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Author: Mark TwainMark Twain Date: Jan 12, 2008 13:34
Taming the Bicycle
This text was written by Mark Twain who learned to ride highwheel
bicycles in the early 1880's.
I thought the matter over, and concluded I could do it. So I went down
and bought a barrel of Pond's Extract and a bicycle. The Expert came home
with me to instruct me. We chose the back yard, for the sake of privacy,
and went to work.
Mine was not a full-grown bicycle, but only a colt -- a fifty-inch, with
the pedals shortened up to forty-eight -- and skittish, like any other
colt. The Expert explained the thing's points briefly, then he got on its
back and rode around a little, to show me how easy it was to do. He said
that the dismounting was perhaps the hardest thing to learn, and so we
would leave that to the last. But he was in error there. He found, to his
surprise and joy, that all that he needed to do was to get me on to the
machine and stand out of the way; I could get off, myself. Although I was
wholly inexperienced, I dismounted in the best time on record. He was on
that side, shoving up the machine; we all came down with a crash, he at
the bottom, I next, and the machine on top.
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Author: U-TurnU-Turn Date: Jan 12, 2008 14:46
What a great read! Thanks, Sam.
--
U-Turn
Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
-- Dave Stockton
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Author: unisteveunisteve Date: Jan 12, 2008 17:26
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Author: mikepentonmikepenton Date: Jan 12, 2008 17:41
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Author: naclydoggnaclydogg Date: Jan 12, 2008 17:57
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Author: Danny ColyerDanny Colyer Date: Jan 12, 2008 18:20
On 12/01/2008 12:34, Mark Twain wrote:
At least the people on rec.sport.unicycling enjoyed it, but I wonder
what possible reason there can have been for cross-posting to
alt.ozdebate, alt.prophecies.nostradamus, misc.writing, alt.sf.creative,
alt.book and rec.bicycles.rides.
I doubt the OP will be reading follow-ups, anyway.
--
Danny Colyer < http://www.redpedals.co.uk>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"The plural of anecdote is not data" - Frank Kotsonis
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Author: scotthuescotthue Date: Jan 12, 2008 18:38
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Author: UnibuggUnibugg Date: Jan 12, 2008 18:50
scotthue wrote:
> mike, you should put this in UniMag
I was thinking the exact same thing. What a delightful read.
Thanks for posting it, "Mark Twain". :)
--
Unibugg
johnfoss wrote:
> If riding the unicycle seems impossible at first, that only proves
> you're human. :)
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Author: tobbogonisttobbogonist Date: May 6, 2008 00:02
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