Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-02-27
How to Ride a Bicycle.

The proper position for bicycle
rider is. in the first place, an upright
one. He should push nearly straight
downwards with his legs-nOt back
wards, as one must do who leans far
forward. His arms should not be rigid
and extended to their full length, but
little bent, and the handles can be
easily adjusted to bring this about.
The reason for the bent, or slightly
bent, arm is evident after a moments
thought. If the arm is stiff. rigid, and
extended to full length, the pull
which you give the handles on going
up hill or, indeed, while running along
a level road, is dead pull. There is
no life in it. Each jar to the machine
is a jar to your body, your head, and
neck, and consequently jar to your
whole system. On the other hand, if
YOU ride with the arms a little bent,
and acting as kind of buffer to all
EARRING influences, they will save you
an injurious though unnOticeable
shaking up each time you go out. The
only way in which you will notice a
change will be after you have become
accustomed to the bentarm method.
Then you will find you can ride longer
without becoming tired.
Another feature of this stiff arm is
the position into which the shoulders
are thrust. Try it; grow little tired
with long ride, and then see where
your shoulders are. You have gradual
ly come to lean on your arms for rest.
Both shoulders have been thrown far
back; your head and neck are stretch
ed far forward, and your chest has, SO
to speak, sagged forward out of its ma
tural position. Keep this up long
enough, and you will be a fine looking
specimen.
No; the weight of your body should
never come on the hands and arms, but
on your thighs, and thence be trans
ferred to the seat, with the unconscious
springy action of your legs, which in
measure allows some of your weight to
come on the pedals. In this position
your hands are free to guide your
wheel; your body is erect; you do not
then get into the habit of swaying
from side to side to put more weight
first on one side, and then on the other;
and your whole muscular movement is
regular and normal. Try riding with
out putting either hand on the
handles. and sitting erect. If you ride
we'll, you can easily keep your balance,
and in an instant you will be in the
correct position. Once in this posi-
ton, place the hands lightly on the
handle bars, and you will be in a
healthy, proper situation to gain
benefit from your riding.
In riding ten miles. for example, l
should never go the whole distance at
one pace. Slow, steady riding has it's
merits, so has sprinting for short dis
tances. When good clear road looms
up ahead have brush for two or three
hundred yards with the boy who is
with you. These little races are good
things. They quicken your move
ments, and they keep you from form
ing bad habits, or letting your body
sag into set, immovable positions
They also bring the muscles into diff
erent kind of play.
In fact, in bicycle riding as in about
everything else, you should remember
that there is right and a wrong way;
that you need not only endurance bur
speed, and that changing from one to
another, keeping up variety, is one
good way of avoiding bad habits
Harperas Young People.
L