Show CYCLING FOR WOMEN A HEALTHFUL recreation WHEN moderately ENJOYED it strengthens the ho lungs cures aie the spirits tsA A word lor for the tl vetra houskeeper learning to ride copyright IM 1893 by american press association there las been much discussion on the healthfulness and unhealthful nes ol 01 bicycling for women carried to excess it doubtless proves injurious as does immoderate mod erato indulgence in any sort of bodily exercise too violent and ions iong continued continue effort such as steep hill climbing or runs runo of undue length and speed increases the tha action of the heart to such au extent as ai to bo be dangerous anil and it is claimed may even causo cause certain throat threat difficulties by inducing rapid breathing through the mouth however these same mine results aro arc quite as likely to bo be produced by 03 overexertion in tennis swimming or any other active amusement on tho the other hand many doctors recommend the moderate use of the bicycle to persons having delicate do licato lungs nervous s dys pep sia melancholia which is often another name for it or a rheumatic tendency fortunately women have not adopted the stooping stylo style of riding which is one of the main counts against bicycling in opposing physicians eyes I 1 As long iong as the tho woman rider sits apri upright abt with her herchett herch chest cst well her shoulders lers thrown back so long will she be a strong st ron argument in favor of the wheel like swimming bic cling brings an entirely new set of muscles into play not solely in the logs legs as many suppose but through tho the whole body the circulation cu lation is ia thereby increased and if a proper position in the saddle is ia maintained the sholun lungs sare are expanded and the digestive powers strengthened this last fact alone should be ample recommendation a of the amusement to american women so many of whom are sufferers from dyspepsia and the tha thousand kindred annoyances that arise f from roin a sedentary sedr life and lack of open ai air r an hour s ride at sunset will do wonders to ward toward counteract count counteracting erac ting the menial ind and physical irritability consequent on a long days sowing sawing or whitin writing and makes tha probability of a quiet nights rest twice as good the habit of wearing tight clothing while riding cannot too strongly stion gly bo be rep reh ended to cramp the muscles of the body at the moment when they are being brought into more or less strong play to crowd together the vital organs when both the heart and lungs are being called upon for extra effort eff ort and need feea perfect freedom of action cannot fail to be barni harmful ful as well as uncomfortable and to give rise to evils which will unjustly bo be considered the fault of the wheel while they are in reality cause caused a by the folly of the rider easy fitting garments and not too many of them should bo be the rule wool should always be worn next nest the elrin ekin as it absorbs 14 1 from the wheel f 1 I L A n BICYCLE the skirt should bo be narrow chough so ro that hat it will run in no danger of blowing back sufficiently far to become entangled in the gearing aud and it should bo be heavy beavy enough not to spread and wave at every gust of wind As to color and st le ie a we comans womans mares own good taste and me modesty desty will ivill teach lier her that the less conspicuous sho she is the better she will arill appear while riding blick black dark blue and just dust colors all look well weil and the blazer suit and shirt waist are suitable for summer wear low shoes should bo be worn to give free movement to tho the muscles muscle of the ar ankles idles and a 1 hat with a brim is needed as protection against the tha sun eun contrary to tho the prevailing notion among bicycling is a an n easy accomplishment to acquire considering in tho the nature of a woin abom aab an s dress it is a bad plan for her to attempt to bicain without a professional teacher the cost of instruction ii not large a lesson half an hour long is given I 1 for CO 50 cents and five lessons are often sufficient A woman less strong and courageous than tho the average will of course require more inore mounting Monn ting and dismounting unassisted are tho the most difficult things to learn and are not tault taught T until tho the pupil has g gained control of the machine when in the saddle the first lebson usually consists in ill being led about tho the hall on the wheel and learning tho use of tho the pedals then come balancing and guiding IN which lich aro are at the start rather tire tiresome sonio processes process but 81 soon comes coines and by the fifth lesson the pupil is generally riding kt straight raight ahead without willi out difficulty