The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-05
AT THE CYCLE SCHOOL
THE AVERAGE wOMaN's DIFFICULTY
IN LEARNING TO STOP HER WHEEL.
to the Academies for Riding
Lessons.

The several bicycle riding schools of this
city are very attractive places just now.
not only for those who want to learn to
ride, but for many who attend them merely
to see others make the effort. which in
many cases is equal TO the Best on Earth"
circus Old men, young girls, boys, lean,
lank and numbering. and women fair, fat
and forty-or more-may be seen in the
place every day. without mentioning the
fair buds of society who ride wheel in the
daytime and dance the two-step at night.
1t is pace where all meet on common
level-the f1oor-for DR.. Rondthaier said
recently in talk at Tomlinson Hall. there
is nothing that equals the bicycie as a
leveler of humanity.
Most feshy women have an idea that a
woman of their size Is anything but grace
full on a wheel and are slow to take to
its pleasures. A visit to one of the riding
schools any day would confirm them in this
belief unless they cared to stay long enough
to see some of these women after they have
mastered the mystery of guiding a wheel
around the hail without assistance. Then
they appear to simply become a part of
the wheel by gradual evolution, until after
few rides ON the street they-the wheel
a whole.
1t is within the walls of the school, though.
where the circus is to be seen. A few
days ago mother and her daughter went
to one Of the schools for the purpose of
learning to ride. The mother was one of
those well preserved Women of medium
height. but with a superabundance Of adj
pose tissue. One object in learning to ride
uas RI Sha o0,r1d No
weight The daughter was not over twenty.
but bid fair to be as large as her mother
before reaching thirty. 1t required two of
the ordinary belts used in such places,
spliced together. to reach around the moth
ers waist. but after a search of. some
minutes. the largest in the house was found
to be close fit for the daughter. Thus
equipped they were ready for their first
trial on the wheel.
MOTHER THE BEST PUPIL.
The mother was much more apt pupil
than the daughter and 1t did not seem to
take any effort on her part to understand
what was necessary for riding. In a lesson
of a half hour she was able to ride round
the hall with little assistance from the in
structor, but the younger woman found 1t
more difficult. She had repeatedly insisted
that she could never learn to ride and was
then experiencing the result Of this thought.
which had become so firmly imbedded In her
mind to even control her actions when
on the wheel. On the contrary, the mother
had argued with her daughter that IL others
could learn TO guide a wheel in and out
among horses feet. and ride 1t in any and
every conceivable style. she could surely
learn to manage 1t sufficiently for her own
pleasure. With the full belief. that she
would soon learn she took her first lesson.
and found at the end of the third that she
could ride alone sufficiently well to take her
wheel to some quiet paved street and prac-
tice there The younger woman was still
making an effort at the school to learn to
ride without the constant assistance Of the
instructor. but every time he would take
away his hand she would imagine she was
going to fall. and, naturally. would do 20.
In her excitement, until one day the In
sfructor played = confidence game o. her