Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24
FOR WOMEN CYCLISTS

| She says:
The Punishment of the boomers from
| the boulevards puts an errectual stop TO the
woman who would do stunts for the bene-
| fit of the curb birds. A horse woman might
| just as well try to ride bareback standing
| up In regulation riding habit as for the
| wheelwoman to perform tricks In the or
binary skirt that IS In style today Not
only is h almost physically impossible 20
attempt fancy riding In skirts. but Il is eN-
| tremely dangerous well. The folds are
bound to become tangled in the gearing.
ana fails, with serious consequences are
| the inevitable result. There are so many
pretty little tricks too. II only the boomers
would return. Take vaulting into the sad
| Ole. for instance. Ii is much more effective
ana graceful than the ordinary method of
backing In, as If the rider We're afraid she
| would Ind tack in her saddle. II wouldn't
be effective IN skirt. though: il would
only be pitifully startling.
| Dlsmounting as a man does by throwing
ms right leg or left leg over the saddle is
another trick which is a great Improvement
over the common way. This can be done
even In a skirt, providing the rider is espe-
ciaily agile AID no one g around. The
| woman VINO tries IL should not as the
| natural tendency is, slow up too much
when about 10 iismount as her wheel
having lost Its momentum, IL likely to fall
| upon her She should remember too TO
incline her wheel slightly toward the side
| she is TO throw her leg. or otherwise her
pike viii fall from her and pull her down
on top OF IL. This is a trick that should be
practiced by every woman. IL is useful
| 10 know In case of quick dismount from
the back of the wheel
" Standing still is both pretty and MO-
fui, and can be done I'm skirts To do a.
| correctly reduce your speed until barely
moving. then quickly turn the front wheel
. nan way around, so that it is at right an
! giles with the rear wheel. Place the feet
on either side the forks and maintain your
balance by gently turning the wheel as
you would do If trying TO balance yourself
on barrel
Wheeling with one leg perfectly stir and
| working like piston rod is an easy ac-
| complishment, and is one of the first things
| woman tries TO do. This, too, is useful.
because Of the complete mastery 1t gives
you over the wheel You can stop 1t in a
second IL you have the piston-rod stunt at
your disposal
! Before riding without hands the novice
| should learn to guide her wheel with her
| knees, which she can do only by practice
| and by lifting her hands gently an inch at
! a time from the handle bars. Practice is,
| after all. the only necessary thing for the
! would-be trick rider and by getting on the
| wheel night and morning daily all summer
| You VIII become trick rider in spite of
| yourself"
In speaking of the care of wheels, espe-
| cially for girls who to be at the sea-
| shore this summer, a wheelwoman of much
| experience says: II should advise them 10
| paint their wheels If they are going 10 use
them in the salt air. They will not look as
We'll painted. but they will be protected eff
| 1ectually against rust, and in salt air the
! best nickel plating is futile. The salt gets
| at the steel in spite of the plating. paint
| cd wheel is easy TO clean, too. 1t can be
| washed with hose just like a carriage
| "A good many girls viii say that 1t is a
| pity to cover up the beautiful nickel with a
| lot OF nasty paint and they will refuse.
| The next best thing to paint is VaseIine
| If the wheel is well rubbed with vaseline II
| will be protected pretty WE'LL but the yasel-
Inc gathers unto itself a wonderful amount
| OF dust. and n axes VIII, ell grimy. sun IL
| is great deal better for the health of the
wheel than no coating at all In this re-
| spect wheel Is like gun-grease keeps 1t
! in good condition.
AS gritty chain is worn away IL length
| ems. The only way to tighten il is to pun
| the wheels further apart. This is had in
| two ways. 1t strains the bicycle frame and
| SO weakens it, and il misfits the chain on
the sprockeis SO that it rides on the teeth,
and there is too much friction. consequent
| ly waste of driving power Therefore the
machine al d its rider will wear out quick
| er."
! Does the use of a bicycle make a woman
| pigeon toed? is the question asked by a
New York newspaper. The paper has n
| long article on the subject, and says in
part: Whether the comfort and ease incl
dent to the loose-fitting cycling costume is
calcuiatec to contribute the air of insouci-
aIice ana lndepende nee may be debatable,
out the fact remains that both grace and
dignity are sacrificed by wearing the cos
tune when on the wheel Taking a posi-
uon at the entrance of large drug store
that seems a pleasant resort for thirsty
wheelers. it was asoertained by actual
count that three out of every five of the
women dismcrnting walked with a sloven-
ly, slouchy gait, with toes turned in at an
angle that would give ballet master hys-
tericS. These observations wera interest
ing and trip to Claremont was made for
further investigation. The opinion was
confirmed, with the additional evidence
mat bicycling has a tendency also to de-
stroy all beauty of the ankle
Under the strain of bicycle pedalinp the
ankle increases in girth. the bones become
enlarged and it loses the symmetry that
mas ever beer reckoned one of woman's
greatest charms. Questioning a number OF
devoted disciples of the wheel. il was also
ascertained that the foot becomes perceptf-
bly, broader after indulging in lengthy
rides Three months OF cycling will neces-
state ar increase of one size a least above
the size OF shoe previously worn. Actresses
generally counterfeit these tendencies
though scarcely realizing it, from the fact
That in their profession, while rehearsny
or acting a part. the walk and manner must
be carefully studied. The result is striking
~ noticeable, and the actress-cyclist is cas-
wheel
1t may be also noted that they wear the
pest and most comfortable footgear Re-
garding this important item in the woman
CYCLISTS makeup" the individual is gen.
eral'y her own best guide. but she will find
a soft, pliahle shoe. of the styl.. known as
h1gh cut and which fits snugIy around
the ankle the best to preserve the dainty
outline.
VIII the wheel be responsible for n race
OF degenerates? Will its destinations faith
er generation of monstrosities with the
bicycle fsce the bicycle voice, the bicycle
eyes. the bicycle head and the bicycle FOOT
In fact, will King Bike" prove the new
Adam of the folk lore of ages to come?
Latest news from Paris says that women
are Still wearing the same extraordinary
costumes in which they appeared last sea-
SON. Snort boomers, a fancy waist with
lace Jabots, hat most gaily and fantas-
ucally trimmed with ribbons feathers and
MOWERS. and low shoes make a costume
often seen-so often as to cause no re-
marks. Yet we are charged with copvine
Partisan fashions, An American girl who
was visiting i'm Paris accepted an invita-
uon TO wheel When the men of the party
appeared In their short knee breeches and
low shoes she was somewhat staggered
nut when she was told that she would be
conspicuous in skirt she concluded she
was behind the times
1t was not long ago that all that was