"I've never seen a Harvard man in tights," breathed a starry-eyed first year young lady at Radcliffe, when told that eight members of the Bicycle Racing Club were going to race high-wheelers in the Radcliffe quadrangle clad in tight gaiters, striped sweaters, derbies and handlebar moustaches tomorrow.
Though the Radcliffe anti-publicity office withheld names, there was ample indication that the neighborhood girls were overjoyed at the prospect of a visit from "eight Harvard men,--all at once." Fifteen girls volunteered immediately to hold the cumbersome high wheelers steady while their riders clambered into the saddle.
Three Rings, Three Races
According to Alfred C. Schmidt '42, president of the club, this is the middle link in the season which began with a jaunt to Wellesley in the fall, and will end with a hop to Smith May 24. "The Radcliffe race wasn't drawing entrants for some reason," Schmidt said, "until we got the high wheel bikes." Schmidt denied that men were willing to mount the high-wheelers because i would put them out of reach of admiring Radcliffe girls. "The pedal ratio offers a good opportunity to increase leg action for the push to Smith," he explained.
Dr. Walter G. Kendall, 86-year-old veteran of bike marathon, who loaned the club the ancient bikes, will start the race at Dunster House at 4 o'clock tomorrow. Appropriately dressed girls will follow the pedallers in Maxwells, Franklins, Liberties and other horseless carriages dating from the turn of the century.
Bring Back Backseat Dancers
Among the entrants are two winners of the Wellesley race, Schmidt and Paul Carp '42, a collector of genteel old cars, Chapin Wallour '42, and Ted Frasier '42, who rode a high-wheeler in the fall race. Other competitors will be William Schall '42, Arthur Besse '42, John Liebler '42, and the pre-race favorite, six-foot two-inch Clay Orvis '42. Some of the men will bring back Radcliffe dates to the Dunster House Costume Party on tandems later in the evening.
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