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BICYCLING FOR LADIES
[Illustration: WHEELING FROM THE PEG--SHOWING INCLINATION OF WHEEL.]
The Common Sense of Bicycling
BICYCLING FOR LADIES
With Hints as to the Art of Wheeling--Advice
to Beginners--Dress--Care of
the Bicycle--Mechanics--Training--Exercise,
etc., etc.
by
MARIA E. WARD
Illustrated
New York:
Brentano’S
Chicago Washington Paris
Copyright, 1896, by
Brentano’s
BICYCLING FOR LADIES
PREFACE
I have found that in bicycling, as in other sports essayed by them,
women and girls bring upon themselves censure from many sources. I have
also found that this censure, though almost invariably deserved, is
called forth not so much by what they do as the way they do it.
It is quite natural to suppose, in attempting an unaccustomed exercise,
that you have to do only what you see done and as others about you are
doing. But to attain success in bicycling, as in other things, it is
necessary to study the means as well as to look to the end to be
attained, and to understand what must not be attempted as well as to
know each step that will be an advance on the road to progress.
A great deal has been said against attempting to study a little of
anything; but when a slight knowledge of several important branches of
science that bear directly upon a subject under consideration, and that
a subject concerning the health and safety of many individuals, will
render one intelligently self-dependent, and able at least to exercise
without endangering one’s own health or the lives of others, the
acquisition of such knowledge should not be neglected.
There are laws of mechanics and of physiology that directly concern the
cyclist; it has been the author’s aim to point out these laws, showing,
for instance, the possible dangers of exercise, and how they may be
avoided by the application to bicycle exercise of simple and well-known
physiological laws, thus enabling the cyclist to resist fatigue and
avoid over-exertion. The needs of the bicyclist are an intelligent
comprehension of the bicycle as a machine, an appreciative knowledge of
the human machine that propels it, and a realization of the fact that
rider and bicycle should form one combined mechanism. For this, a
knowledge of the laws that determine the limits and possibilities of
both mechanisms is necessary. The cyclist is limited, not only by laws
physiological and laws mechanical, which determine when and for how long
he may travel, but he is restricted by the laws and ordinances of
county, town and village as to how and where he may travel. A knowledge
of these laws is also necessary.
While not attempting to treat any of these subjects exhaustively, the
author has endeavored to place them comprehensively before her readers,
hoping to prepare the enthusiast to enjoy all the delights of the sport,
to encourage the timid, and to assist the inexperienced to define and
determine existing limitations. The subject of the care of the bicycle
has been carefully treated, some of the means at hand suggested, and
the necessary tools, and their uses explained. Other topics considered
are how the bicycle is propelled, and why it maintains its balance; what
the cyclist should learn, how correct form may be attained and faults
avoided, and what should be the essential features of the clothing worn.
The author wishes to acknowledge indebtedness to Dr. Legrange, and to
Messrs. D. Appleton & Co. for their permission to quote from “Physiology
of Bodily Exercise.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE.
_CHAPTER I._
POSSIBILITIES 1
_CHAPTER II._
WHAT THE BICYCLE DOES 8
_CHAPTER III._
ON WHEELS IN GENERAL AND BICYCLES IN PARTICULAR 14
_CHAPTER IV._
FOR BEGINNERS 22
_CHAPTER V._
HOW TO MAKE PROGRESS 29
_CHAPTER VI._
HELPING AND TEACHING; WHAT TO LEARN 37
_CHAPTER VII._
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER 47
_CHAPTER VIII._
THE ART OF WHEELING ON A BICYCLE 56
_CHAPTER IX._
POSITION AND POWER 71
_CHAPTER X._
DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME 82
_CHAPTER XI._
DRESS 93
_CHAPTER XII._
WATCH AND CYCLOMETER 100
_CHAPTER XIII._
WOMEN AND TOOLS 112
_CHAPTER XIV._
TOOLS AND HOW TO USE THEM 118
_CHAPTER XV._
SOLVING A PROBLEM 125
_CHAPTER XVI._
WHERE TO KEEP A BICYCLE 138
_CHAPTER XVII._
TIRES 145
_CHAPTER XVIII._
MECHANICS OF BICYCLING 156
_CHAPTER XIX._
ADJUSTMENT 164
_CHAPTER XX._
EXERCISE 170
_CHAPTER XXI._
TRAINING 175
_CHAPTER XXII._
BREATHLESSNESS; THE LIMIT MECHANICAL 189
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. WHEELING FROM THE PEG--SHOWING INCLINATION OF WHEEL _Frontispiece_
2. CORRECT POSITION--LEANING WITH THE WHEEL _Opposite Page_ 22
3. INCORRECT POSITION--LEANING AGAINST THE
INCLINATION „ „ 24
4. PROPER WAY TO STAND A BICYCLE „ „ 30
5. CARRYING THE BICYCLE „ „ 32
6. PICKING UP A BICYCLE „ „ 34
7. LEADING A BICYCLE ABOUT „ „ 38
8. PREPARING TO DISMOUNT „ „ 40
9. DISMOUNTING „ „ 42
10. CORRECT PEDALING „ „ 56
11. FOLLOWING PEDAL „ „ 58
12. LIFTING „ „ 60
13. BACK PEDALING „ „ 62
14. BACK PEDALING--SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF
WEIGHT „ „ 64
15. HILL-CLIMBING--PUSHING CRANK OVER „ „ 66
16. COASTING „ „ 72
17. WHEELING ONE FOOT OVER „ „ 74
18. WHEELING FROM THE PEG--SHOWING DISTRIBUTION
OF WEIGHT „ „ 76
19. PREPARING TO MOUNT--SHOWING INCLINATION „ „ 82
20. INCORRECT MOUNTING POSITION „ „ 84
21. MOUNTING--PREPARATORY POSITION „ „ 86
22. CORRECT MOUNTING POSITION „ „ 88
23. MOUNTING--SECOND POSITION „ „ 90
24. DISMOUNTING OVER THE WHEEL „ „ 92
25. MOUNTING OVER THE WHEEL FROM PEG „ „ 94
26. STARTING A NUT „ „ 112
27. ADJUSTING A WRENCH „ „ 116
28. APPLYING POWER „ „ 118
29. SCREWING UP „ „ 120
30. UNSCREWING „ „ 122
31. PREPARING TO TURN BICYCLE OVER „ „ 126
32. TURNING THE BICYCLE OVER „ „ 128
33. THE BICYCLE TURNED OVER „ „ 130
34. STRAIGHTENING THE HANDLE-BARS „ „ 136
BICYCLING FOR LADIES.
