The Angling Cyclist 
fifteen miles, or even more, without once lifting 
the weight of the body from the handle-bars, 
and it is this class that is most frequently at- 
tacked by the disease. 
“The symptoms of the disease are a gradu- 
ally spreading numbness of the fingers in one 
or both hands, usually the left, for the reason 
that the left arm and hand have not been 
trained to doas much work as the right, but in 
scorching they sustain the same amount of 
weight, and consequently feel the strain first. 
This numbness may not be noticed for a long 
time, so insidious is the progress of the affec- 
tion, and, again, if the shape of the handle and 
the rider’s attitude has been such as to tend to 
produce unusual pressure on the nerves and 
blood vessels of the hand, the numbness will be 
pronounced at the end of a short ride of ten 
miles or so. 
“Following the numbness, unless something 
is done to prevent further progress of the dis- 
ease, comes a weakness of the principal mus- 
cles of the fingers, making the act of holding 
anything with a tight grip almost impossible 
and very painful. A trembling like palsy fol- 
lows this stage, and the sufferer ends by losing 
the use of the member entirely. 
“There is only one way to cure this disease, 
and that is to prevent it. As soon asthe slight- 
est numbness, if even only in one finger, is 
noticed after a ride on the wheel, the position 
of the handles should be changed or the handle- 
bar bent in a different manner, so that the 
pressure of the palms will fall in a different 
spot. Of course, it would be better to ride up- 
right, resting all the weight on the saddle, but 
the scorching position has come to stay, and 
the plan I have suggested is the only practica} 
one. Of course, electricityand other remedial 
agents can be used in pronounced cases with 
beneficial result, but the majority of them are 
practically incurable.” 
Danger to Wheelwomen. 
We live near the Boulevard in New York 
City, and spend many an afternoon hour watch- 
ing the panoramic passage of wheelmen and 
wheelwomen along the broad and_ beautiful 
averu:. Wheels of every make, methods of 
riding of every form, and costumes of all 
fashions and colors are in perpetual array be- 
fore us. We counted, the other day, ninety- 
six wheel riders who in seven minutes flew pass 
239 
the corner of 66th street and the Boulevard, 
making nearly fourteen to the minute, or one 
in about every four seconds. Of these, sixteen 
were women, and with two exceptions, all of 
them were speeding on at the utmost strain of 
their muscles, and, in the indecent gyrations of 
their limbs, presenting a most ungraceful and 
grotesque sight. They were not only in bad 
taste, but running risk of death from over exer- 
tion, certainly of permanent injury to their con- 
stitutions. Only the other day the daily press 
heralded the death of a young woman from ex- 
treme speeding of her wheel, and hardly a day 
passes that cases of fainting, from a like cause, 
is not reported. This matter cannot be too 
forcibly impressed upon wheelwomen. Fast 
riding is not good form for them, independent 
of its bad physical effects. A graceful lady 
rider, erect upon the saddle, with uniform pres- 
sure upon the pedals, and none of that ‘“ wob- 
bly” action of the wheel so prevalent with 
amateur riders, is a fair sight to look upon, and 
if she glides along at the rate of five or six 
miles an hour at the utmost, and is dressed with 
good taste, ignoring bloomers or short skirts, 
she presents a picture of grace and beauty not 
to be seen anywhere else than on the boulevards 
of the wheel. 
Personal__To « Wheel ”’ 
GENTLEMEN: 
Nine-tenths of the users of the' wheel take 
but little, if any, interest in the so-called bicycle 
news as contained in the class mediums and 
the daily press. The riders are, to be sure, of 
all classes of people, but those of most value 
to you, as a manufacturer, are the intelligent 
and well to-do men and women, who look upon 
their wheel as an enthusiastic equestrian does 
upon his horse. Anything that will improve 
the action or stamina of his steed is of par- 
amount interest and, in like manner. whatever 
will give strength, speed or comfort to his 
wheel, is welcomed by the wheelman. 
Under this department heading, “The Ang- 
ling Cyclist,’ we want to give matter of choice 
value to our readers, who are, to a man (or 
woman) equipped with critical appreciation of 
a good thing when they see or own it. In edit- 
ing this department, we are somewhat at a 
loss as to its make-up. Races, meets and in- 
dividual records are given in the daily news- 
papers, and an epitome of these would be stale 
text to our readers, so we have depended ex- 
Manufacturers. 
