The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-21
MOTOR CYCLING FOR
 WOMEN OF NERVE.

While numerous women in England and Germany have taken up motor cy- cling for outdoor exercise and recre- Indeed, when 1t comes to physical sports requiring constant watchful- ness and mechanical skill, likewise a cool head and steady nerves American women are behind their sisters in England. The feminine sex of this side of the water seem indifferent about learning to run the motor cycle, which is the mechanically propelled bicycle. At the same time in Ger many, considered behind America in all new woman" movements, motor cycling has become sufficiently com mon among women to have a special knickerbocker custom devised for it.
 There Is absolutely only one reason why women should not enjoy equally with man the exhilaration of being propelled along without pedaling upon a cycle at the rate of twenty miles an hour, and this is her long skirt. If they were to get caught in the rapidly whirling machinery it might mean death to her, as the machinery keeps grinding on even after the rider has been thrown until the power IS shut off by touching the hand lever. consequently there must be no interfer- Ing SklTJS when 6 WOIlhh bAS motor cycle. The German feminine motor cycle costume does away with skirts altogether and substitutes bloomers.
 The management of the motor cycle is not difficult. The power comes from the same gasoline explosion ar engagement that makes the automobile go. The woman must sit evenly pal anced and keep her head on, having learned carefully how to regulate the speed of the cycle and how to stop 1t.
 One American woman expert motor cyclist is Mrs. Jennie Morill Robinson. She was always fond of bicycling, so attached to it, indeed, that when she was married she and her husband went honeymooning on tandem motor cy- cIe. At first Mrs. Robinson rode a tandem motor cycle behind her hus- band, but she did not especially like this and at length had cycle built expressly for herself. She wisely De- gan by making herself familiar with it's mechanism. She knows all parts of the machine and put them together in perfect order.
 bilaratton like that felt when she Is whizzing along the country highways. H r machine, of course, Is built with the diamond frame, like a mans. She wears a short divided skirt She de- clareS she Is much less IatlBued a1ter sixty mile motor cycle ride than after an automobile Journey occupying the same length of time. Not long ago she went a distance of tifty-two miles in a little over two hours and half just flew over the ground. She is the only woman member of the Waltham Motor Cycling Club. When the club goes for an outing she goes along with her husband, and their runs are often ov-r a hundred miles in day. This is achieved without much fatigue.
 It is a thousand pities that bicycling ever went out of fashion, for 1t did more to get women outdoors and make them strong muscled and steady nerved than any other recreation ever invent ed. So far as actual physical exertion is concerned motor cycling Is easier than bicycling and the rider is able to cover nearly twice the distance that ran be made with the bicycle. To go and call on a friend who lives fifty miles away and return the same day would be no great feat with the motor cycle. The fact that Mrs. Robinson Is suchSa fearless and successful operator ot this machine proves that other wo- men can be the same. English women are rather partial to the motor tricycle.,