_CHAPTER I._
_Possibilities._
Bicycling is a modern sport, offering infinite variety and opportunity.
As an exercise, at present unparalleled, it accomplishes much with
comparatively little expenditure of effort; as a relaxation, it has many
desirable features; and its limitless possibilities, its future of
usefulness, and the effect of its application to modern economic and
social conditions, present a wide field for speculation.
Bicycling possesses many advantages, and is within the reach of nearly
all. For the athlete and the sportsman, it opens up new worlds; for the
family it solves problems; for the tired and hurried worker, it has many
possibilities. The benefits to be derived from the exercise cannot be
over-estimated and the dangers that result from over-doing are
correspondingly great; for it is easy to over-exert when exhilarated
with exercise and unconscious of fatigue.
It is but recently that the bicycle has become a perfected mechanism,
adaptable to general usage, simple and scientific. The railroad makes
possible direct and rapid communication between widely separated
localities. The usefulness of the bicycle begins where that of the
railroad ceases, for it connects and opens districts of country that the
railroad has not reached; indeed, it is to the bicycle in connection
with the railroads with which the country is gridironed that we must
look to make possible the enjoyment of much that is beautiful and
valuable, but otherwise inaccessible. To the naturalist, the traveller,
and the intelligent observer, cycling offers advantages which are
limited only by time and opportunity.
Bicycling has been adapted to serve many purposes; but it is bicycling
as an athletic exercise and sport, with the bicycle propelled by human
power only, that we shall now consider. The history of the bicycle is
modern. The study of its evolution shows the development of a great
industry, constantly introducing and applying improvements; most
important of these was the pneumatic tire, which made bicycling
universally possible.
Getting under way for even a short cruise awheel has some of the
features familiar to the yachtsman. To the skater, the motion is not
unlike the rapid, swaying movement on the ice, the silence and the rush
of succeeding strokes. To the horseman, the dissimilarity of the two
modes of locomotion, after the settling to work has been accomplished,
is very striking. For the uninitiated and for some others, bicycling
does not possess attractions. The bicycle is a familiar object, not
compelling a second thought. One reason for this is that it is not
really brought to the intelligent notice of the casual passer. The
cyclist, to the stationary observer or the comparatively stationary
pedestrian, is such a fleeting instantaneosity that, unless thrown among
enthusiasts over the sport, few of the unenlightened would be tempted to
try it; for they are as unappreciative of what the wheel means to the
cyclist as is the countryman, who lives near a railway, of the
intricacies of commerce which are indicated by the flying mail.
To the lover of out-door life the bicycle presents a succession of
wonderful possibilities. Much has been written of canoe-trips and of the
charms of cruising among our inland waters; as charming and as
attractive is land travel on the wheel. Bicycling, moreover, combines
the best features of many other sports with advantages peculiar to it,
for instance, the cyclist must work, and there is much pleasure in
watching progress made with so little effort--the work all his own, the
machine but a means of locomotion--enjoying and appreciating all the
beauties of the country traversed, while yet conscious of the power to
hasten away as soon as the surroundings cease to interest or amuse. By
the scientist and the naturalist, no encouragement is needed; the
bicycle at once compels their attention. The lover of horses may fear
that this new mode of locomotion may interfere with his sport--the same
objection that was advanced against the introduction of the steam
engine. But the bicycle does not displace; it is rather a link in the
chain connecting driving and railroading. Bicycling, furthermore, means
good roads, not as a luxury, but as a necessity, for it is impossible
without them. Rough country may be crossed, but the bicycle must be
pushed or carried across it, and this is not practicable for any
considerable distance.
The bicycle, though a simple machine, is a complicated mechanism
simplified. The principle that keeps it from falling is a well-known
one--that of the gyroscope, the only known mechanism that overcomes
gravity.
