The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
FIRST RIDE OF THE YEAR.
CYCLISTS COMPLAINTS litter THE
OPENING OF THE SEASON.

-u rrci. 20 Have 80 First Ride Muscle" w.
Act Prudcntiy. and Soreness ana Lance
ness can Always De ANoided-rhe Proper
saddle for women to Usc-About Toe CLIPS.
81. the bicycle season opcn7' asked the
skentic.
~ don't believe IT," commended the Skept'c.
walk up the Boulevard any clear Sunday
,ternoon, taking care TO turn into Riverside
Driye at l0Sth street, and SEQ for-yourself,"
challenged the Enthusiast
,Oh, know I'll see thousands Of men aud
ronen aud children and things on wheels,'
srowled tue Skeptic, but they are riders who
pse their wheels all the year round, H. sum
mer and winter, in rain, hail, slect, snow,
and slush. That's ~no-proof that the season IL
really open"
II can convince you that It Is not only open
hut full blown" insisted tho Enthusiast ami
ably.
How" Kissed the Skeptio.
by taking q ride with you downtown in
the cable car next Monday morniuR, II Sun
day Is a fine day" nswered the Enthusiast,
and calling your attention to the people who
get on and on and 70 those walking along on
the p]avements. You will see that the conduo-
tor has to wait longer than usual to let the
peo ole on aud of, and that the passengers have
a.care when they sit down. You will notice
that the man, young and old, do not make q
dash to get on and of after tile usual manner
Of mau, but that they wait until the car comes
10 full SOP. Again, you will observe that the
PEDESTRIANS do not aurry along with that brisk.
ness characteristic Of New York men and wo-
men, but that they put one foot before the
other with q hesitating and uneasy step. There
Is proof OF the seasons opening for you," he
ended triumphantiy.
II don't understand" snarled the Skaptic.
u saw all that for myself last Monday and
the Monday before, but l thought the people
had that tired feeling that comes when spring,
gen. lie spring, chases scowling winter or the
earth"
That's where you were way Of" chortled
the Enthusiast in glee. ''Those people all had
cases OF 'irst-ride muscle They proba -ly
hadn't been on their wheels since last fall and
had taken their first ride on Sunday. That's the
way you can really tell when the season does
open. by the number of people you see with this
disease. l know Just bow II feels, 100. I'm over
my case now, though. You feel as II your shoul-
dsrs had been played on with q batterinG RAM,
and every time you 20 to take n step you are
convinced that some power Is hosting the
muscles of-your thighs In a contrary direction.
That isn't all. You SIT down and f.,rget entire
~ that you have IA case of first ride muscle
When all OF q sudden you raise your arm and
the muscles In your wrist begin to play tag
with those in you: shoulders, and before YOU
can give that a pat and u rub, the muscles in
the calf OF your leg feel like u hunk of molasse.
yet it white. Then the muscles adjacent to the
spinal column have the sensation of being
every time you sit down or get up. And tho
half hasn't been told yet. 1t would take pages
Hr.t.rlde muscle but that's neither here
nor there. We were discussing whether the
s SsS1o .y.s season sns d Is Oh. See pso or NOT SSa ,. , a isss si yGu
day going through those strange gyrations
had Just had his hrst ride OF the season the
Then give: give up" an, ~sTsd the sksDtic With
And the Enthusiast was right. There is
proof Of the seasons opening on every hand
another thing. "EIrst-riie muscle" as lie calls
It, is epidemic among wheelmen and Theelwo'
Little seifccontroi. a liz lie prudence exercised
on a first ride is a surs preventive against
soreness and iamenrss that in the majority =, Of
is one of the serious dangers, or perhaps incon-
veniences is better, OF the first ride OF the sea
The first run should be q short one on . city
route. Only hardened riders. who have kept
long tour over-country roads. The muscles OF
the average rider are too render to stand the
man,slouid go over i've miles on her first ride.
Let her Incl ease the distance gradually. say
week she will ind that she can make a run
of thirty.miles without feeling anything more
lNdn u nraIlNy fatigue. More tnan tEAs, slo
vii not have suffered ten minutes from lame.
Less or soreness. provided always that her
ever, make no exception in the matter OF first
rides, and on every side one hears them saying:
What do you think; rode twenty-tive
wheel since October" or Il covered thirty
miles and l hadn't Teen on sins Christnias,"
than sense was actually heard Dragging in this
way: Would you all believe II, / rode TWEEN
y miles Sunday, and | hadn't been on the
bicycl. since 1 had peritonitIr, last fall"
Women who allow their enthusiasm to run
riot with their common sense Ia this way are
icGlhAfdy., They are liable to iniure them.
selves so that they will have to give u. wheel.
impruIence is months making Itself felt. il
bottles itself up, accommodating force, and all
OF a sudden crops out In q weak pack, diseased
heart, or oftener sim In DISPLACED o. gans.
Long runs at this time OF the year are not
pleasant, anyway, except on asphalt roads.
sell from the winters mud until May, and tLose
who must 60 on long iaunts will find 1t FAR more
agreeable To- take them ever bouievards.
The w~heeiwom'n are making extensive prep
arattons for an active season. They are plan
ming =Xpe' itions TO interesting points through
out the surrounding coun.ry. They received a
2ood chance 10 talk II a.! over last week during
Of the week away, but on the fourth day April
Den 10 nop': she threatened them with u
and The more vcntuTes"ms OF the enthusiasts
Kot In a good many miles. 1t was well they
did, for about dark the clouds that had been
gathering all day seemed as il by concerted &C.
ZION to iali apart, a&d an alI-nlght snckdoluger
came down. IL continued all day Friday and
then iAe wheeIwO!pen began TO kick.
There was n time when women loved a rainy
day. IL gave a chance TO them To answer their
letters or to PICK up and finish some niece OF
fancy work, or 10 have long talks with their very
best friends. That time, however, has passed.
Now women hate rsiny DAYS, unless the dust Is
so thick that you can Chup II with u meat axe.
Then IL makes riding disaHreeable. But tn
rain falls alike on vince. women and those who
are net wheelwOnen. and IL certainly ca me
down IN torrents on Friday. The women took
refuge In :alk.
A crowd in an academy on the Boulevard
felt even repaid for missing the fun OF their
usual run. Why2 Because Ghey got a man TO
talk 20 them. Not an ordinary, everyday
mortal man, but a man belonging TO one OF
the best known bicycle factories in this coun-
try. The dear girls were all there. Those who
wheel to pull of flesh and those who, wher, 10
out IL on stood arm in arm. Back OF them
were tho girls y hn 20 for speed, and those who
peda! 10" distance. Still further down the line
were the Jolly short-skirted sisters, who bike
for fun. pure and simple And tho women who
wheel LecauSe every body else does were therc,
too: plenty OF 'em. They all talked at once.
the subie.t Vaa that ayar I'D aver nag nua-