ROAD CYCLING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17865, 5 June 1926, Page 7

ROAD CYCLING.

THE CHOICE OF MACHINE. Sportsmen who reach the top of their class are usually temperamental beneath their calm exterior because the nervous system dominates the muscles of the. body and controls its action in attaining to the high standard demanded by modern sport. .This applies particularly to road cycling, a sport that is now “booming” in Auckland. It is the little details which affect the nerves, for better or for worse, of the more brilliant sportsman, who uses brain as well as brawn. Among these details in cycling is “liveliness” in the machine. Liveliness is given to a road racing cy-cle by- the quality of the tyres, and in the correct springing of the saddle and its pattern, which should be adapted to the rider’s individual requirements. The width and position of the handle-bars are very important factors, and so are the size and shape of the frame. Expert riders usually get their cycles specially built for them to their individual requirements, and those who care to go to the extra cost will find it worth while But it is doqbtful whether the novice will know what he wants. It requires experience before he is in a position really to judge. In any case, if he gets a standard machine, made by a maker of repute, he will not go far wrong at the beginning of his cycling career. A last word of advice, to novices: “Take heed of all you hear from older and more experienced enthusiasts than yourself.”