The bicycle has its limits, determined by the powers of its rider and
the surface ridden over. The motion is unquestionably fascinating after
the control of the machine is acquired; and there is an accompanying
exhilaration that is peculiar to the sport, and always something to
conquer, something to accomplish, besides the direct benefit to be
derived from the exercise.
There is a great variety of methods of bicycling, whether for exercise,
transportation or travel. In travelling, the country all about soon
becomes, as it were, your own domain. Instead of a few squares, you know
several towns; instead of an acquaintance with the country for a few
miles about, you can claim familiarity with two or three counties; an
all-day expedition is reduced to a matter of a couple of hours; and
unless a break-down occurs, you are at all times independent. This
absolute freedom of the cyclist can be known only to the initiated, and
as proficiency is acquired, it becomes a most attractive feature of the
sport.
There is bicycling weather, as there is skating weather, yachting
weather, or weather favorable for any out-door sport or exercise. But it
is easy to wait for bicycling weather, and nothing has to make way for
it. The machine is always ready, and that is all that is needed if a
suitable country is accessible. On the road the bicyclist is rendered
independent of assistance, for everything needful is prepared for him,
and parts and repair supplies can be carried and need but little room.
Only inattention or carelessness should cause delay. Still, proper
preparation is essential to enjoy bicycling at its best, and the
bicyclist should be ready to meet any emergency.
That there is necessarily the element of sociability about cycling is
evident. There are so many stops, and the dusty wheelmen grouped among
their wheels at the roadside have always the bond of a common interest;
from this, transition to individual fads and fancies is easy; there is
constant opportunity for acquiring special knowledge and for using it;
and almost every accomplishment is appreciated in addition to capability
as a bicyclist, and may be utilized in a variety of ways; cheerfulness
is an invariable factor; and there is always novelty and the possibility
of excitement, for it is unusual, on a bicycle trip, that everything
happens as it is expected or has been planned for.
Too much cannot be said of the benefits to be derived from out-door
exercise; and one of the best features of bicycling is that it brings so
many to enjoy out-door life who would otherwise have little of either
fresh air or exercise. Proper oxidation is necessary to perfect health.
The great danger that these would-be bicyclists must face is
unfamiliarity with exercise, either general or special. Persons
accustomed to athletic exercise know how to prepare for and how to
resist fatigue, know what practice means and how proficiency may be
attained. The bicyclist unaccustomed to athletics has all this to learn,
and more; to him, ultimate success means more time given to study and
less time to practice. The novice, however, has the advantage that he
has nothing to unlearn, and can profit by the experience of others.
To accomplish the best results, the human machine must not be
overworked; and to stop work at the right moment is one of the hardest
things to learn, and the most important to success. To learn the
construction of a bicycle, the particular duties of all the parts and
their adjustment, is a matter of memory and observation. To understand
the adjustment of the human machine to mechanical environment requires
cultivated perception and special knowledge. But the human machine is so
independently adaptable, so hard to put out of order, that it may be
cared for by intelligent attention to only a few simple laws. Do not
wait for danger signals: know how to avoid them.
Bicycling opens a delightful future to all who attempt it intelligently.
The inspiration of the enthusiast is invaluable; but it is the practical
theorist who is successful.
A bright, sunny morning, fresh and cool; good roads and a dry
atmosphere; a beautiful country before you, all your own to see and to
enjoy; a properly adjusted wheel awaiting you,--what more delightful
than to mount and speed away, the whirr of the wheels, the soft grit of
the tire, an occasional chain-clank the only sounds added to the chorus
of the morning, as, the pace attained, the road stretches away before
you!
_CHAPTER II._
_What the Bicycle Does._
The bicycle has been evolved--a mechanism, propelled solely by human
power, capable of quadrupling the distance traversable by the
pedestrian.
The simple, light, and almost universally accepted machine is
constructed to stand a strain tremendous in proportion to its weight;
for the modern machine weighs only twenty pounds, and it may be lighter,
though for some purposes it should be heavier. The bicyclist is
virtually mounted on a set of casters, which propels the weight with
much greater ease than can be attained in the act of walking. In
walking, advantage is taken of the force of gravity by continually
falling forward, and simultaneously placing the feet, with a regular
motion, one beyond the other, to alternately receive the weight of the
body. On the bicycle, the weight is carried and supported, and the
wheels reduce friction to a minimum.
The wheel being set in motion, power is applied to overcome inertia, and
speed is increased by multiplying the number of the wheel’s revolutions;
the application of the gyroscope principle assists materially, and the
resistance of gravity is overcome in a degree while the wheels are
rapidly revolving.
To set a bicycle in motion requires the expenditure of considerable
power. A given rate of speed on the level may be maintained by a minimum
expenditure of power. Bodies or masses set in motion maintain their
velocity undiminished unless other forces intervene. The bicycle in
motion is resisted on the level by air pressure and friction, on the
roadway by friction, and by the incidental obstacles of the road. On an
ascending plane, it must overcome the additional resistance of its own
and its rider’s weight, which must be lifted constantly; on a descending
plane, it must oppose a constantly lessening resistance. All this
resistance and lack of resistance means a proportionate stress laid upon
the bicycle, the wheels of which are all the while kept rapidly
revolving, the large wheels moving much faster than the cranks and
pedals.
