on, and two foreign women would be much more likely to meet
with difficulties than if they travelled by rail, to say nothing of
the possible accidents to their machines. (3) The necessary luggage
would be comparatively easily carried in the triangular water-proof
bicycle bag, which is carried on a diamond frame machine inside the
diamond, and on a woman's bicycle in a different shape bag attached
to the handle-bar in the front. Any woman going on such a trip
should learn how to take a bicycle to pieces and put it together
again, and in the process of learning she will discover what tools
are necessary. Material for mending tires is absolutely
necessary--a good monkey-wrench, oil cans, a tire inflator,
pincers, and a reasonably good supply of small wire and twine for
making repairs where such material is necessary. In France you will
probably find no difficulty in having all necessary bicycle repairs
made, especially in the cities and larger towns. It would be much
cheaper to stop at houses, and in England, and perhaps to a certain
extent in France and Germany, such travellers are very well
received in the cottages of the peasants in the middle classes. (4)
The best bicycle roads in the world are in England, and England has
for many years been called the "bicyclist's paradise." The French
government roads come next, both being comparatively free from
hills. German roads are by no means as good, and the country is
more hilly. Swiss roads are moderately good, and in some places
very fine, but they are apt to be extremely hilly. Northern Italy
would probably come next; but it is safe to say that for two women
taking their first bicycle tour, England is by far the best place
to travel in. (5) If two ladies travel second-class on a steamer to
Liverpool they might meet with some unpleasant incidents, but it is
now possible to get a first-class return ticket on some of the
smaller steamers of the important lines quite as cheaply as a
second-class return ticket on the larger steamers. For instance, a
first-class ticket and return to Havre, France, or Southampton,
England, can be bought for from ninety to one hundred dollars on
the smaller steamers of the Hamburg and North German Lloyd lines.
It would, of course, be cheaper to buy a return ticket.

NOTE.--Map