Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-12-11
Vel0cipedes.

THE velocipedes, about which the
| Parisians have run mad at the present mo-
ment, are of various kinds. Some have
two and others three and even four wheels
all have either pedals or reels on which tc
place the feet, and usually either breaks OF
levers to regulate the speed. The two
wheel velocipedes, the bicycles as they are
styled, are intended for the male sex only,
and are by far the swiftest machines
They are usually of wrought iron, and
have pedals or reels attached to the front
or larger wheel, and the working of which,
by light movement of the feet, gives the
requisite impulse to the vehicle. The
saddle is poised on bar of iron suspended
few inches above the top of the fore
wheel. The hands rest on q handle in
front of the machine, which, working on
a pivot, serves as q balancing pole, the
equilibrium being preserved by giving a
slight twist to this handle. The break,
which at once stops the revolving motion
of the wheel, is applied by means of a
sharper twist. Here are the. rnles which
one of the most skillflll amateurs has
drawn up for the guidance of beginners
Run beside your iron horse, leading it,
as it were, with your hand, so as to
OulSc1l Will It's IuCEtl1cubS-
this will be an affair of few minutes
merely. Then commence practicing with
it on slope, and, after mounting it, let it
move forward of its own accord, while
you occupy yourself with studying the
effect produced by the inclination which
you give the balancing pole or handle of
the machine. When you thoroughly I'M
derstand the action of this, place one foot
on the pedal, and follow it's movements
without assisting them. The difficulty
with beginners is to restrain the unneces-
sary expenditure of muscular force; they
ordinarily perform ten times the labor that
is requisite.
"Next, repeat the experiment on level
ground, having both feet on the pedals,
and working them alternately with
scrupulous regularity. Speed is OBJ
tanned by simply accelerating this move
ment. =.
after an hour or two's practice the
tyro will be able to accomplish distance
of from thirty to forty yards without rum
ming the risk of an upset. Should the
machine incline on one side, all that is
necessary to be done is to remove the foot
on the same side from the pedal and put
it on the ground. This can Of course only
be accomplished when the velocipede is of
moderate height, which, by the way, is
the proper kind of machine for beginners
to make their first essays with.
"To alight, both feet are raised from the
pedals at the same instant, which has the
effect of slackening the speed of the ma
chine; the feet are then placed simultane
ousty on the ground without the handle
being let CO."
The tricycle., or three wheeled velocipede,
is easier to guide and safer to use than the
bicycle; its speed, however, is less rapid
still it can be made to pass carriage
going at full trot. AS the fair sex largely
patronize this vehicle, the seat is more
commodious than that of the bicycle, hay
ing sides and back of wicker, and horse
hair cushion to sit upon. The hind
wheels, though large, are light, and re-
volve with facility; the fore-Wheel, which
is smaller, serves to guide the machine,
being acted on by means of the handle,
which causes it instantly to turn in the
direction indicated by the rider. The
pedals are shaped like slippers, which IA
cilitates the movements of the legs, and at
the same time admits of the foot being
disengaged instantaneously. The move
ment required to impel the machine is a
perfectly natural one, analogous, in fact,
to that of walking, that is to say, without
the slightest pressure of the foot, and GER
tainly without producing any unusual ia
tigue, for the motion of the leg developes
itself, as it were, until the limb becomes
fully extended, entirely without effort. In
addition to all these advantages, the larger
three-wheeled velocipedes have lever
which follows the line of the eccentrics
attached to the pedal and fits on to the
axles. By assisting the movements of this
lever, the speed of the vehicle is consider
ably increased, and simple pressure
against it checks the rotary movement of
the wheel and stops the progress of the
machine. This lever is, in fact, both a
means of impulsion and a break. London
Society.