Read Ebook: Bicycling for Ladies The Common Sense of Bicycling; with Hints as to the Art of Wheeling—Advice to Beginners—Dress—Care of the Bicycle—Mechanics—Training—Exercise etc. etc. by Ward Maria E

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BICYCLING FOR LADIES.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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