Forty Years of Australian Club Racing: The Dandenong Cycle Club, 1908-1948
Wednesday July 8, 1908, outside Garnar’s on the Cranbourne Road, Melbourne, at 3:23 p.m., and Mr R. West sets off on his bicycle as the limit man in the day’s race. … Continue reading
Cycling Patents of Yesteryear: No. 8 – Ulysses F. Henderson’s Bicycle-Handle, 1897
Handlebars, like saddles and pedals, are important components of the bicycle because they are the contact points between the rider and the machine. Poor adjustment or a design that doesn’t … Continue reading
Mrs F. M. Cossitt: The First Woman to Ride a Bicycle in New York?
A quick web search for Mrs F. M. Cossitt brings up a number of webpages that carry the above photo together with the caption, “Mrs F. M. Cossitt, first woman to ride a … Continue reading
The Hidden Dangers of Cycling: Is it Healthy? (Clue: yes it is)
The illustrators who worked on Punch are responsible for many a humorous cartoon that captured the concerns and interests of the day. The growing popularity of cycling in the late nineteenth century … Continue reading
Le Tour de France: Stage 11 – Saint-Gervais-Alpe d’Huez, 1990
L’Alpe d’Huez is one of the iconic scenes of Le Tour de France. Since its introduction in 1952 when Fausto Coppi kicked away from Jean Robic 4 kilometres from the … Continue reading
Cycling Shorts: Two Boys on Bicycles, 1970’s
I’m not sure exactly when in the 1970’s, or even where this photograph was taken, but the row of terraced houses makes me think this is probably somewhere in the … Continue reading
Bike Wars: The New York Midtown Bike Ban 1987
In 1987 the streets of New York were in gridlock. Nose-to-tail traffic inched its way through highways and byways, belching exhaust fumes. Through this semi-static chaos sped the bike messengers, … Continue reading
Bikes, Dancing, Picnics and Races: Rhyl Cycling Club, 1879-1906
Picture the scene: North Wales, the seaside town of Rhyl on a sunny Whitsuntide Monday in 1885. Outside the Royal Hotel a group of cyclists from clubs in Rhyl, Oxford, … Continue reading
Cycling History 