Each separate part of a bicycle must be made capable of withstanding a
certain wear and strain, and must perform its own particular duties and
work in conjunction with all other parts of the machine. To this end, it
has been studied, perfected, tested; its weight and tensile strength
calculated to a nicety; its finish and adjustment made matters of deep
thought and careful investigation.
Only the best can be made to do in bicycle manufacture; each piece of
metal must be separately tested, and the maximum of strength with the
minimum of weight must be attained. What is known as the safety factor
enters largely into the construction of the modern bicycle; that is,
the machine is made much stronger than is necessary for the strain it is
expected to withstand; this added strength involving of course the added
weight of the material which supplies it. The calculated strength of a
machine is the strength which fits it adequately to perform its work.
When, as in the bicycle, the accurate testing by skilled workmen proves
the existence of this degree of strength, the safety factor meanwhile
being reduced to the lowest possible limit, the product is the perfected
result of the highest degree of skill. Each part is tested for so many
pounds strain or tension or compression, and each strain is accurately
figured for each particular part; each part, moreover, must be able to
stand so much additional strain, more than it is ever likely to have
thrown upon it, though no bicycle is built to withstand the shock of
collision under speed. In case of collision, the older, heavy bicycle
was not smashed into fragments, as is the modern twenty-pounder.
Something would give way, perhaps; it might break in several places. The
light modern wheel holds together or is crushed to pieces, though its
rider is less likely to suffer serious injury, the lighter construction
having less power to do damage than the cumbrous wheel of fifty or sixty
pounds weight.
The cost of a well-made bicycle, of perfect workmanship and finish,
represents the amount of skilled labor required to construct it rather
than the value of the raw material, although, when it is remembered that
each part must be tough, hard, strong and elastic, it will be apparent
that only the best of material can be used.
Wheels can be made at a very low cost; but such wheels cannot be
correctly adjusted and tested without the additional cost of skilled
labor. For the production of a perfect bicycle, the machine of tested
strength, simplicity of detail, and beauty of finish, the most accurate
workmanship as well as the best material is necessary. A machine or a
tool should always be the best of its kind, and it pays to take care of
it. A bicycle requires as nice and accurate adjustment as a watch, and
like a watch, with regular attention afterwards, will run steadily and
smoothly. A bicycle, moreover, as much or more than a watch, is
individual property, and each individual wants the best.
Our physical powers have been tested in certain directions; in walking,
for instance, we know what we can do, how far we can go, how much it is
wise to attempt. The bicycle appeals to us as a means of swift
locomotion attained without other force than our own powers four or five
times multiplied by mechanical processes. The bicycle enables one to do,
to prove one’s powers; it puts one in conceit with one’s self. When one
is not a pedestrian, does not care for equestrian pleasures--and,
indeed, in the majority of cases, there is little to compel attention to
these means of recreation--the bicycle offers the opportunity to find
the limit of one’s powers in a new field. It supplies, too, a new
pleasure--the pleasure of going where one wills, because one wills. The
attention has only to be directed, and the wheel, responsive to touch
or thought, moves in unison with the rider’s will, flitting hither and
thither, that he may enjoy the freshness of nature and the ever-changing
beauty of clouds and sky, of sunshine and shadow, of meadow and sea,
lake and river, mountain and forest.
Riding the wheel, our own powers are revealed to us, a new sense is
seemingly created. The unobserving are gradually awakened, and the keen
observer is thrilled with quick and rare delight. The system is
invigorated, the spirit is refreshed, the mind, freed from care, swept
of dusty cobwebs, is filled with new and beautiful impressions. You have
conquered a new world, and exultingly you take possession of it.
Travelling by vehicle or by any public conveyance, the sense of
individual responsibility is reduced to the minimum; it is indeed no
appreciable factor. You pay so much to be taken up and set down, so much
for a reasonable amount of safety, comfort, and convenience. Mounted on
a wheel, you feel at once the keenest sense of responsibility. You are
there to do as you will within reasonable limits; you are continually
being called upon to judge and to determine points that before have not
needed your consideration, and consequently you become alert, active,
quick-sighted, and keenly alive as well to the rights of others as to
what is due yourself. You are responsible to yourself for yourself; you
are responsible to the public for yourself; and you are responsible to
the public for the rights of others. The upholding of laws and
ordinances, the general welfare, public health and safety--problems
never before, perhaps, called to your attention--come up one by one for
consideration. In short, individual duty, recognition of the rights of
others, consideration of means for the proper enforcing of laws, all are
suggested to the awakening mind of the bicyclist. The bicycle is an
educational factor, subtle and far-reaching, creating the desire for
progress, the preference for what is better, the striving for the best,
broadening the intelligence and intensifying love of home and country.
For all that is beautiful is ours--ours to protect and to cherish.
To the many who earnestly wish to be actively at work in the world, the
opportunity has come; they need but to come face to face with it to
solve this problem of something to conquer, something to achieve.
