Really to appreciate cycling many conditions are necessary, and that is why I called it a many-sided subject at the outset. First of all it is an active exercise, so those who have not been in the habit of taking enough outdoor exercise in other forms, must not expect to cycle with comfort or enjoyment until they have gradually got their general health, into a state which is known as "fit." Then when the cyclist is fitted in herself to enjoy riding, there are other things to be considered, and these I put as follows:
(a) To ride correctly; (b) to have a good cycle, suited to the particular requirements of the rider, and properly adjusted; and (c) to look well.
First then as to Riding, and here we are met by the reflection, how few women ride really well. It makes me sad to see how badly three-fourths of the riders one meets are getting along, and when I reflect how much more they would enjoy themselves, and how much better they would look if taken in hand for a time by a good tutor, I feel angry at the so-called "Instructors" one usually has to put up with at the average riding school.
When you are learning, you should if possible select a grass lawn, or failing this a quiet piece of broad road, and practice on this little and often. Short rides, even of a few yards, are valuable, if done frequently. The pupil should not get over-tired, or struggle on after her efforts become worrying. She should take a rest and have another turn a few hours later, and will then find the result very different. To the novice my advice is, do not trouble about mounting and dismounting without assistance, as this will come later as a matter of course.
The object must be to sit quite still in the saddle, and not to rely on the handles. Good riders never move their bodies at all, but ride with their hands just resting lightly on the handles, not pulling at them. In time it will be found the machine can be steered by just slightly inclining the shoulders in the direction in which it is wished to turn. Above all things when you are learning do not fix your eyes on the front wheel, but look ahead. This is essential.
When the machine goes naturally in a straight line, then the rider will know that she is not only sitting well, but has begun to acquire the art of pedalling. There is a very great deal in pedalling evenly, as this not only lessens the labour but takes away all difficulty of steering. When a rider sits well and pedals well, there is practically no steering to be done, for the machine will go automatically in the direction desired by the rider, or so at least it will appear. The saddle should be so adjusted that when the pedal is at its lowest point, the foot of the rider should be just able to drop on to it naturally, without quite straightening the knee. A good way to test this, is to stretch the toe out as far as it will go (knee quite straight) and if the foot will just go underneath the pedal, no more, the length of reach is correct.
Force should never be exerted in driving the pedals, they must be "coaxed" round, for this in a word is the art of "ankling." When the pedal is at the top of the stroke, the heel should be downward as in Fig. 1. As the pedal travels forward and down, the foot should follow it, keeping the ankle as still as possible, till at the bottom of the stroke, the toe is pointing downwards, and the heel is highest. The effect of this will be first of all to give power in riding as shown by Fig. 2. If the foot is pressed downward only, it will be in operation for a very small part of the stroke, as the pedal moves in a circle, but by ankling, it will easily be seen (Fig. 3) that power is maintained for a much longer time.
Fig. 1.
