Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-08
HOW 70 RIDE A CENTURY.
The Most Beautiful Athlete Of
Them Alre
Tells How She Rode 100 Miles on
Riverside Drive--From Home to
Grants Tomb - Lillian Russell
Upon Bicycling for Women and
How to Do Long Distance Riding.
Lovely Woman Upon Popular
Sport.

l have taken century run. This,
altogether it is only season or so
since the broad shoulder Of the bicycle
instructor steadied my nervous frame
as we bore down around the cycle path
Of the academy and the instructions TO
'push-keep on pushing" were fresh
in my ears!
l would say first that century run
is not all it is reported to be. And
that, second, any woman who can ride
at all can ride a cehtury-if! The
Wheelwoman who spell their names
with a capital w have always been
aware of these facts, but they did not
tell them, because if! Well, they
would not be such great cracks after
all.
1t is the ambition of every woman to
wheel a century. That is certain.
will you come wheeling, my pretty
maid?"
Can you do a century. sir?" she
said.
NO, l cannot, my pretty maid"
Then stay where you are, for l can"
she said.
It is a rhyme invented for the woman
who wheels her century so easily that
she finds the man who cannot do so
bore.
Well, for the benefit of the woman
who wants to wheel century will
tell how it is done. l diG it in very
simple place Namely, between Grants
tomb en- Riverside Heights, and my
home On Broadway, near Fifty-fifth
Tlr,f do I'm /
did it, anywhere, provided 1t IS level
and you have a good ROAD. &.
/ had often longed TO do my mentury,
but never dared attempt it. One day,
on reaching home, 1 glanced at my
cyclometer and found it TO have regis
tered 10 miles. why" said /, L have
only been up the street a few blocks. -
Yes, that's So" replied an exper-
fenced wheelwOman; and that Is ali
a century is"
Accordingly I trained" for a few
days, riding two or three times a Gay,
until l felt pretty sure 1 would do six
times fifteen without feeling it.
I also read all the cycle notes Of CEN
tury makers. 1 read how a tandem
couple started for Philadelphia from
City Halg New York, and arrived back
the ssm4 day, without any trouble-in
about twelve hu;;1s And then 1 read OF
tbs~feat Of Mrs. Harriet Tnlger, who
did her double century within twenty
four hours. She is no more expert
than l." 1 said to myself in encourage
ment. And az matters turned out 1
was not far from right.
One morning l rose at o'clock with
a determined look on my face and
donned my prettiest bicycle suit. And /
want to say here and now that there
is no such aid to long-distance bicycling
as a pretty bicycle suit. No woman can
enjoy a walk unless she is well dressed,
and do not believe that any woman
can wheel long or well unless she
wears a becoming as we'll as comfort
able suit.
There are those who say you cannot
ride hygienically unless you put on
certain awful wooden undergarments,
personifed! And that you
can't Go yourself justice on wheel
unless YOU are attired in boomers, but
this | do not believe. l hold that the
average woman who wants to ride we'll
and do herself credit on the wheel
must clOthe herself conventionally or
she will never be a success.
As 1 started cut that day / felt