New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21
MASTERING A BICYCLE.
THE MALICE OF THE IRON MACHINE.
DIFFICULTIES THAT BEsET THE LEARNER AND
THE WAY CIRcIMVENT THEM

THE WAY TO CIRCU INVENT THEM
Persons who have achieved the feat OF learning
TO ride the bicycle to that 1t is easy.
/ but those whose struggles with that metallic mus
tang belong the active present not likely TO
subscribe with any hear,iness to the affirmation. 1t
Is be denied that there are persons who ride
with considerable ease and supposed safety. even
upon second attempt: but there are also abnormal
| beings who tell you the cube root Of any
without figuring. from actual memory match to-
geher days OF the week and dates OF the month
years back. Such exceptions prove nothing. any
more than n single swallow makes summer. 1t IS
quite true that with perseverance In effort anybody
can learn 10 ride one OF these machines but to say
that everybody may do so easily Is quite another
story and that truth would never peep out OF
her well 20 smile upon. Luckily. the end to be at
talned is well worth even extraordinary endeavor.
That such ease and swlfness Of locomotion afford
much pleasure riders Is apparent WHO
simply stands by the road and sees them go by. but
! It cannot be adequately appreciated until actually
experienced and he must be poor philosopher who
cannot make up his mind to few mishaps and
discomforts when they the necessary introduce
ton TO the realization OF such enjoyment.
There are two ways OF learning to ride bicycle
| In one you acquire possession OF bcycle-wth
without the owners consent-and as far as pos
sble from the maddng crowd. engage in single
combat with It. This is rarey done except By the
Of person who thinks the best way for teaching
a boy To swim is to throw him into deep water and
! leave him take OF himself football play
er's suit with the addition OF baseball catchcr's
mask. would be a good costume in which to learn
bicycling alone. 1t would be something Of shield
Mt least until the machine had discovered the I'M
protected spots and concentrated It's attention upon
! getting at them. OF course. person who has
never had any experience IN the premises will be
! Likely to doubt that machine makes discoveries
and has any intention to concentrate upon mall
cious mischief but that would simply he from lack
chi i- Ito
any other Ask the who knows the confused
person who has just fought lively round with his
bicycle and he will fervently you that the
iron brute has the cunning to invent new ways for
flooring him In almost endless variety. and the
malice to trample upon him when he has been
downed. Its only right 70 be called safety" IL in
the qualification that the injuries It Inaicts are not
at all likely to be fatal. They may include severe
bruises and sprains perhaps even the fracture Of
some tender little bone. but 1t is hardly possible
for It TO break your neck. as the tail "veocpede"
Of old times could with hardy an effort. The full
range OF It's possibilities door OF harms you are
pretty certain know we'll II you undertake to
| master IL alone. Those who have done SO are not
| without Justification for the insolent pride with
| which they are wont to dilate upon the achieve
| nen but there does not seem to be any ground Tor
! the claim they often advance that such rugged
experiences make any better riders ultimately than
gontler methods. in which the Inherent viciousness
| Of TN. wheel s curbed and restrained from the
| start.
The othe- method OF learning Is by the direction
and assistance OF practical oicyciist III the per
| son giving such aid Is simply friend. who with
| abundant good Intentions combines lack OF expert
ence teacher the results are likely to be almost
as dlscomposlng as II you tackled the job alone he
gets you on the saddle. gives ample advice anu d
! shove-and while rescuing you from the angry ma
| chine and helping you to your feet. Few SECONDS
! later asks that exasperating question, why DID
Van, hnA
think Of his Instructions; none OF them, you sus-
! pect would have suited that particular emergency
! anyway; even now you don't clearly understand
! how the thing got you down and so cannot th'hN
what you should have done. Why. It's the easiest
thing IN the world Look here.' he says. and light
" swinging himself into the saddle goes sailing OF
down the street. wheels. comes back ana circles
| around YOU with such DESTINATIONS superiority In
| his accomplishment that you yearn TO throw oGicK
! at him Then you get aboard again and have an
| other experience Of trouble in some new way. The
hes, that can be said for this mode OF learning to
ride the bicycle IL that It tends to promote the
! gayety OF surrounding neighborhoods
The sensible thing 20 do when you have made up
your mind to master the wheel Is 10 go 10 school
where experienced and careful teachers are provid-
ed and engage course OF lessons. Fly cents are
charged FOR A single lesson. or s. for five. half an
! hour being the duration OF each. The price would
be none too high II the greater part Of Il went 10
the teachers for severe AMI continuous abor
| than theirs during longer hours Is performed by
| nobody From 10 o'clock in the forenoon-and In
| some places even from S-until 10 In the evening.
| with only shor, intermlssons FOR meals. they are
constantly on their feet. walking. rOtting running.
| and nj the same time. almost al the while, exert
ing themselves to prevent their pupils falling. main
! tanning unceasing vigilance over every movement.
applying al their strength and dexter!ty 10 keep the
| webbing combination Of clumsy rider and tricky
wheel from coming to grief It Is harder work than
| b,acksmithlng or lettcr-carryng or pug!lism. And
| with IL all they have TO he patient. polite. COM
PLEASANT. TO look pleasant. and not show how tired
they are. 1t ls enough to make sympathetic man :
muscles ache just to think OF how weary the poor
| fellows must be- and n they looked az they must
feel toward the cose OF the day. nobody but women
! would take lessons then.
The first thing good teacher does when you
present yourself for your first lesson. IS To put on
you a strong leather belt. with an adjustable hand
loop which he establishes In place on the left side
OF the back. Then he helps you to mount IL
doesn't matter much AZ this stage OF the game II
| Won are "A man how YOU get aboard Correct mount
! Ing Is the special field OF trouble that you VIII come
to in time after you have learned how to stay on
when once you have got there. For the present YOU
climb up or II your legs long enough, YOU lay
! one over the saddle and hoist YOURSELF or you get
n sort OF stirrup purchase somewhere ard mount
| the wheel as you would "A horse. or cours" the
teacher holds the machine. which seems frantcaiy
! eager 10 lie down. on one side or the other or 10
| double Itself up II II were all loose joints y
! lady begins her practice by earning to mount.
Her attire makes this necessary. especially II she
wears skirts and II she has fitting saddle II Is not
at all difficult with an ordinary saddle however II
Is not easy to get her skirts hitched up that they
Will be properly IN place when she mounts. To give
the wheel such impetus that 1t VIII Keep up TO rise
at exactly the right instant and keep her foot on the
| further pe,lal Yet all this complicated combined
| movement she must become expert In. and Ii Is
rather surprising how soon she generally does
! 40 Teachers affirm that. a rule, women learn
| 10 ride well more quickly than men.
Keep the pedals moving" is one OF the earliest
| and oftenest ln,unctions YOU will hear from the