_CHAPTER III._
_On Wheels in General and Bicycles in Particular._
The form of the wheel is very ancient, its construction modern, even
recent. Its evolution has been gradual. First came the round stick or
roller, placed beneath a weight; then a roller with its central portion
shaped and thinned to lessen friction; then two disk-shaped sections of
a log, connected by a bar upon which they revolved, replaced the clumsy
stick.
Each wheel or disk then began to receive separate attention. There was
the wear on the edge or rim to be considered, and it was found that if
its surface were protected, the disk would last indefinitely longer.
Then it was noticed that the hole in the centre of the disk wore
unevenly, and it was reinforced, and the hub began to take form. When
the rim was strong and the central portion of the wheel remained intact,
the disk was found to be heavier and stronger than it need to be to
support the outer portion of the wheel. Some of the useless heavy part
was removed, and the disk pierced with holes to make it lighter; then
these holes were shaped between the remaining portions, which took the
form of pillars or spokes. A pillar would break, and be replaced by a
rounded stick; and thus, perhaps, the rude idea took form of
constructing a wheel out of several pieces, for the sake of securing
economy, durability, and lightness.
A wheel, then, was well constructed, with a large, heavy piece in the
centre to stand friction and bear weight, and with the rim made of
several pieces, each piece supported on a spoke, and all held together
by a band called a tire. In the course of time the hub became heavier,
the spokes thinner, the rim stronger and lighter, and the tire narrower.
The bar connecting two wheels was made very strong, with smooth ends for
the wheels to revolve easily upon. Pins were driven into holes in the
projecting ends of the axle, or bar, and later the pins replaced by
knobs, or nuts. Then the wheels were brought closer together, and found
to run more easily; and the tire, cutting too deep into soft surfaces,
was widened. Attention, moreover, was paid to the roadway, very bad
places being filled and smoothed.
A wheel is defined as “a circular frame turning on an axle”; an axle as
“a shaft or rod, either solid or hollow, on which a wheel is placed.”
The first bicycle wheels were constructed like carriage wheels, the
limit of that method of construction arrived at. The rim was supported
on the spokes, which rested on the hub. The minimum definite quantity of
material was ascertained, but the wheel was still too heavy and bulky.
If the weight of material was lessened, however, it would fall to
pieces.
The bicycle wheel of to-day is a compound mechanism constructed on
reverse principles. The wheel is made on the principle of suspension, an
inverted application of weight and thrust. The hub is hung from the
rim, and the axle supported in that way. Each bicycle wheel is really
two wheels, graceful in form, with but one rim, and with two hubs, one
on either end of a short axle, the spokes being drawn to a common rim,
and made stiff enough to carry weight, and elastic enough to withstand
shock. The rim or frame is elastic and durable. To this rim many wire
spokes are fastened, and the hubs for each wheel are centred and hung
from them. The hubs and axle are wider than the rim of the wheel, and
the spokes are fastened alternately to either end, thus giving a tangent
strain which stiffens the wheel and gives it strength. The tire is a
separate construction, possessing several individual features. The only
office of the old tire was to protect the rim of the wheel from wear;
the pneumatic tire protects the rim, presents a good friction surface,
and is enabled by its elasticity to take the shock and jar of the entire
bicycle.
In order that the wheel may turn, the axle must be lubricated; otherwise
the inside of the hub will become hot, and wear the face of the axle a
little rough. The surfaces then cannot pass, but remain fixed and
immovable, and the wheel cannot turn. The introduction of a third
material of a different consistency between the revolving surfaces
prevents their wearing against each other, and the lubricant is rubbed
and rubbed again; there is so little of the lubricant that it does not
accumulate sufficiently to cause resistance, and the moving surfaces
slip smoothly over each other.
The axle of a modern bicycle wheel is compound, and although there are
two ends to the axle, there is but one rim to the wheel. The rim carries
all the weight distributed from many points at once; the weights resist
each other, and give strength and stiffness. The axle really carries
double, two wheels with but one rim; and each end of the axle is
supported at so many points that it possesses great weight-carrying
power in proportion to the weight of material used in its construction.
The weight of the frame is supported on the axles of the rear and front
wheels. Of its construction it is sufficient to say that the weight is
taken up on the thrust principle and that wherever a point of support
for the thrust is located, the frame is strengthened to support and
resist the thrust.
By a mechanical application of power, the power of the pressure of the
foot on the pedal is multiplied, one revolution of the pedal crank
causing the rear wheel to revolve a number of times. In the chain gear
the mechanical means is a large wheel on the axle to which the pedal
cranks are attached, and a smaller wheel on the axle of the rear wheel.
There are teeth on both these wheels, the large wheel having the greater
number. The band or chain passing over the large sprocket-wheel has
links which engage each tooth of the wheel as the chain passes over it,
and as that wheel revolves, it pulls the chain over, link by link.
The small wheel is also provided with teeth, and every time the large
sprocket-wheel is turned, if only a little way, it pulls the chain link
by link, and the chain link by link pulls the rear wheel tooth by
tooth. The small sprocket-wheel revolves as the chain pulls it,
revolving oftener than the large wheel to keep count with it tooth for
tooth. The number of teeth on the sprocket-wheels determines the
multiplicity of revolutions of the rear wheel.
The rear wheel revolves very rapidly, in the process becoming virtually
a gyroscope; and a gyroscope will maintain the plane in which it
revolves unless other forces intervene. The front wheel takes its motion
from the friction of the surface over which it is propelled, and after
the bicycle is in motion, the forces that are applied to control and
direct its movement are friction and resistance. After the cyclist is
mounted, there is the added complication of a constantly shifting centre
of gravity, caused by change of balance. The steering is effected by
changing the direction of the front wheel, the rear wheel being enabled
to follow by a slight slipping over the wheeling surface. If the change
of direction is too abrupt, the rear wheel will slip enough to lose its
hold on the surface, and the weight of the rider will be suddenly
shifted from above the point of support (the axle of the rear wheel) to
the top of the rim of the wheel, thus becoming a lever with the weight
on the end of the long arm, and the bicycle falls over.
As the wheels revolve, there is a constant pull on tire and rim. Just as
the chain is pulled over the sprocket-wheels, the tire is pulled by
friction over the surface ridden on. If this surface affords the tire no
hold, it is impossible for the wheel to advance, as on a muddy surface.
The crank may impart a motion to the wheel, but this motion will not
enable the wheel to maintain its place; or if, in overcoming the cranks
at the dead centre, too much weight is applied to one side of the wheel,
the same thing occurs, and the wheel falls over. There are a number of
mechanical means for conveying the motion of the foot to the wheel of
the bicycle to cause the wheels to revolve.
There are many ways of constructing a frame, and different designs and
patterns of fittings for different parts; but the main idea of the
bicycle does not change--a fixed wheel to which motion is imparted, and
a movable or guiding wheel, independent of the power wheel, and
revolving only because the machine is pushed or pulled forward. This
second wheel gives stability, and supports the wheel at a movable point.
We have, therefore, a wheel which supports a frame and the weight it
carries. The frame is supported on two wheels, one end of the frame
taking the weight, and that end supported on one wheel. The second wheel
merely supports one end of the frame. If the frame were attached at one
end directly and rigidly to the second wheel, the weight carrying wheel
would move in the same plane with it. A child’s two-wheeled cart will
illustrate this. While moving forward in a straight line, the child is
safe until one or both of the wheels begin to travel in a rut, when the
rigid handle or tongue of the cart resists the guiding power, and the
child is pulled or thrown over. If the tongue or frame of the wagon is
allowed play, as it is called, say by being held easily in the hand, the
pole may be guided. The supported end of the frame of the bicycle
corresponds to the pole or tongue of the cart.
Now, the wheel is made to steer in this way: We have the rigid forks,
and a wheel to support them. The forks hold the wheel in the same plane
as themselves, but the top part of each fork, instead of being fastened
immovably to the frame, passes up through a bearing-head prepared for it
in the frame. The wheel is supported, but it can now maintain a separate
plane, and as the post of the forks changes its direction, it pulls the
frame with it as it advances; and so the controlling or steering power
is transferred.
The weight-bearing wheel is led and directed; part of its power is
transferred by thrust or push to the front wheel, and as the steering
wheel is pushed over the surface, it revolves. As it revolves, part of
its power is diverted by the movable head, and as the head is held and
controlled by the rider, any desired direction may be imparted to the
entire machine.
A bicycle may have either a diamond frame or a drop frame. The drop
frame is made to facilitate mounting and to permit the adjustment of a
woman’s dress. The diamond frame possesses great strength, and can be
lightened to a wonderful degree without injury to the thrust and
strain-bearing quality of its construction.
A form of triangle is made use of to carry the greatest weight and bear
the greatest strain. This triangle is supported on the rear wheel, and
has part of the frame attached to it to connect it with the
steering-wheel. The steering-wheel is provided with handles by which it
may be controlled. The weight of the rider is carried over the power
wheel, and the propelling power, a lever movement, is imparted by the
foot.
From this description an idea may be formed of how and why a bicycle
works; but the details of its mechanism are of endless variety of form
and pattern, material and workmanship. Each small part, its form, its
use, its angles of surface, its every detail indeed, is the product of
the work of many minds for many years. And though the bicycle was looked
for, and hoped for, and worked for, its general acceptance came
suddenly, and came only when it had been built light enough and strong
enough and elastic enough to warrant confidence in its universal usage.
_CHAPTER IV._
_For Beginners._
Mount and away! How easy it seems. To the novice it is not as easy as it
looks, yet everyone, or almost everyone, can learn to ride, though there
are different ways of going about it. Unless the beginner is one of
those fortunate beings who mount, and as it were, wheel at sight, little
need be said about instruction at this stage of proceedings if a bicycle
school is within reach. A few suggestions may be desirable, however,
even with a competent instructor.
Nothing more quickly exhausts one’s strength than the first few minutes
with a bicycle. This is due to the fact that many unused muscles are
called upon to do unaccustomed work and to work together in new
combinations; and the effort required and the accompanying nervous
excitement produce a sudden and apparently unaccountable fatigue. Normal
conditions can be restored by resting long enough to allow repair of the
wasted tissues. It is well to stop when a little tired, rather than to
persist and finish the lesson, even if extra lessons are necessary to
make up for lost time. No one can really learn anything when tired, and
it is unwise to attempt it. In this matter no one else can judge for
you.
