The Portland daily press., 1894-05-28
WOMAN AND THE WHEEL.
Proper Dress and Position on the Bicycle
i The Adoption of an Unattractive and
and Unwomanly Garb, by So Called Re-
formers, Has Tendency to Retard the
Advancement of the Pastime.
Boston Transcrint.l

Boston Transoript.)
| People who have set their faces against
| the wheel for women have had only the
very bad example before their eyes (of some
women who ride)with ,snothing to Offset
| in their minds the extremely unpleasant
| effect produced, OF awkwardness of move
| ment and unattractiveness in manner and
dress. This utter disregard of appearances
shown by some wheel-women is the most
weighty reason to-day why the cycle is not
more popular, but it is by no means the only
one. The makers have been in part to blame,
for it is only recently that woman could
| purchase a wheel at all.suitable to her needs.
| The manufacturers We're slow to perceive
what factor woman was to become in the
wheeling world, and so were correspond
Aingly slow in catering to her wants. Women
were forced to ride wheels unsuited to them
| in weight or adjustment. One model of
wheel was deemed all that was necessary,
on which were placed all sorts and condi-
lions of riders, tall or short. stout or lean
weak or strong. This method often result
ed in distorted position of the body, when
a tall woman was forced to bend her back,
in an ungainly stoop, in order to reach a
| steering bar, too low or too far away. Often
|
angles at every turn Of the pedals, caused
by a wrong adjustment of saddle and
| cranks.
There is now no excuse for any such at
| titudes, for there are wheels made to-day
| to suit all; both as to price and model. The
so-called riding schools are responsible for
much of this mischievous awkwardness.
| A pupil is turned out as rider as soon as
| cha har md tall ,h
pole or wagon which may be in her way.
| Very little attention is paid to the small
things that go to make up pleasant whole.
tutor in a riding Equestrian academy
would never think of allowing any of his
pupils out on the road until they had mas
tered thoroughly every little detail, even to
the proper position of the fingers on the
bride. Every point is looked after with
scrupulous care, and everything corrected
which would offend in any way the taste of
| the most fastidious.
To be sure cycling is new and equestri-
| anism is not, but that is no excuse for the
lamentable exhibitions one sees in the parks,
and on the roads. Women who have to be
taught to ride may be seen sitting their
wheels, bumped over in the most ungraceful
way, apparently with no other object in
view than to ''get there never mind how,
only ''get there" The mere fact that they
can go seems to constitute in their minds
the art of cycling. For art it is, despite the
sneers of such riders. There are two class
es of women who have done and are doing
| much to harm and bring the wheel into dis
favor.
| First, the ignorant woman who does
not know how she looks and consequently
does not care. Second the woman who
| does know how she looks, her appearance
being the result of great deal of care.
The frst-named will ride in anything she
happens to have on. the older and more
frayed-out her apparel the more suitable
she considers it. A white skirt IAN abomi-
nation at any time on the street with a
dark dress she almost invariably exposes
in most conspicuous manner; her dress,
| often untIdy as to braid and facing hangs
down in one place and hitched in another
| A glimpse, perhaps more than a glimpse, of
| her feet, discloses ill-fitting, worn shoes
that are ''good enough to ride the wheel
| with,you know" untidy ankles and wrinkled
| ed stockings. An ill-ftting waist, sometimes
| too tight and sometimes too loose, if a
| basque the tails seem to have an affinity
| for the shoulder blades, perhaps a streak
between the skirts and waist showing
where the soul and body are coming apart"
as the French say The whole surrounded
| by hut the worse feB wear as to trimming
| and shape; or more likely one of those hid
| eous caps that disfigure the prettiest face.
| This is not an overdrawn picture, as will
| be attested to by any appropriated observer
But as have said before, this state of
! things is always the result of ignorance,
and there is hope for this class of riders,
| just let her for once-only once-see herself
| as others see her, and then let her see the
| ideal wheelwoman, in her grace and dignity,
| and her garb will undergo as rapid and rad
| ical a change as her ideas. The next time
| you see her she will sit up straight, clothed
and in her right mind" Just as soon as
| she knows what is wrong about her wheel
| she will either exchange it for one suited to
her individuality, or that saddle will be
raised, cranks shortened, handlebar raised
| and brought back, her dreadfully dowdy
| dress will be replaced by one not necessarily
| expensive, but cut as it should be, and of a
| suitable color, with underclothing to match
| (no wretched white skirts shoes neat as
| to buttons and strings, supplemented by
| CATERS or ''spats." Bodice neat in fit-not
| 4ight. Ribbons, feathers and flowers tabooed
| Hair smoothly banded the becurled and be-
| frizzled Psyche knot, with its accompanying
waves and ripples having been abandoned.
| Hat, sailor or tourist, with neat plain band,
| and, altgether the contrast is so pleasing
| that one might be pardoned in doubling the
| identity of the rider, as she swiftly glides
along with no ungainly motion, sitting her
wheel so straight as to form, so neat as to
dress. One involuntarily looks after her
with glance of appreciation.
| lam sorry to be forced to admit that the a.
Weakening from this ignorance is in many
cases slow and tedious process, but it will
| come.
| The second class to which .. refer, is not
| very large and it is to be hoped it never
will be; not at least until the wheel for
women, is established on such firm basis
| of it's own excellence that this class can
| have no influence whatever on it's populari-
ty. The women who belong to it are utterly
hopeless as to reformation. We're they not
making themselves Objectionable on the
wheel, in their ridiculous attire, they would
| find some other outlet for the burning and
unauenchable desire to be conspicuous In
| some way.sI have none but words of encour