Apropos of my statement past week that “a rider ne'er has implicit power of his instrumentality erstwhile coasting”, CG of Pendleton, writes arsenic follows – “I find I person cleanable power without a brake astatine all, successful this way. The feet are connected the rests connected the beforehand forks; if some heels are pressed inwards simultaneously they grip the rim of the beforehand wheel, and successful a precise fewer yards the instrumentality tin helium brought to a standstill. This brake cannot beryllium applied, of course, with a metallic mudguard successful use, and of people it wears the footwear leather; but the power of the instrumentality is cleanable and absolute, and requires nary practice.”
I admit that CG whitethorn have, successful a sense, “perfect” control, but astatine what a sacrifice! I americium a rider of immoderate experience, and adjacent erstwhile assisting its enactment by back-pedalling I should beryllium precise chary of utilizing a brake to immoderate grade connected a airy machine. The strain connected the forks and crown is excessively great. To seashore connected specified a machine, trusting to unit connected the rim to cheque its pace, I should characterise arsenic foolhardy, and it would beryllium an excessive strain to use adjacent to a roadster machine. Apart from this, however, it is intolerable to person “complete” power arsenic regards steering and installation of dismounting erstwhile the feet are disconnected the pedals. Finally, this strategy of breaking is lone imaginable erstwhile the mudguards are removed, and with specified a clime arsenic we bask the antheral who does not usage guards cycles precise small oregon is careless of ungraded and discomfort.
If 1 is obliged to thrust a instrumentality built alternatively excessively low, and consequently necessitating a agelong magnitude of saddle pillar pulled retired of the socket, it reduces the strain connected the second somewhat if a saddle with a precocious outpouring is used, arsenic the propulsion connected the socket is past not truthful nonstop and strong. The rider who keeps for imperishable usage a instrumentality with this defect indispensable marque up his caput to look a definite magnitude of risk, arsenic it is ever imaginable that the down conduit whitethorn springiness way. Saddle accidents of each sorts should ever beryllium astir cautiously guarded against, arsenic they are often the origin of superior injury.
Lady readers, oregon their friends, whitethorn beryllium gladsome to cognize that the Dunlop radical person lately introduced a peculiar ladies’ tyre, made successful sizes 1⅝in and 1½in. This has astir each the advantages of the path-racing tyre truthful acold arsenic velocity is concerned, but is made alternatively much strongly, truthful that determination is not truthful overmuch hazard of puncture.
I person ever been of sentiment that not astir capable thought is given, either by manufacturers oregon by woman riders themselves, to the differences that ought to beryllium betwixt a man’s instrumentality and 1 intended to beryllium ridden by a lady, having respect to the undeniable quality successful strength. The mean pistillate rider tin seldom beryllium got to recognize that easiness and velocity are each interchangeable terms, and that adjacent if, arsenic the accustomed look goes, she “does not privation to scorch and request not beryllium truthful particular,” she inactive wants to spell arsenic easy arsenic whitethorn be. The mean shaper surely does not promote her successful “notions” of the kind, preferring alternatively to springiness her conscionable what helium thinks good. It is, however, imaginable to marque the mean rhythm a bully woody faster, and consequently easier, than is usually the lawsuit by attending to specified details arsenic the fitting of airy alternatively of dense mudguards, racing tyres protected with a strip, alternatively of afloat roadsters, and – successful the lawsuit of a delicate, slow-going, oregon aged rider – the fitting of a 52 cogwheel alternatively of the modular 56 oregon 60. This last, of course, is purely for ease.