[Illustration: CORRECT POSITION--LEANING WITH THE WHEEL.]
What a horrible moment it is when first mounted on a bicycle, a mere
machine, a thing quite beyond your control, and unable even to stand by
itself. But it is impossible to tell without trying whether or not you
can manage a bicycle. Make the experiment, therefore, and find out. Any
competent teacher will guarantee success, and after the first five
minutes on the bicycle can tell how long it will take you to learn. The
time varies with the individual; the period of instruction may last for
five minutes or for six months, without counting extra lessons for fancy
wheeling.
Don’t try to get the better of your wheel. You cannot teach it anything,
and there is really much for you to learn.
_What to keep in mind when taking your lesson._--Attend to the bicycle
and to nothing else. Don’t attempt to talk, and look well ahead of the
machine, certainly not less than twenty feet. Remember that the bicycle
will go wherever the attention is directed.
In sitting upon the wheel, the spinal column should maintain the same
vertical plane that the rear wheel does, and should not bend laterally
to balance in the usual manner. A new balance must be acquired, and
other muscular combinations than those that are familiarly called upon.
To wheel by rule is the better plan until the natural balance of the
bicyclist is developed. Sit erect and sit still.
The bicycle must be kept from falling by a wiggling movement of the
front wheel, conveyed by means of the handle-bar. When moving, the
rapidly revolving wheels maintain the vertical plane by rotation, with
but little assistance or correction from the handle-bars.
It is a good plan, while the instructor assists you, to pedal with one
foot at a time, holding the other foot free. This will enable you to
determine the amount of pressure it is necessary to exert to cause the
wheels to revolve.
When both feet are on the pedals, they oppose each other. The weight
should be lifted from the ascending pedal, or else the descending foot
must push the other foot up until that foot is in position to exert a
downward pressure. This instruction applies to forward pedaling only;
for back pedaling or backing, the movement should be reversed. Practise
pushing first with one foot and then with the other, taking the weight
off the opposite pedal in each case. At each push of the pedal, a little
pull on the handle-bars, pulling with the hand on the same side on which
you are pushing with the foot, will keep the wheel from falling. Look
well ahead. The bicycle covers the ground very rapidly, and the eye does
not at first receive impressions quickly enough to enable you to know
where to look and what to look for.
As soon as your teacher will allow it, take the wheel for a little walk.
This may seem rather an absurd proceeding, but it will assist you
greatly in learning the feel and tendencies of the machine. Lead the
bicycle about carefully, holding the handles with both hands and
avoiding the revolving pedals. Learn to stand it up, to turn it quickly,
and to back it in a limited space.
[Illustration: INCORRECT POSITION--LEANING AGAINST THE INCLINATION]
The machine heretofore has been arranged for you. Now you can begin to
think how you would like to have it adjusted. You will, perhaps, find
fault with the saddle. The saddle is a very important adjunct, and much
depends upon its proper adjustment. A large, soft saddle is usually
preferred by the beginner, and perhaps this is a good kind to learn to
balance on; but it is a very poor kind to wheel on, for many reasons.
At first, in practising pedaling, the height of the saddle should permit
the hollow of the foot to rest firmly on the pedal when the pedal is
lowest. The ball of the foot only should press on the pedal. The foot
should be made to follow the pedal as early as possible. Point the toe
downward on the last half of the down stroke, and keep pointing it until
the pedal is at its lowest, following the pedal with the foot, and
pointing downward until the pedal is half way on the up stroke. This
carries the crank past the dead centre. To acquire a proper method,
attention should be directed to each foot alternately.
To learn to balance, have the saddle raised as high as possible, so that
the ball of the foot just touches the pedal at its lowest. Practise
wheeling in this way, with an instructor, or alone on a smooth surface
where you are sure to be undisturbed.
The hands naturally take a position where it is easy to grasp the
handles of the handle-bars. The handle-bar conveys two principal
movements to the first wheel--a short wiggling movement and a long or
steering sweep. The handle-bars also assist in maintaining the seat at
first.
The beginner usually exerts too much pressure on the pedals, and has to
pull correspondingly hard on the handles to correct the falling tendency
of the machine. This is very hard work, and stiff arms and shoulders and
blistered hands may be often thus accounted for; they are the result of
badly balanced pedaling. To be able to sit comfortably at work, and to
feel that it is not so hard after all, is a great advance.
Now, the question of that other foot. By this time which “the other
foot” is will have become quite evident; it is always the foot to which
attention for the moment is not directed, and which consequently may
meet unexpected disaster--a lost pedal, perhaps, with its accompanying
inconveniences.
Downward pressure with the foot is easily acquired and needs little
effort. To take the pressure off the ascending pedal at the right moment
is a more difficult matter. Usually considerable practice in cycling is
necessary before the unused lifting muscles are strengthened
sufficiently by exercise to permit them to do their work easily.
