Bicycling in 1898
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,146
Mentioned: 481 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3804 Post(s)
Liked 6,642 Times
in
2,602 Posts
Bicycling in 1898
Someone in my regional rando group posted this link:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5844...-h/58444-h.htm
Lots of hilarious opinion of the era. In keeping with a recent thread on tire savers, there's this:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5844...-h/58444-h.htm
Lots of hilarious opinion of the era. In keeping with a recent thread on tire savers, there's this:
Mr. Osborne of Brooklyn recently offered a carpet sweeper belted to the front wheel, which “will thrust aside small objects, such as nails, tacks, glass, sharp stones and the like, and leave a free path for the passage of the wheels of the bicycle.” This we respectfully refer to the Department of Street Cleaning.
Likes For nlerner:
#2
Monkey Boy
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Herndon, VA
Posts: 244
Bikes: '22 Surly Straggler, '15 Breezer Downtown EX, '19 Motobecane Record (fixie)
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Liked 90 Times
in
54 Posts
Now I really want a gas-powered lantern for my commuter bike!!!
__________________
Artist | Musician | Bass Player
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. (o.o)
Artist | Musician | Bass Player
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. (o.o)
#3
ambulatory senior
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Peoria Il
Posts: 5,998
Bikes: Austro Daimler modified by Gugie! Raleigh Professional and lots of other bikes.
Mentioned: 76 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1954 Post(s)
Liked 3,658 Times
in
1,677 Posts
Ty!
#4
SE Wis
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,500
Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970
Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2741 Post(s)
Liked 3,388 Times
in
2,051 Posts
Likes For dedhed:
#5
Bike Butcher of Portland
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,630
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4677 Post(s)
Liked 5,790 Times
in
2,279 Posts
Pretty sure Jan Heine plagarized a lot of this in his latest book.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Likes For gugie:
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,146
Mentioned: 481 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3804 Post(s)
Liked 6,642 Times
in
2,602 Posts
Likes For nlerner:
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 536
Bikes: Vilano Urbana, DownTube FS9, Montaque paratrooper, Nano mini-velo, Motobecane CX, Raleigh 20, MIFA folder, ROG Pony, Iverson Grand Touring folder, Exclusiv German folder
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 168 Post(s)
Liked 191 Times
in
119 Posts
Across Asia on a Bicycle by Thomas Gaskell Allen and William Lewis Sachtleben
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/311...lcome_stranger
Likes For mirfi:
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,432
Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 565 Post(s)
Liked 1,045 Times
in
541 Posts
Quite excellent nlerner . Good find!
People that think Bio-pace is weird need to have a gander at ^^.
People that think Bio-pace is weird need to have a gander at ^^.
Likes For RustyJames:
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Peoria, IL
Posts: 4,469
Mentioned: 86 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1827 Post(s)
Liked 3,367 Times
in
1,573 Posts
Browsing through this stuff really gives a feel for what was going on in the business! I had no idea that shaft drive versus chain drive was still a big debate, nor that there were so many versions of shaft drive available!
Another aspect is just a look at the culture and idioms. In the days of high wheel bikes, they were often just called "wheels". Hence the term wheelmen and such. Interesting that bikes are still called "wheels" after two same-sized wheels were the standard. I guess it takes a while to drop some conventions... and maybe I should quit calling my bikes "ten speeds"??
Honestly, this sort of thing can be a black hole for my time. When I was in college, I'd look for a quiet spot in the library to work on homework, and then get distracted by whatever books were nearby. One such book was a compilation of "Cycling" newsletters. These dated from the 1880's or so, and were titled "Cycling" so as to include trikes along with bikes. Fascinating reading! I recall one road test of rubber tires. These were the basic solid tires that had a wire core to attach them to the rim. You'd think that this sort of technological improvement would be appreciated, but the reviewer didn't like them.... they were slower than the steel rims. Nice to know that it's not just me that rebels against "unnecessary" technological changes.
Steve in Peoria
(I actually do still have one bike set up with just 10 speeds)
Another aspect is just a look at the culture and idioms. In the days of high wheel bikes, they were often just called "wheels". Hence the term wheelmen and such. Interesting that bikes are still called "wheels" after two same-sized wheels were the standard. I guess it takes a while to drop some conventions... and maybe I should quit calling my bikes "ten speeds"??
Honestly, this sort of thing can be a black hole for my time. When I was in college, I'd look for a quiet spot in the library to work on homework, and then get distracted by whatever books were nearby. One such book was a compilation of "Cycling" newsletters. These dated from the 1880's or so, and were titled "Cycling" so as to include trikes along with bikes. Fascinating reading! I recall one road test of rubber tires. These were the basic solid tires that had a wire core to attach them to the rim. You'd think that this sort of technological improvement would be appreciated, but the reviewer didn't like them.... they were slower than the steel rims. Nice to know that it's not just me that rebels against "unnecessary" technological changes.
Steve in Peoria
(I actually do still have one bike set up with just 10 speeds)
Likes For steelbikeguy:
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 536
Bikes: Vilano Urbana, DownTube FS9, Montaque paratrooper, Nano mini-velo, Motobecane CX, Raleigh 20, MIFA folder, ROG Pony, Iverson Grand Touring folder, Exclusiv German folder
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 168 Post(s)
Liked 191 Times
in
119 Posts
I recently read the "Cycling through Asia" book. And one theme the students are constantly subjected to is, "you came from where?!?!" to "there is danger ahead". So I started googling those areas and fell into a wiki black hole about the craziness going on in western China 1870-80's. Those guys really shirted some dangerous areas.
#12
Senior Member
Looks like an opportunity to repost this photo of my great grandmother's bike club. She is second from right.
Likes For Sluggo: