The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-18
WOE FOR THE BICYCLE GIRL.
Riding the wheel Units Her for the
Ball Room.

From the Philadelphia Times.
The bicycle girl has been forced to con-
fess that the wheel is an injury to her.
This has been brought about by the win
ter dancing season, and the way It hap
pened is that the young woman who, dur
ing the summer and fall, has INDUCED in a
daily spin, finds that the dance to her is
no longer what 1t was, and that instead of
having grace in every motion she finds its
very difficlt to develop even the proper
motion. II has long been a subject of dis
cussion as to whether or not the muscles
and all that goes to make up the legs of
a bicycle girl were really permanently af-
fected by the exercise upon the wheel.
Naturally It is fact that every one could
understand that the tendency of wheeling
is to make the muscular portion of the
calf of the leg bulge out in greater degree
than Is noticeable in the Venus de Milo,
but still it was not thought this was any
thing that would affect in any unpleasant
way the walk or the movements of the
bicycle girl. The wheel no doubt makes
the bicycle girls legs stronger, but when
it comes to pirouetting about and tracing
on the ball room floor the mystic figures
so dear to the heart of the debutante and
her seniors, then. alas, the i'll effects of
the wheel are apparent. The young wo-
man who has plghted her affections to
the bike In the season when it was partic-
ularly in evidence suddenly discovers that
while in her mind she is thoroughly famil-
lar with just what she ought to do she is
absolutely incapable of performing proper
action. The muscles of her limbs seem
to have lost their cunning. Instead of be-
ing able to zone, two, three; one, two,
three" as the dancing master would have
it, she finds 1t hard to even zone" and
her partner wonders what on earth is the
matter with the young woman, who, the
year before. danced as IL she were sylph.
The difficulty referred to is particularly
noticeable in the waltz. The bicycle girl
finds it absolutely impossible to execute
the steady glide Awkwardness does not
describe what she feels. She can only
perform a movement that is as eccentric
in its way as it lacks elasticity. The
polka, the schottische and the quadrille
are almost as difficult, although the lat
ter, of course, calls for much less exer-
else of skill in the matter of executing the
steps. Inquiry among the young women
who ride the bicycle shows 1t to be an ac- |
tual fact that exercise on the wheel seems |
to deaden and stiffen the set of muscles |
that come into play in dancing. Just why |
this is so the doctors are unable to ex- |
plain except in a general way that they be- |
come lax and useless through the constant |
exercise of other muscles, and that when |
the old-time muscles again are put in use, |
they are awkward and not inclined to re- |
spond to the call made upon them.
Several of the young women who have |
danced to the delight of thousands at the |
theaters ruefully admit that their affec-
ton for the wheel has caused them no end |
of trouble. why" said one young wo-
man, whose merry eyes have gained for
her an international reputation, II took
up the wheel for exercise, don't you know |
and liked It ever and ever so much, but
what was my surprise after had been
riding a while to find that for some rea-
son or other 1t YVES very much harder for
me to dance than Il had been before. l
couldn't imagine what was the matter.
Finally, l went to see my doctor and
asked him IL there was anything wrong
with my muscles. He looked me all over
carefully and then said the only thing
that was wrong, so far as he could Judge,
was the wheel
81 asked him what In the world he
meant and he said that riding the wheel
ieadened the muscles that used In dane
ng. and that every night, when / had
been riding in the day, l would find that
he muscles for dancing wouldn't act as
( / had not been riding. Walking does
lot affect me that way at all. 1 can walk
nile and miles and feel just as well as
,ver at night so far as the muscles are
concerned. but do you know have Just
lal TO give up the wheel? / have had
0 give It up altogether. much as / hate
o. You see, dancing IS my bread and
utter and as ! find that riding the wheel
urts my dancing, ! simply have got 10
top It, How does the affection make me
eel? Why / have sort Of sense Of
-iddiness In my legs just as II the mus
les that / know are there were taking
vacation, or something OF that sort.
annot make the little kicks and twirls
With my legs that I ought 70 in order TO
make my dance perfect, and so you see 1
ave had to give up the wheel"
That is just about the same way u seems
o most OF the young women the past
eason that this curious affection Of the
ancing muscles Is a matter Of almost ma
Ionai interest Go into the ball room.
rhere the young women OF ordinary So
lety are to be found and watch the move
lents OF the dancers. There will at once
G apparent that lack Of grace and 1.-the
oneness that Is usually characteristics OF
he American girl There Is a dragging
about the feet as " a tendon
ias out Of order, Or something Of that !
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