ar wagers, and they refrain from trying to do
a mile in a minute and fifty seconds. They do not "train" for their
trips, but they treat their wheels as they would cat-boats or horses or
tennis, or any other healthy out-door sport.

For such people bicycle riding is not by any means the healthiest
exercise that could be found. In the first place, it is an extraordinary
stimulus to the heart. If you dismount after working up a bad hill you
may very possibly find your pulse at 150--something unusual in almost
any running game. Then again, while riding exercises certain muscles of
the legs admirably, the shoulders and back muscles are not only not
getting much training, but in certain too common positions they are
actually being distorted. Still again there is a constant tendency to
overdo the thing, to ride too much, and especially in the case of girls
to tire yourself out, and bring a strain on the system that may result
in something more or less permanent in the shape of injury.

All this is not set down at the beginning to scare any one away from
bicycling. Imperfect exercise is better than none, and many people ride
a wheel religiously who would not be persuaded to take any other regular
exercise. The hours in the open air on a wheel are far better than
nothing, therefore, and then, too, a good many other exercises which
are far more general, are for one reason or another beyond the reach of
some of us. Horseback riding, for example, is a much more general and
temperate exercise, but we cannot all support a stable. Walking is no
doubt better than bicycling; but few of us will walk regularly day after
day ten miles in the proper form and costume, while just now we are all
willing to do twice that amount on a wheel and in correct costume. So
that bicycling, in spite of its drawbacks, is distinctly to be
encouraged. There is, however, a right way and many wrong ones, and
though people may disagree on some of the details, they do not fail to
agree on general principles.

Bicycling for boys is different in most details from bicycling for
girls, and we must speak separately of these, as indeed the two should
be enjoyed separately generally. A boy always has more endurance, and
can tire out a girl in four miles. He should therefore either ride only
in company of his own sex, or he should, when riding with a girl, keep
to her standard rather than try to bring her up to his. This is hard
work for the boy, and needs his consta