Evening star., 1897-05-29

Mrs. A. f. Rhinehart.
world by riding so many thousand miles
in one season She Is rather short though
perhaps not any shorter than the average
woman. Her face is full inclined to
smile when In conversation and very pre-
possessing. She has a shapely figure with
broad hips.
One would hardly suppose that a little
over year ago she was an invalid. With
such picture of health and happiness as
she now presents. one can hardly imagine
the reverse. 1t was on account of her ILL
ness that she took to the use OF the wheel.
though somewhat against the orders of her
physician, who thought her too weak for
the violent exercise. as he termed It, 1t
was in September of 1895 that she took to
| the Wheel and, after riding short period,
| she experienced a great change in her con-
| dition She told the doctor that she did
not want any more of his medicines, as the
wheel was medicine enough for her. And.
| indeed it was. She continued to improve
| in health. her strength increased as she
rode. and her appetite developed wonder
| fully. The cost of the wheel was mort
| than overcome by the saving of doctor s
| bills and the cost of medicines, besides
! bringing health and all it's accompanying
happiness.
What has done her good, Mrs Rhinehart
reasons, will do other women good. She
seemed to think that the main cause of
! women not riding more generally was due
| to the fact that it is not near as easy for
| q female to master the use of the wheel
! as 1t is for the male. Many women give up
| in disgust after taking several lessons.
| She had extremely hard trouble in learning,
and the instructor at the academy where
| she took her LESSONS had about given up
| all hopes of ever teaching her to ride.
| Six weeks after she Learned she made her
| first century run, though her real hard
| riding did not begin iHntil last spring
| 1.-The great trouble with the majority of
! women riders" saidb Mrs. Rhinehart, in
talking to Star reporter. sis that they do
| the of the bicycieiis Is the same as regu-
| larity in everything else. Some persons
| will ride wheel one day and then not use
| 1t again for week or so. and, after going
| any distance. wonder why it Is that they
| cannot stand much 'fiding. The secret is
easily explained. They do not ride enough
| to get their muscles In condition. 1 rode
a wheel for certain period every day,
likelkewise. If a,r.fout or fve-mile spin be
| taken every day the rider will be surprised
| at the, change in her condition. She will
then find no trouble or difficulty at all In
| making long runs.
Comfort on the bicycle" continued she
| in an animated manner, SIS everything.
| would sacrifice anything for comfort and
if could not be comfortable while riding
| then would not ride at all. It Is hard to
| imagine how much pleasure can be secured
| from trip when the rider Is dressed COM
| fortably and the bicycle is running smoth-
| ly and properly. Appearances may be one
| thing. and comfort an entirely differen,
| thing, yet l go for the latter, regardless OF
the former. Too many of my sex. however
sacrifice the latter for the former"
II do not think the majority of women
dress properly for bicycling said she
when asked In regard to the matter. "They
are SO tightly laced that they cannot bend
| thew tight Gloves which
| the hands, they wear tight collars and
equally as tight shoes, all of which go fol
appearance. The tightness of the wearing
| apparel prevents the blood from freely cir
culating in the system, and permits the
| rider to get only small portion If, indeed
| any. of the healthy exercise which the
silent steed is bound to afford. I tell YOU
there Is nothing better than to be out or
the road on a good day and feel the blood
tingiing and coursing through the entire
body, stimulated by the pedaling Of the
wheel. To say that it's exhilarating woult
rot aptly describe 1t.
81 am not in favor of the use of bicycle
boots, nor leggings, either, for that matter
The boots lace over the ankles. and while
| don't know how 1t Is with other riders,
find that anything that covers my ankle:
prevents the full ankle motion in pushing
a wheel. Leggings look too cumbersome
and bulky. and are even warmer. in m,
opinion, than bicycle boots. l find that
get greater satisfaction through the use o.
low shoes and golf hose, discarding the lat
ter In warm weather for ribbed cotton
stockings. These are cool, and do not looi
had, and yet do not interfere with my bi
cycle riding. l may perhaps state that
use the ankle motion almost entirely. ant
find that this motion keeps the muscle.
from getting cramped.
'In the matter of skirts 1 would recon
| mend the divided skirt. That does not at
l not ftCn Inn Ac pnYunf fp
BILE. I wear my skirt about midway be
tween the heel and the ankle. possibly {
little higher up than midway. 1t does no
appear to be too high. and is just abou
| right. 1t never gets i'll my way while OF
the wheel. Then. again. the wind affects
very little. 1t does not blow up like I
| skirt, and once on the wheel 1t Is no NOR
trouble than pair Of mans knickerbock
,ers. When or the wheel the divided skir
is so full that the folds come together. ant
one would never guess their character:
have used good many of the divided
they did not give. such good satisfaction
and from the use et so many diReren
makes devised "a pattern of my own
with much successooThe pattern Of a divid
ed skirt Is so different from an ordinar!
skirt and SO complicated even il q dress
maker was furnished, with It she woult
have hard time making the skirt.
''No. am not opposed to the use o
boomers. 1 don't like them. and for tina
reason have never used them. do not ia
vor anything that ,bohiers on the mascu
line, and think That. bloomers do. ThA
10 my only opposition to them. do no
mean to say that would not wear them
If all Of the other women cyclists wor,
boomers I would not hesitate to follow Il
their footsteps, but L; do not intend to b.
among the leaders, j
81 do not like the drop-frame wheel To-
women It is too heavy and too cumber
some. and II as light one as is made Il
used for road riding, the strain on the ma
chine Is something terrible. especially 1
the roads are anything like as rough O
out at my home. l started to use woman,
wheel, but never felt secure on the ma
chine the whole time used 1t. SO I dis
cardsd 1t and got an sighteen-pound man
special, which / have ridden ever since
The diamond frame Is much stronger thai
the drop frame, and Is much lighter.
'Of course with the diamond frame tn
pedal mount has to be made. but thinl
that 1t Is more graceful than the regula
mount on the drop-frame wheel 1t Is eas,
enough TO catch the pedal and throw tn
! lett foot over the saddle. The divided skir
VIII fail into place on its own accord. ther
Deang no trouble about the arranGemen
o. It. With drop frame wheel you se