps, and enables machines to be passed into Canada and back into the United States without any other expense or hindrance than the depositing of the L. A. W. membership tickets; and under sonic circumstances even this is not necessary. Similar advantages are obtained for tourists in Europe by the Cyclists' Touring Club of England, founded in 1873 with headquarters in London S.W. With this latter organization is allied the Touring Club of France, and the Deutsches Radfah•erbund. The military organi zations of all the European countries include corps of specially equipped and drilled cyclists, whose principal duties are the transmission of orders and the securing of information; for which purposes their speed, their noiselessness, and the comparatively good roads which prevail have made them conspicuously useful. See ARMY ORGANIZATION T ‘CTICS, MILITARY.