john m flores 

Thought that I'd start a thread to share things that we find about early bicycling history in the 1800s. I'll start. Feel free to add what you can.

I have a Newspapers.com account and this is one of the earliest mentions that I can find of the word "Bicycle" It's from the May 18, 1880 edition of The Meriden Daily Republican of Meriden, Connecticut

john m flores 

1868!

dedhed

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ng-1898-a.html

​​​​​​https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ay-1889-a.html

​​​​​​https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ore-after.html

​​​​​​https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ycle-laws.html

​​​​​​https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...80-s-90-s.html

Aardwolf

I found a few back in April: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...e-cycling.html

100bikes

This books shows some of the earliest cycling related patents from Great Britain"

john m flores 

Liverpool Mercury, April 5, 1869

VELOCIPEDES FOR LADIES.

By the substitution of a basket seat in the centre of the bicycle instead of a saddle, the vehicle can be used by ladies, if any can be found with nerve and assurance enough to drive it. This mode of locomotion may suit the tastes of the fast young ladies on the Broadway of New York, or be used t as an additional attraction by the demi-monde of Paris, but even the English girls of the period would hesitate to make a public appearance upon one of these new-fashioned coursers. A party of young ladies have taken up the matter in New York preparatory to making their debut in the approaching summer, and the Velocipedist-the journal before referred to-thus describes their dress:-"Let the outer dress skirt be made so as to button its entire length in front. The back part should be made to button from the bottom to a point about three-eighths of a yard up the skirt. This arrangement does not detract at all from the walking appearance of an ordinary walking costume. When the wearer wishes to prepare for a drive, she simply loosens two or three of the lower buttons at the front and back, and bringing together the two ends of each side, separately, buttons them in this way around each ankle. This given a full skirt around each ankle, and, when mounted, the dress falls gracefully at each side of the front wheel."

terrymorse 

The Modern Bicycle, 1870 -- Hints on Training



Diet, rest, exercise. Still the basis of a sound training plan.

Note the part about the recently lifted restrictions for professionals: no vegetables. Carrot doping!

Trakhak

Unsung Connecticut Inventor Received First Patent for a Bicycle 150 Years Ago

_ForceD_

I’m actually just about to finish this book right now — Around the World on Two Wheels. About the first woman to ride a bike around the world. It happened in 1894-1895. It has lots of actual newspaper articles from cities that she visited. The general term used by them for a bicycle is “a wheel.” Singular. As in “She rode her wheel into town to a grand welcome.” for example.

Link

Dan

OldTryGuy

In my garage is a BICYLE from 1800's that is very similar to the one pictured.

Just wondering if you heard about Million Mile Freddie ???

https://www.bikingbis.com/2006/12/25...ile-bicyclist/
https://manfromallouez.wordpress.com...-mile-freddie/

Kabuki12

Bicycle by Dave Herlihy
I have this book that my wife got me a few years ago. It follows the history of bikes from early on with nice pictures and great reading. The dissents of folks seeing the bicycle as a hazard to humans as well as those that embraced the change. It was a tough sell to get people to accept the change.