and describing figure ba with comparative success it if not with the case of an accustomed rider although a graceful mount requires longer practice the womans comans mount is hi by tho pedal and is 19 more difficult than the ordinary running mount employed by men inen who gain their teat scat by means of a small stop step on the abo left side of alie machine thero is i running g mount aunt which may be used by either sex acs but but it needs practice and I 1 if usually learned at the cost of a few faus falls the first road ride proves to lie be not quite the bimble thing it appeared when rollins rolling over a i smooth floor was the learners only experience of bicycling there are anre wagons horses toot foot passengers anil and rither other 1 bi ui cyclists to be avoided awl and worst of all perhaps bome little LIU bill to bo surmounted in the tha language of one beginner the wheel strikes root at the bottom of tho first slight rise nse in the road it ref refuses aises to budge au an inch and ami topples languidly over this indolent inclination is boo soon overcome by practice however and that not by meana of ghys phys ical strength astren th but ly by a sort of knack acquired unconsciously and gradually it Isa is a great mistake to attempt to force tho wheel up fiill the power will come coma by use alone and overexertion is 13 injurious in ill tho the extreme an all athletic tuan man on his first ride rida will stick ic at tho the foot of a hill that a al willful woman rider of not one fifth 1 his is strength and muscle will not notice at all this circumstance ought to ca cheer 1 every woman who at the beginning is discouraged because she has to walk her machine up hill instead of riding it after mastering ordinary riding hill climbing aud ani coasting and the tha i itter r amusement ought neer tobo to be indulged in unless one has thorough control of the wheel there aro several little feats of fancy riding that are easy to loam leam and pleasant to practice ridin aiding hands bands off is isa a useful accomplishment binco it is often convenient to have tho the hands at liberty and is ia quickly acquired by a person riding a cushion or pneumatic tire first ono one aud then alieu the other hand is removed for a few s seconds at a time and ana the trick of guiding the tha wheel aher 1 by swaying in tho body is learned after a few experiments peri ments riding side saddle and pro e A I 1 ia I 1 inlay 9 PP OPER POSITION polling the machine by one pedal is also alao easy and riding hand in hand at arms arins length of course with another rider all such practice serves to give one confidence and complete ones control of the machine there ere almost a hundred bicycle manufactories manu factories in this country and every year pro produces duces some improvement on the wheels of the ious season the old solid tire is almost universally discarded in favor of the improved pneumatic which runs more rapidly and easily with much less vibration with a modern machine easy lothing and a good roa road 1 a nervous easily casily worried woman can do wonders for k her health of mind and an d body and the sooner she is convinced convince ll 11 of it the better botter Fortu fortunately tho the comans womans wom ans machine can bo be ridden by eit either he K sex ex so f if b but one wheel is to be family 1 let 1 t it t have a drop frame that th at tho the weary housekeeper may enjoy her share of the change cha and exercise occasionally siou sio nally ally after tho the first expense A bicycle costs nothing except for repairs and in ia the hands of a direful rider it will WE 11 take little injury so that the item of expense is ia not a largo large one provided a serviceable machine has been purchased in tho the first place once onca more inore it is hardly possible to ae 1 e too careful about overdoing the first I 1 oad load ride should be short rn and d the hills hilla should betoken betaken bo taken mily easily m ily when the beginner comes canies homo home feeling stiff and corenn sore an immediato immediate hot bath followed by a short nap will remove a great deal of the f fatigue a and lameness sooner or later the time will come when L distress A stress of lier her untiring steed she will skim along unconscious of off effort ort or weariness threading the crowded thorough thoroughfares fares of the town and traversing its parks and boulevards or will wander ivander f far ar afield into the pleasant cout country itry lanes resting in the cool shadow of overhanging trees and drinking from the wayside spring and returning she will brin bring g bade back agte great at clusters of wili wildwood flowers and leaves leave sand and better still the cheerful face and wholesome hunger of a healthy and rational woman PROCTOR |