BICYCLER'S SONG
By William Athenaeum. "The Wheelman", December, 1882.
"Wheel on, wheel on, gay cavaliers are we;
On light-hoofed steeds, caparisoned jauntily.
O'er rolling hills, with bold advance we ride,
Along smooth, shaded glades, unwearied glide;
Down city avenue, through country lane,
By brook-side path, o'er village-skirted plain,--
Unbounded are the fields our raids explore,
As those of bloodier knights in days of yore.
Wheel on, wheel on, without a thought for rest;
Untiring are our steeds, howe'er hard-pressed.
With noiseless stride, along their course they fly,
As ne'er did war knight's beast, though blood burned high,
And victory spurred on to bolder, rasher speed,
And battle's fire renewed the flagging steed.
So light, so silent, yet so swift we race,
E'en birds lament that we have caught their grace.
Wheel on, wheel on, a careless course we ride;
Our changeful fancy for our daily guide;
With graceful mount, and gay and gallant mien,
We rouse the welkin by the novel scene;
And old folk stare, and urchins stand to gaze,
And e'en fair maidens turn their pretty face
And smile, coquettish, at our ranks so free;
Wheel on, wheel on, gay cavaliers are we."
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Cycling
Sarah's Cycling Club Historical Fiction Series
In a seaport town in the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest, a group of friends find themselves drawn together —by chance, by love, and by the marvelous changes their world is undergoing. In the process, they learn that the family we choose can be just as important as the ones we're born into. Join their adventures in
The Tales of Chetzemoka
To read about the exhaustive research that goes into each book, click on their "Learn More" buttons!
There is something inherently romantic about cycling, and there has been since the first riders set their wheels to the road. This collection of nineteenth-century poetry, prose quotes and bon-mots about cycling reflects both the ardent passion and the innocent affection cycling inspires. From the glory days of high-wheel cycling through the boom of the safety bicycle, riders were falling in love with their wheels, with new-found freedoms, and above all with each other. This delightful little collection tells of those days in their own words, and evokes sentiments which every cyclist will find timeless. Compiled edited and introduced by Sarah A. Chrisman, author of the charming Tales of Chetzemoka cycling club series, This Victorian Life, Victorian Secrets, and others.
Quotations of Quality
A Commonplace Book of Victorian Advice, Wit, and Observations on Life
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