There is a third movement of the handle-bars--a quick twist in the
direction the machine is leaning if about to fall; it is made suddenly,
and brings the wheel back to its original position. If the wheel were
stationary, and the front wheel were turned, the bicycle would fall in
an opposite direction from the front wheel. If the wheel is about to
fall, it can be prevented from doing so by throwing the balance the
other way by means of the handle-bars. A similar result is accomplished
by wiggling the front wheel, and when a bicycle is moving very slowly, a
continuous wiggle--changing the balance as the machine inclines from
side to side--is necessary to keep it upright.
The body should incline with the rear wheel and maintain the same plane
with it, becoming as much as possible a part of the wheel, as though
united by a straight bar going from the base of the tire to the top of
the head.
The rear wheel and all the weight that it carries is governed by the
front wheel and controlled by means of the handle-bars. The rear wheel
supporting all the rider’s weight, the power is applied to that wheel.
The front wheel serves only for balance and steering.
It is not necessary to provide a complete outfit to take the first
lesson. If you possess a pair of knickerbockers, so much the better.
Wear an old dress, easy shoes and gloves, and a hat that will stay on
under any conditions. The clothing should be as loose as possible about
the waist. Wear flannels, and no tight bands of any kind or anything
elastic. As respiration is increased by the exercise, the clothing
should be loose enough to allow of a long deep breath, drawn easily,
taken by expanding the chest at the lower ribs to fill the lungs. This
precaution being taken, giddiness and short-windedness can result only
from over-exercise. Ten or fifteen minutes’ practise is enough at first;
and a half hour’s lesson later, with several stops for rest, is the
best rule for many people, particularly those unaccustomed to active
exercise.
If you are an equestrian, you will meet with many unexpected problems.
The bicycle will do nothing for you, and the lack of horse-sense must be
supplied by your own intelligence. It is well, when learning, to remove
all bicycle accessories. They are only in the way, and add weight and
distract the attention. The propelling of the bicycle--that is the one
idea to keep in mind. Make the machine go; shove it along. Never mind if
you are not quite comfortable or at ease at first. Sit on your saddle
and stay there. Do not try to balance the machine. Lean the way the
machine inclines, not away from it, as it will be your first impulse to
do. The bicycle is not to be fought against; it is to be propelled and
controlled; and the art is not difficult to acquire.
Avoid starting a bicycle on a down grade when you are learning. For on a
slight, even an almost imperceptible incline, the cycler must
back-pedal; but the beginner wishes to propel the bicycle, and for that
purpose must use an altogether different muscular combination.
_CHAPTER V._
_How to Make Progress._
You have learned to wheel a bicycle,--have had some lessons, can take
the machine and mount it, wheel a little way, and fall off; or can wheel
for some time without a dismount, but feel utterly exhausted after a
short spin. You have accomplished what you attempted,--you can wheel a
bicycle; but you feel dissatisfied. You have tried to ride with friends,
perhaps, and have had to give it up; yet you feel that you should be
able to do what others have done and are doing all the time. It is very
discouraging.
What you should have now is a suitable and comfortable wheeling outfit.
You perhaps have a bicycle of your own; if not, a good wheel may be
hired reasonably. The matter of dress is now all-important, and a
costume suitable for cycling should be selected; it is impossible to do
good work or to practise comfortably unless you are properly dressed.
Choose for a practice ride a pleasant day, with little or no wind, and
neither too hot nor too cold. The atmospheric conditions are an
important factor in bicycling; indeed, beginners are often discouraged
by external conditions which really have nothing to do with their
mastery of the machine. Take the bicycle out on a smooth road, where you
may have two or three miles free from traffic, and as level as possible.
If the road is muddy or slippery, wait for the proper conditions. Unless
the surface is smooth and dry, it is better to take the bicycle back
without attempting to mount it. If two or three miles of good road are
not accessible, a quarter-mile stretch or even less will serve. Select a
good pathway, however short.
See that the wheel is adjusted to suit you; the saddle of a comfortable
height, certainly not too high; the handle-bars convenient to grasp.
Assure yourself that all the nuts are secure, the saddle and handle-bars
firm. Spin the pedals to see that they revolve easily. Make up your mind
before mounting how far you want to go; mount the machine, wheel it for
this distance, and dismount. Do not try to look about while wheeling.
Give your whole attention to the bicycle and keep your eyes fixed in the
direction you are travelling. Avoid hollows and cart-ruts, though these
should not occur if the locality for practice is well chosen. If an
unexpected hollow or hump should be encountered, hold hard to the
handle-bars and press firmly on the pedals, rising at the same time a
little from the saddle. The pedals are most important parts, the
controlling power being centred in them. If there is a good hand-brake
on the bicycle, it is well to note its action and to understand how to
apply it; for in case of a lost pedal, its application might give a
little confidence. By a “lost pedal” is meant, not that part of the
machine is literally lost, but that the foothold is missed on it, and so
control of the wheel lost for the moment.
[Illustration: PROPER WAY TO STAND A BICYCLE.]
If out of breath, wait until rested. Rest for a few minutes in any case,
and look about, and note the surface wheeled over. Then plan another
spin, of perhaps a few hundred feet. Fix upon an objective point, wheel
to it, and dismount. Rest thoroughly, and mount again. Be careful to
avoid becoming chilled while resting, stopping only long enough to
restore the natural breathing and to look over the road.