The Portland daily press., 1896-05-23
POINTS FOR BICYCLIsTs.

POINTS EOK BIC1CLlSIS.
Things Which Riders of the Wheel
Should Remember.
Valuable Suggestions and Advice to Riders
Some Prominent Men kWho Ride the
Wheel.
The matter of proper breathing while
bicycle riding is emphasized by the NE"
York Times: The easier a person
breathes the easier he may ride, pue w
ease of breathing should be understoou
long. regular respirations, avoiding any
te..dency to short, quick breaths. noSe
troubled with nasal disorders are oi'eh
compelled to breathe through the mouth
and when riding at good rate rapid OK
balation il almost unavoidable. ihls
manner of breathing is always injurious
and is more than apt to lead TO nearO ..
lung trouble. The mere raplai1y vi
movement is not in itself sufflcient 20
bring about this "shortness OF breath,
ga it is familiarly known, but must De
accompanied by intense muscular effort
in order to produce it, and may therefore
he attributed to general muscular Ia
tigue. When rider begins to 1eel a
weakness of this kind he should at once
reduce his pace, or dismount and rest
making at the same time practice OF
breathing through the nose, with $40"
exhalations through the mouth. Precau-
tions of this kind add very much to tne
pleasure and enjoyment of wheeling, ana
greatly multiply the benefits that are
b be derived from the exercise.
According to the opinions OF numerous
wheelmen, says a contributor to tine new
York Evening Post, an easy riding car
riage cannot be obtained by having the
handle bars on almost level with the
upper brace or top tube. The handle
grips should be so elevated as to be parai'
lei with ths seat, and the seat 80 adj
iusted as to permit the heel of the shoe
worn by the rider to rest lightly upon
the pedal when the leg is fully extended.
In the correct position the cycist should
at any moment be able to take his hands
off the handle grips and not alter his
rosition in the slightest. 1t gives him
perfect mastery over his wheel in case Of
danger. In the racing style there is hard
" muscle above the waist that is n OF
thrown out of its proper place. INC
shoulders are forced back until they al
most meet, while the neck and lungs are
misplaced, thus preventing proper breath
ing and action. 1t also slowly but sure
IL works physical deforInity in the car
rage of the rider when of wheel.
Mr.. Roosevelt, at one time minister tt
Holland, who learned to ride whee
after his Goth birthday, thinks he has
solved the rapid transit problem in New
York. "My idea is" he recently said tt
Sun reporter, Esto bnild covered
elevated bicycle path from the Fifty-nintl
street entrance to Central Park dowl
Broadway to Bowling Green. Thi
would have many advantages. In tn
first place it would accommodate TIL
raveling public at present. Fifty-n init
street is accessible from both the Eas
aud West sides, and is a central location
People from the west side could COM
down on the Columbus avenue elevated
road, on the cable, Boulevard, Amster
dam avenue, and Central Park West cars
and be set q ,wn within three or fou
blocks at tbs furthest from the entranc
to the Park. On the east side the Thir
avenue elevated and cable cars are equal
II as convenient, with their cross-towl
lines. If the city builds this track
should be free, and place should b
provided at the uptown end Of 1T wher
wheels can be stored, and this could b
done at a cost Of two cents day for eao
wheel, which would also provide men
care for them. 1t is astonishing how
little room is necessary for storing
great number of wheels. Two hundre
and fifty can easily be put in two rows
ons above the other. in space three fee
wide by 60 feet long. The first obstrut
ton In the way of the bicycle path wonl
be where the elevated road crosses Broad
way at Fifty third and Thirty fourth
streets, but th&t is easily sufmountec
Merely go over it. This would give tw
hills in the bicycle track, and ever
wheelman and wheeiwoman likes an OF
casional hill to pull up. or course thl
road must be covered.
There seems to be difference of opir
ion upon the proper initiation of TIRE
some claiming that on hard. level roa
the tire should he as tight as possible
while on a choppy maoadaln highway
should be slightly moderated, but not S
much so as to make it liable to he Gu
into by the pressure Of the rims upon !,
while Others believe in having it full
inflated at all times. An inflated I'll
should never be exposed for any lengt
of time when not in use to the rays {
the sun on hot day, nor should it
left standing in a warm room durln
cold weather.
Harry G. Dean, of New York, accort
ing to the Sun, is another man who b
lieves he has found the puactureless tlr'
ono which is even more resilient than I'll
plain rubber tie The invention oonsls
of band of steel plates riveted togethel
The plates are of about the thiokne.
of heavy MANILA paper and are made
the steel used IN clock springs. They al