The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-30

Too often the beautiful bike is stiff and
stubborn, and the dirty old-looking jig
ger runs sweetly for all its apparent
filthiness. We do not advocate using
dirty machines, but after it is the go
not the look of the thing that is a true
test of wheel when you come to use
it, and the look rather than the go
takes precedence when you come to
sell it. Hence some wise men, despis-
ing appearance, vaseline the nickel and
never clean it, and then the dirt of
many days all comes away at once.
leaving the plate choice and salable.
How about that Schley avenue path?
Surveyor Boyd has reported favorably
on it. The people want it. Now is
the best time to build it, before the
ground hardens, hence it will be more
oheaply built now. But the matter
lies untouched in the files of the Board
of Supervisors. The board awaits
some one to call it up.
The question Of proper ankle motion
is worthy of more attention than it re-
ceives from the average rider, notwith-
standing the publicity given to it and
all lectures read, we doubt if there will
be many who will see and correct their
ways. Meet a hundred wheelmen and
you will find very few riders with
proper ankle action. The fiat position
seems to be the almost universal rule.
Now, why is this? Is it to be contribut-
ed to ignorance or simply to careless
ness-either the riders give no thought
to the matter or they were not taught
when taking up the sport that this is a
matter of any great Importance, and
yet it is. Certainly no one who has ever
experienced the added power and speed
yielded by proper ankling would be SO
foolish as to lapse into the old style,
and this fact cannot be too strongly
impressed upon the tyro no less than
upon the old rider who has fallen into
bad habits. We will admit that it re-
quires a good bit of perseverance to
cultivate and rightly adhere to the an
kle motion, but it soon becomes second
nature, and once acquired, it more than
repays one the effort.
Western Sports: A great many rid
ers place their feet improperly on the
pedals, indicating lack of proper in
has been told them; or, worse still, af-
ter any reasonable experience on the
road, it shows lack of observation of
better and more effective methods used
by others. Sad as it is to say it, many
riders are met, most of whom are wo-
men, with the hollow of the foot rest
ing on the pedal. OF course, they are
progressing slowly, and almost pain
fully, for the hollow of the foot is not
built to sustain weight and no hard or
continuous pressure can be exerted by
it without danger of injury, to say
nothing Of the discomforts that attend
such effort 1t is almost inconceivable
that such method of riding should be
persisted in, but it frequently is for
considerable period before the rider dis
covers that he or she is doing anything
wrong. When the hollow of the foot is
placed upon the pedal, it is naturally
held in a straight position; but when
the ball of the foot is used, as it should
be, it frequently happens that the rider
either toes in or out, and very bad
position is assumed. Occasionally
rider toes in so badly as to strike his
toe against the crank, or toes out so
far that his ankle bone strikes the end
of the crank where it is attached to the
axle Both these faults should be
avoided and ones method of pedaling
watched with a view of making it as
graceful and effective as possible.
New York Tribune: The dream of
old-time cyclists is coming true. For
years they have looked forward to the
day when their good-roads movement
would get the recognition for which
they hoped. The last few days have
been full of realization of their idea,
for almost every Governor inaugurated