The Wheelwoman from London, Greater London, England • Page 21

Saturday, January 1st, 1898 TWELVE HINTS TO YOUNG CYCLISTS. BY GLENAVON." I. Do not learn to cycle on a new machine. II. Do not get off the machine every time it wobbles badly, but endeavour to right yourself.

One successful to regain your balance will give you a feeling of confidence. III. Do not ride amongst traffic till you are master of your machine. IV. Do not ride far or fast when you are just able to go alone.

The exercise of hitherto unused muscles will certainly produce fatigue, and "discretion is the better part of valour." V. Do not have an exaggerated fear of falling off your machine; it is possible to fall dozens of times without worse mishap than a mud-stained frock and some ugly bruises. VI. Never descend any steep incline till you have acquired the art of back-pedalling. vn.

Always dress quietly and in a workman-like fashion; frills and feathers are as out of place when riding a bike as they would be when following hounds across country. VIII. When meeting a cart or other obstacle on the road, do not look at the advancing object, but fix your eyes on the road some 30 yards ahead of it. IX. Leave your pet dog at home when you go a-wheeling, unless the dog be cool and the pace and distance moderate.

one who understands animals could be guilty of the wanton cruelty of letting a devoted friend run till he drops from such things have been X. Remember to be courteous the world was not made exclusively for cyclists. An aggressive style of riding is not only bad form," but it brings an enjoyable pastime into disrepute. XI. Take for your motto In Medio Vertus." XII.

Do not consider you can ride a bicycle until you can: 1 and dismount with speed and grace. quite slowly and not wobble at all. with correct ankle action. traffic with equanimity. along a cart wheel track not more than six inches wide.

your natural pace to ride in a companiable fashion with a less experienced cyclist; people who do things well are ever considerate and helpful to beginners. 21 A DEGRADING EXHIBITION. a pitiable sight, says the Irish Wheelman, to see the health-giving and noble sport of cycling degraded to the depths of revolting brutishness, characterising the six days' contest that took place in Madison Square Gardens, New York. The trial, demanding, as it did, more than human endurance from the participants, had not been half completed before it had reached the level of those eating or drinking competitions which used to be the sport of ignorant and besotted frequenters of low-class beer-houses in England. Some of the details are so disgusting that it is a wonder how any civilised community can look on at the miserable exhibition without forcibly putting a stop to it.

We read in advices from New York the following particulars, amongst, others: "Some (of the riders) are half-crazed, others groan and implore to be allowed to leave the ring, and threats and force are necessary in some cases, to keep the riders from sleeping or fainting away One man fell unconscious while riding and another has had a stroke of paralysis. Some are strapped to their bicycles. The police have already had to interfere to prevent brutal behaviour on the part of several of the trainers who were using threats and blows to keep the jaded and suffering men in the ring." We understand that several newspapers have demanded that the race be stopped, on the ground common humanity, and the above particulars would seem to point out that it is about time. English-speaking, people are prone to look with loathing on the bull-fights of Spain and all the world reads with horror the history of slavery, and the enormities perpetrated by the brutal drivers who lashed the chained and fainting bondsmen to their work, but we think that here, amongst our own kin and in our own day, we have in the name of sport, an exhibition of savagery that can vie with the worst records of any age or clime. When the last of these wretched contests was held it was confidently expected, on this side at least, we had seen the last of them.

Even the most morbidly inclined, felt disgusted at the idea of such enormities being possible in the name of sport. But it seems as if the public appetite for sensation in America were still unglutted, and bad as the previous six days' race was, that of last week was worse. We hope, however, that any future attempt to reinstitute a similar trial of endurance will call down upon it such a storm of public repudiation, that fear of loss, if no higher consideration, will deter the would-be promoters. LAMP WICKS. THE wick for a-lamp should be thoroughly dried before being put into its place, and should be renewed frequently.

Remember that although a lamp wick is only an article for facilitating the burning of the oil, it is quite as necessary as the oil itself, and should have quite as much attention. The WHEELWOMAN..