The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-07-29
FOR THE CYcLERs.
An Authority Offers Few Matters Of
Much Consequence to wheelmen.

a WQ66l lOT SOLuS LILLE, ~ puU1lSuilS
series of interesting articles on bicycling
in his paper, the Christian Advocate,
from which we quote as follows:
~ believe the bicycle used in modera-
ton is an excellent means of exercise,
that on level ground it is beneficial to
persons troubled with weakness of the
heart, provided it be taken in these cases
with great caution. furnishing gentle
stimulus. / do not believe that for the
we'll, if in practice, there is danger in a
days ride, or in tour in which the
rider travels fifty or sixty miles day, if
there be no conscious strain or struggling
for speed.
ssThe sick should take counsel of an ir-
telligent physician before beginning 10
ride. Any one who is aware that he has
constitutional tendency to any particu-
lar disease, or chronic ailment, or a
weakness in any part of his body, should
be particular upon this point. 1t is well
to secure the judgment of discreet
physician, one who understands the
wheel practically but is not a fanatical
devotee Of it.
'sThe hygiene of the bicycle may be
considered comprehensively with respect
to its use by the well and the sick.
Those who are in good health need only
to sit erect, otherwise they may make
themselves i'll by contraction of the
chest, of which I have seen terrible cases
both in men and women, though women
usually sit erect. If one must bend or
prefers to do so, let it be at the hips, the
incline being uniform. One Of my
neighbors, an enthusiastic wheelman, by
bicycling transformed himself from
well man into victim of hemorrhages
of the lungs. Though he had tried for
years to induce me to take to the wheel,
the first thing learned when inquiring
why he was not in his usual haunts was
that he had been ordered away because
he was a consumptive. When he re-
turned l said to him, What is the matter
with your Too much bicycling was
the answer.
ssMost of the evils that are charged to
the bicycle have BEEN brought about by
the most absurd O. ucf. Such are the
injuries wrought upon young children
who are trying to endure as much as
those who have used the wheel for years,
or of sedentary persons who have ridden
forty or fifty miles at time, under the
influence of competition. No one who
loves either health or pleasure should at
tempt to regulate his speed or endurance
by that of another. The person who
can ride very fast can ride more slowly
without injury, A person who cannot
ride fast without injury cannot increase
his speed without danger. Hence long
trips arranged by enthusiasts are to be
avoided by those who are not in constant
practice.
ssIt is my belief that persons who have
no brakes upon their wheels, who are
not professional riders, or SO constantly
in practice as to insure the skill and CON
fidence which professional riders possess,
take their lives in their hands when rid
ing in hilly countries, even though they
are competent to use their feet effectively
to diminish the speed of a machine
None of them can foresee at what
moment the least and most familiar
movement may be essential to safety"
AS to coasting, the doctor remarks:
.sOneof the best women instructors in the
country says, I coasted the first year l
took to wheeling; that was nearly ten
years ago. l have not coasted since, and
there is not money enough in this city to
make me ride down hill with my feet
off the pedals. / came down one that l
shall never forget. When / got on the
turn | was going SO fast that could not
catch my pedals, SO | was thrown
straight in the air over the handle-bars.
Six years ago l selected seven famous
coasters whom | had seen fly down the
hills at the rate of fifty or sixty miles an
hour, to see what would become OF
them. Three of them have had very
serious accidents, and one of the others
very narrow escape; the remaining
three have escaped so far as / know.
would not, however, go SO far as to say
that no bicyler should coast, and will
treat this in another letter.
can instructor can inspire the pupil
with confidence; he can make it possible
for him to move through the air without
falling; he can explain to him the princi-
pies on which the wheel moves, and by
which it is guided; he can fill him with
accounts of the defeats and victories Of
other beginners, and illustrate his re-
marks by pointing out those whom he
has taught who glide past the novice on