The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-10
CYCLING Is THE FAD
PROMINENT SOCIETY," LADIES ARE
LEARNING TO RIDE THE WHEEL.
nredicted that Boomers Will Soon
He the Proper Thing and Then
VIII Come Knickerbockers.

Eyes, Nellie has everything she wants ex-
cent a telephone in her room and a bicycle"
was a remark decidedly expressed few
mornings ago. What Nellie wanted hun
dreds of other girls would like To be able
10 talk to her friends from the small dens
where she has her desk, her favorite chair
and the books she prefers. would indeed be
enjoyable. Then to be able to ride to see
these friends just as the fancy seizes her
would be her next bliss. To learn to ride
the bicycle is the fashionable Lenten pleas
ure Every morning, and nearly every aft
ernoon, of the week there are twenty or
more married ladies and young ladies at
Tomlinson Hall learning to ride. They go IN
just they come from shopping. Ehe mod
ern shopping gown is as good as anything to
wear, for it has a plain cloth skirt. Should
there be shirt waist under the coat so
much the better. for freedom of action is
one of the necessary requirements of a good
rider. Circling around the hall on wheels,
with the instructor walking and support
ing the rider, or trotting after the one
who has been on several times and can be-
trusted to partially go alone. the visitor
can eight or ten at the same time.
To the uninitiated the mount seems to be
the first lesson. This is not SO, for to
mount a wheel and get off comes after
several lessons. When the young woman
decides TO learn 10 ride she has fastened
around her waist strong canvas belt with
a leather handle at the left side. The in
structor holds the wheel upright, after adj
justing the saddle to the right height The
rider divides her skirts, and, placing one
foot on the right pedal, is assisted to the
seat. A trip is made around the hall, the
instructor holding the rider and the wheel
upright by means of the leather handle
Should one fall there can be but little dan
ger, especially on the smooth floor of the
Ill. kly off
the right or the left.
only a few minutes are spent on the
are nervous. They utter little screams,
tremble and get chilly and have quite
the hall. This readily disappears, but there
are other experiences which somewhat I'M
bars so firmly that their fingers cramp
They. bear all their weight on the bars.
The instructors endeavor to have the rider
not try to balance but keep the body in
q direct line with the center of the wheel.
After being able to guide the wheel. the
front one, then the direction is reversed
This Is equal to learning to ride all over
again.. When the rider has learned to guide
the wheel in both directions, mounting is
To get on and off the wheel is more of a.
trick than to ride e., after being on. Some
progress the rider has frequent encoura pc
ment, from the friends who are in the hall
watching the riding. A smooth bit of work
Miss Agnes Duncan sits well and she rides
rapidly. She keeps the instructor on the
tended the school only a few times. can
ride alone and mounts and dismounts
gracefully. Mrs. Samuel p, Miller has
taken readily to riding and does not con-
fine herself to an assistant OF even a belt
Miss Clara collars, of Fort Wayne. has
was here. she rode with the other young
people. Miss Adele Wallick is an expert
now learning at the school Misses Eliza
beth and Augusta Lyon are among the
graceful riders. Miss, Colgan has become
one who tries it does. She ride alone
and Is one. of the most interchangeable riders
at the school, The Misses CASTOR, Miss
May Johnson, Miss Margaret Baldwin, Miss
Shower, Miss Holiday and others of the
young ladies are practcing.
Quite a number who have gone in to see
the riders have become absorbed in it and
needed only an invitation to try. A score
turned for regular lessons. Contrary to
what many expect, the larger young women
wheel than the small ones. A few who
thought the wheel was not built for breadth
and length have changed their minds The
instructors can put through the various
movements and make them fair riders, to
mount and dismount and do various turns
in four lessons. Even If all those who go
do not buy wheels of their own they will
know how to ride.
The wheel has been coming in for several
years. Now it is quite the fashionable
thing, and bicycle clubs to be the great
feature for the spring and early. summer.
enjoyed has been contagious, and as
soon as it is good wheeling the roads will
be filled with men and women. old and
young on the wonderful two-wheeled car
riers.
With the riding of the wheel the divided
skirt will come in. Miss Louise Erwin had
one made in New York which was a model
of its kind. Kuickerbockers and the bloom
ers' will surely follow the general use of
the wheel. A man can learn to ride sooner
than woman. because he is not hampered
with skirts. Among those who have tried
or will attend the riding school are Mrs. A.
d. Gates Miss Lemcke. Mrs. III. H. How
land, Mrs. Thomas Hibben. Mrs. Curtis,
Mrs. C. T.. Smith, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Jarvis,
Mrs. Perry.