The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-01-28
Tho volociDcde.


The coming thing Is the veloc'ped'
Certainly tits one Of the funniest
oueerest and most interesting machine
that has been invented, and upon tn
whole 1t Is worthy to succeed base bal
IN the affections of the young men
tho country. There are almost as man
styles Of velocipedes rs of four.wheele
carriages, and they will multiply rapid
". We understand that there are near
~ flty patterns on exhibition at tn
Patent Office. The only velocipede
worth talking about are the two-wheele'
ones. There are three and four wheeled
machines, but ofcourse there Is NOR
friction to overcome In running three o
four wheels than In running two
wheels, and there Is no trouble in ar
ranging Tor the application Of the whole
strength Of strong man to the two
wheeled machine.
Those who favor the three or foul
wheeled velocipedes, do so upon the
theory that they will stand up bet
ter. But the two wheeled machine will
stand up we'll enough as soon as you
learn TO manage It, When we consider
thatthe machine will not stand for
moment by ITSELF and that the DISPOSE
ton 20 tumble WILDE increased by seating
! man upon 1t, seems to be m I'm
probable proposition. The secret is,
shat the machine II kept up by the
shifting OF the foremost wheel, the 9TH
o. wheel having nothing to DO but fol-
low and support the rider and receive
the pressure Of the break The trick OF
riding the yelocipede is IN guiding 1t.
Iftl,e rider undertakes to sustain him
self by Awaying his body so as to keep
the center of gravity over the support
wheels, he will inevitably fall. The
rider must put the machine In motion as
he mounts it. That is done in the act
Of mounting by placing first one foot
end then the other upon the pedals-a
pretty nice operation. At the instant OF
mounting. the rider must grasp the
handle, which has been APPLY called the
balancing pole" and rs the machine
IL swaycd by the pressure on the pedals,
tho front wheel must be shifted to cor
respond to the irrcgularity in the ap-
plicntion of power and the movements
of the person. Let it be understood
that a. the machine goes on, If the
weight of the rider is too much to the
right or left the guide must be used to
bring the wheels directly under the
point where the weight mus, be sustain
ed. The arms and legs are soon taught
to work well together, and the rider di-
reefs the machine with u sure and easy
touch, and can avoid any object in the
way with wonderful celebrity and accura-
cy There must be nerve enough,
however, not to hesitate. With hesita-
tian comes a crash. Velocipedc riding
and iriving--i. is hoth-~is, for the be-
ginucr, very hard work. The strain
comes upon the arms and hands, owing
to the constant necessity Of guiding.
The legs have an easy time. nothing
more to do than when walking, but the
arms and hands have the important du-
ties to discharge; ana in learning the
veloeipede exercise it iss the rule that
the hands are bistcreu and the arms
painfully wrenched. With experience
comes confidence and comparative ease,
but we suspect that velocircdc riding
will he found, a a general thing, 10 be
violent exercise. The temptation is
upon the velociprhe 10 go fast to speed
the machine to its utmost, and every
! mr. OF the wheels must be felt in the
arms which have tn preserve the bal
ancc Tho FIRST lesson with the ma
chine Is to take it by the handle and
walk beside II, pushing it along and
guiding 1t. One learns in this way
how quickly aud entirely the machine
answers to the handlc-how c,siIy and
Instantly it may be whired this way or
that. The next lesson is to bestriie the
machine and move it along, touching
The toes to the floor. Hence beginners
should not have the largest velocipedes
Impelling the machine 10y touching the
toes to the floor, the guide or handle
comes In play, and presently is seen to
serve to keep UP the machine, which,
aowever, has as many tricks rs frac
.ious horse. The novice, TO prevent
himself from falling is certain to turn
,hc wheel too far, aud then he sprawlS
Upon the floor, or runs into the wall. \
food plan is 10 get tile machipe on an
hcline, and as il runs down try to sus
ain it by guiding the wheel
| The mystery of managing the wheel
.ncc mastered, the rest Is easy. When
pine practice in handling the machine
las been had, aud its movements have
ccome familiar, the effort Is made to
.se the feet on the pedals. 1t Is hes. to
~ 1t Grst with but one foot. Those
sho attempt to apply both feet at once
fill be many times disappointed. Now
Dmes the hardest of the work. The
pals Of velocipcde schools are SCARED
md battered with many blows, aud the
hclination. when one is trying 10 be
bio to make the thing go, to rush for
he nearest pillar and strike 1t with
feat force, Is an amusing popularity.