The record-union., 1896-03-29
Cycling Notes.

Cycling Notes.
Fickle customi Nothing stays!
There is no controlling
-ENate or fortune in these days,
Now the wheel is rolling.
Here's Priscilla in gown
Nothing less than shocking
Short? 1t hardly reaches down
To Priscilla's stockingi
Years ago when at the wheel
Sat Priscilla spinning,
Exercising toe and heel
And the homespun winning
That was different from this
Spinning home. and saying.
tMiles are good for any miss
With the proverb playing.
Yet for all it seems that she
Girlish ways would Danish,
Knickerbockered to the knee
In manner manniSh-
Give me herl little care
So we go out "biking";
What she chooses she may wear
1t quite suits my liking!
Felix Carmen, in Life.
The average novice imagines that he
Is riding on horseback rather than TAX
1ng a walk or run on his own legs
which, riding a bicycle actually
amounts to-and 1t takes him usually
until his second lesson at riding before
he actually rids himself of the delusion
and becomes enthusiastic. It is then,
zoo, that he tires of reading theories of
now to ride a bicycle. the proper posi-
lion, saddle, etc, written usually by
physicians and professors who have
hidden a few times. He will usually
read anything at first, and try every
thing that is advocated; but when he
has actually passed the third degree" {"
and has ridden the goat" he turns a
deaf ear to it all and selfishly leaves his
neighbor to find it OUT for himself
Did you ever compare riding a bicy-
Gle to climbing ladder The similarity
is surprising. The first position is rep
resented by A, whose ladder is placed
IN q position almost perpendicular; his
hands are graspiag the two rails of the
ladder. AS he proceeds to ascend, step
by step, he has to grasp tightly with his
hands or he will fall backward, because
the point of equil ibrium is ahead of his
weight, or, in otller words, his feet are
ahead of his tody. His upper-limb
muscles are dong very much more
than would be ne eessary should the lad
der be placed at a lower angle. When
he steps up step he raises his entire
weight, plus the spull,' by the grasp of
the hands, which pull acts directly
upon the muscles of the back and abdo-
men, helping largely toward exhaustion.
In fact, the action of any unnecessary
muscles tends to exhaustion, and ex-
haustion invites Encouragement, espe-
cially to a bicycle rider If A climbs very
far, his back or abdomen will be the
first to feel the sfrain; yet his position
on the ladder is about the same as that
II 10 -
bicycle who viii continue to ride in
this position unless he be of an observ-
ing disposition ,r unless some friend
actually teaches him better. Even then
he will argue that he has reasons for
doing so, first, because 1t appears to be
common sense tt, sit erect as if riding
machines are built that way-except
the racing mach ines, and of course he
does not want racing machine or
any bending over" He has read too
many articles OH the evils of bending
over.
Now let us look at B. Did you ever
stand at a public stairway-one lead
ing to a station of the elevated rail-
road in New York, for instance-and
give notice to the position people al
stairs? Do so, and you will observe
that they all lean forward a little
sfightly bending at the hip-joint, but
not bending the back. Why is this
Mature tells us that it makes the work
eesier, and we certainly do find it so
The bicycle rider who has found" this
position has found the easiest position
He can travel more miles in a day and
3eel less tired. He has passed into the
SECOND and higher stage of riding a
bitycle. He now possesses greater. pos
ssihilities, and his interest in cycling is
doubled. He has made a discovery; he
saspires to take his next long run with
a-set Of wheelmen who ride faster and
FARTHER than his usual companions
What was only a fad to this man has
now taken root in him, and he becomes
an enthusiast He is criticised by the
inexperienced multitude for becoming
q .scorcher," or for leaning over; but
you will notice that in his riding now
he does no pulling or pushing-he puts
his weight simply on his forward foot
like B, who climbs the LADDER natu-
rally and more easily.
It is needless to explain the position
assumed by (the latter more inclined)
but it will readily be compared with the
..scorcher," or a rider in racing form
He largely carries his weight on hi.
hands, and by bending over to exagger
alton doubles up his lungs, so t
speak, thereby, no doubt. inviting dan
ger. And this is '1eaning-over posi-
tion which writer's do well to war;
wheelmen against, although thes,
writers make mistake in assuming
that there are but two positions, viz, t,
sit erect and to lean over. c can max,
speed, however, in his position, becaus,
of less atmospheric friction when riding
at high speed, a thing very essential il
Tacing.
To the rider who sits erect, and he Il
largely in the majority, here is littl,
practical and kindly advice. Manage t,
nroc,lre a front saddle-post or T
most. if you have not one already, ant
adjust your saddle forward, say thre,
or four inches Then exchange you
I.raised" handle-bars for a ''drob' bar
not an exaggerated one, but medium
,vbare the cork handle is about foul
trches lower than the middle. Adjus
+ba handles to about four inches below
+ba saddle, then mount your wheel ant
t-y II You will not take kindly to it a
60 because the change is so radical