The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-08-07
BREAKING A BIKE.
BY FRANK H. BENSON,

When Horton said he had no trouble
learning to ride bicycle-just got on
and rode right off believed him. Some
people are too prosaically clever to ever
half enjoy life, and Horton belongs to
this class. | do not. When | became
possessed of a brand-new bike" knew
l was going to have trouble, and nerved
myself therefor. / was not mistaken.
l did have trouble.
Horton said he would come over and
help me learn to ride. That's the trouble
with clever people. l knew how Hor-
ton would hel p me to learn to ride. All
clever people adopt the same methods.
He would lead the wheel out into the
smooth road with an air of supreme
mastery, steady it for me to mount,
and, having enticed Inc to d seat on the
treacherous machine, deliver himself in
this wise:
"Now, take good hold of the handles
no, not too tight-they won't get
away-just grasp them lightly but firm
ly; now put both feet on the pedals
steady now-don't be afraid, and-keep
your balance" Then he tips the ma
chine over to an angle of IS degrees,
gives me a start, and away l go. Now
a bicycle that's well trained and knows
it's mounted by man who is its master
would just as likely go at an angle of
IS degrees as any other way-L know
because | have since taken pains to ex-
pertinent. Not so green and stubborn
wheel that conceives it to be its duty
to take the conceit ont of a novice. Such
q machine must be ridden exactly up
right, both feet must sit exactly the
same on the pedals, the handle bars
must be grasped just SO, and thousand
precautions must be taken that would
cause that same wheel to feel insulted a
month later.
That's why my machine don't go the
way my clever instructor had calcu-
lated. Instead it makes one or two mis-
cradle wobbles, turns into the only
rough )iece of road in the vicinity,
shakes itself unccmfortably a couple of
times, and then smashes into the
ground with force entirely unwar-
ranted by the degree of momentum it
has attained while comparatively up
right
Then my friend comes up with look
of panied surprise on his face, as
though I'd been going through all these
maneuvers on purpose TO disregard his
Instructions. He shows me just where
the course | have pursued is diamet-
retically opposed to his directions. Par
ticularly he remarks that | must en-
deavor to keep my equilibrium.
thank him, perhaps facetiously, because
vigorous fall is not calculated to i'm
prove the temper. and remark that II
he had only suggested that before 1t
would have saved all the trouble. Then
he gets offended, and / have to apo!o-
pize. Then we try again.
This time / am tired and disgusted.
NV knowing instructor is perfectly cool,
hut much more disgusted than myself.
He insists that / am about the worst
pupil he has ever seen. Then he dls-
covers that he has an engagement and
must leave. / thank him presumably
FOR helping me with the wheel, really
for going. As he disappears from sight
7 take the wheel back to the house, slam
the door on it viciously, and seek a
nlace where | can rest and reflect.
Maybe | did Horton an injustice, but
that's about the way imagined that he
would help me to learn to ride. told
him didn't think I'd have any trouble;
besides | had almost decided to make
my first trial at night. This moonlight
ride idea of mine was one had thought
Of long before / purchased the wheel.
love the moonlight. To me it seems