The Opelousas courier., 1897-12-04

it. 1t IS not a bit harder to have 4 bi
c,Tcie adjusted to lit than to have il
adjusted so that it Docs not fit. and thu
o1herence In appearance Is everything
in most cases the changes necessary tt
alter the position and appearance of .
Idle from bad 10 COED can lie made D5
raising or lowering the handle bars Oh
ne saddle, Or moving the latter d little
forward CT a little back. III ni.le case:
cut OF ten women who look and fee;
a"hAard on wheels do so because tia
seats AID hlndle-bars Of their mncl;ne:
are not properly adjusted.
The accompanying pictures show
some OF the many shades of difference
between the right position. in which 4
woman may ride gracefully ana easiIy'
and the wrong positions. in which sht
IS sure to look awkward and uncom.
Portable. Many o.u may find in
these pictures, too. hints shat will help
them TO correct their styles Of riding
and enable them 10 better enjoy an OK.
ercfse which has been only half pleas.
urable in the past, because they did Il 0
know how to follow t.
1t Is easy to see what is the difficulty
with tie woman SL2vn in ti%ure No. /
what it is that makes Ter lock as if she
were working q sewing machine rather
than riding Il wheel. Her saddle is toe
low. If it were raised to its pToDel
height her knees would not pump uI
and down before her cliin with every
revolution like a pair Of piston RODS.
If it were raised she would have a de
cidedly better appearance. her skirt
would hang better. she would ride more
easily and it would not he hard fol
her to guide her wheel, SIS il certainly
is in tie position IN which she is
shown.
The awkward position shown in fg.
IRE No. 2 IS TIE result OF having this
saddle too far back from the handle
bars, SO that the rider can just reach
the steering apparatus ard no more
and so that she has to push forward
Oh the pedals almost as much as down
in propelling her wheel. The position
which that adjustment Of the machine
gives makes the rider look as if shs
were trying to keep her seat on 4 buck |
ing bronco from which she vas EXPECT. |
ing to be thrown at any instant. II the
saddle were brought forward q little
and raised slightly the position would
be good. The lady would be sitting !
over the pedals. too. rather than behind
them, and would have enough Of he1
weight il the handle bars to guide her |
machine easily and safely.
There IS such & thing. however, as
having the saddle too far forward and
too high, as is shown in figures 3 and
4, which Illustrate positions just the
Of those in the figures explain
ed above. In figure 3 the rider has the
appearance CT climbing d steep hill and
Of working very hard il the ascent,
because her saddle. is too low
and too far forward. Sic has. to push
back On her pedals rather than down
and has not room enough between the
and the pedals to give full swing.
10 her knees. Raising the saddle and
it back q little would give the
a graceful and easy position.
The difficulty shown in figure i is the
opposite Of that i'll figure 1.-The saddle
5 too high. The rider has to tip for
ward IN order to reach the pedals when
hey are at their lowest point in max
ne q revolution. That attitude Is, per-
laps, the most firing that a be as
by a rider on a long journey, as
t throws the entire body out Of posi-
ion. The adjustment would be correct
/ the saddle were lowered SO that the
and handle-hars could be reach
a easily and the lady would find cy-
ling much easier and more pleasurable
nan she can i'll the attitude in which
he is shown.
All that is necessary to make any Of
he changes suggested and to adjust
wheels so that the riders can look and
se comfortable rather than awkward
nd uncomfortable is a monkey-wrench
nd q little common With tioss
learly all the changes that are neces-
airy to put Womea's wheels in proper
ondition a be effected.
A proper position tor q woman on q
is shown in figure ). The rider
mere sits easily and gracefully. and the
york Of propelling her wheel is not halls
he work exerted by any Of the others.
he not only looks vel, but it is a posi-.
ion in which cycling exercise is play
ather than labor, and beneficial rather
han harmful.
Couldn't Tell.