The record-union., 1896-04-05
For Riders of the Wheel.

~
For Riders of the Wheel.
Said the theater girl: Il will wear small
hat
Whenever 1 go to the play
Said the theater man: Between all OF
the acts
In my seat will quietly stay,
Said the masculine star: ''IH let some
one else take
My place in front of the stage"
Said the feminine star: II will play only
That do not conflict with my age"
The chorus girl said: I'm give some of
my time
To music instead of my gown
Said the comedy man: IN endeavor to
An actor instead of a clown"
Said the playwright: ''Tll write them
sure enough play
Without barnyard, buzzsaw or wheels"
Said the public; "Wen give full house
Just to see how the company feels"
/ heard in my dream all these beautiful
And when will it happen?' said 1.
Said the bicycle maiden who blooms in
the spring:
They'll occur in the sweet by and by"
Washington Capital.
Speaking of champions, a few words
may not be amiSS on the manner in
which riders are wont to train for the
championship honors, says Eddie Bald.
, There are SO many theories of training
held by riders who seem to get out of
themselves the best that is in them that
it is probable no arbitrary rules for
training may be laid down for all riders
to follow, even allowing the usual ex-
ceptions. What is one mans meat may
be another mans poison, and a system
of training that might be required to
put one rider in condition would send
another one to an early grave.
For myself I do not believe in con-
t1nuous training when not actually pre-
pairing for competition on the track.
There are riders who claim to find it
necessary to train the whole year
round, though they are actually COM
peting or riding for records only about
half that time. Such rigorous course
would be the death of others, at least
as far as successful work on the track
is concerned. An overtrained condi-
ton is worse, if anything, than an un-
dertrained one.
For myself do but very little work
in the winter, riding enough simply to
keep my muscles from getting soft and
my wind in good shape. A little light
work with the dumbbells and chest
weights to keep me timber and what
riding I feel inclined to do / find en-
tirely sufficient. The training for sea-
sons work on the track / begin about
two months before the time when /
wish to be at my best, and this brings
UP the question of the best climate to
train in.
Sir B. w. Richardson, the eminent
English physician, is one OF those cheer
full doctors whose opinions on things
in general are usually agreeable because
he does not make people believe that
whatever they do Is more likely than
not to be attended with fatal results.
Cycling, for instance, he considers a
capital thing 1t is good for the gouty,
good for the dismal and dyspeptie
There are only a few things to be guard
ed against, and chief of these Is not TO
over-cycle. People who cycle are apt
to feel like Browning's hero. that they
must ride ride, forever ride They
do not wish to ride forever because
they are romantic, but because cycling
gives them what children call tine
fidgets." Their muscles become all or
a twitch A doctor can count Sixty
twitchings to the minute. rms is a
very uncomfortable state of anairs
Sir benjamin dlSO PO2iAso 49, NAA~
strain which people feel in cycling
through crowded streets To cycle in
town DESTROYS the benefit that nervous
rerson would obtain from the exer-
else. because, instead Of calming the
mind. as a ride along an open country
road would do, it keeps both mind and
eyes constantly at a tension
The important inventions which
Americans have given to the bicycle
srt very few. It was Frenchman, or
rather. two Frenchmen-the Michaux
trothers-who invented the principle of
the pedals, which made possible the
wonderful ground gaining ability OF the
modern safety. A statue commemorat-
ing this invention was last year erected
I'm France. An Irishman invented the
first serviceable pneumatic tire, and
many have initiated his work, and, IN
some respects improved on 1t. The
pneumatic tire was not less productive
of speed than the Miehaux invention.
America. however, can lay claim to the
introduction of the wood rim, which
was first used by an American manu-
facturer of wheels. He thought he had
a fortune in it, but the rim itself was
ncn-patentable. The wood rim In one
season drove out the steel rim, and now
any machine with 3 steel rim Is back
number.
So vast has the army OF wheelmen
grown that everybody Is after their
trade On lower Broadway, near Hous-
ton street, the eyes Of pedestrians are
attracted by sign on tall building
announcing the fact that it is occupied
by "Messrs. manufacturers of
bicycle clothing exclusively" The pres
ence of .'Wheelmens Retreats, "Cy-
clists' Rests" Bicycle INNS" The
Pedal" THE Safety" REST for the
Tired" ETC., is AN old story. recent
issue of the New York Journal" con-
tained, under the head Of Wanted,
Male Help" thirty calls for competent
bicycle adjusters.'
The Prince of Wales recently met with
Q severe accident while out riding on
his tricycle. near Sandringham- The
Prince was riding up rather steep hill
and pulling somewhat heavily on his
handle-bar with the result that the tri-
cycle capsized backward. throwing hin,
70 the ground. Sir Francis Knollys waa