Nothing much is really new!! By 1893 wheelmen and wheelwomen were enthusiastically
trying to ride "centuries," or 100 miles in a day. Many were riding on the
1893 Columbia Century produced by the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, CT.
For customers who were serious about cycling, the Century had pneumatic tires and
an "elliptical sprocket." This was designed for the greatest power when
the rider's leg was at its most advantageous point. This innovation did not catch on
widely at this time, but by the 1980's Shimano was doing the same thing with its
"Biopace" chain ring.Tradition continues!! The Massachusetts Bicycle
Club was one of the many cycling organizations in Boston, which was the true cradle of
American cycling. In 1902, members of the club participated in a Patriot's Day
event. They were "properly" uniformed and in the good company of their
family members; all availing themselves of a more ancient mode of transport.
In time the healthful effects of bicycling were emphasized. Growing numbers of
physicians, inspired, no doubt, by fees paid by Colonel Pope, began endorsing the value of
cycling on good health. There were many conflicting opinions of the effects of the
sport, however, especially the effects of the bone-jarring ride on the uncushioned seats
and solid tires. As with many modern inventions, the criticism seemed to spark the
mind to invent new ways to overcome the detractions. First, seats underwent radical
changes offering air cushioning, cane seats and even hammock-like seats made of
cord. Then in 1889 a veterinary surgeon in Belfast, Ireland, by the name of John B.
Dunlop, devised the first pneumatic tire with an inner tube and an outer shell. This
inflatable tire quickly became standard for not just bicycles but for motorcycles and
automobiles as well. Dunlop's tire was a godsend for cyclists in search of a smooth
ride. Its value was very quickly proven when cyclist Bill Hume appeared at the
starting line of a local road race with Dunlop's air-filled tires. The laughter at
the sight of the clumsy wheels compared to the sleek strips of hard rubber on the
competitors' bikes, quickly silenced as Hume shot out in front and won by a convincing
margin. The following year, the bicycle speed records for the mile sprint was
"smashed all to smithereens" by a rider on a safety bike who rode the mile in 2
minutes, 26-4/5 seconds. While the Americans, as usual, had to tinker with the
concept, by 1890 pneumatic tires were the "thing" to the cyclist eager for the
latest technical advance.
Enormous sales were enjoyed by bicycle manufacturers in the 1890s, peaking in 1897 when
some 3,000 firms were doing business in the U.S. Estimates are that more than two
million bikes were sold in 1897. Since a saturation point was inevitable, the
industry did everything it could to postpone it. One effort was the practice of
"planned obsolescence." While some improvements were advances in
technology, many redesigns were not. Minor movements of the front sprocket back and
forth to improve torque was frequently an unjustified claim. New colors were
introduced with much fanfare. When one maker from California introduced his new blue
bikes, he claimed that the color had won more professional races than any other cycle.
A false claim that won him new sales.
People became excessively preoccupied with the science of gearing. Enthusiasts
began throwing gear numbers around in the most casual conversations, and they took every
opportunity to study the subject. A "56" gear meant that "one
revolution of the cranks will turn the driving wheel [whatever diameter it may be] an
amount equal to the circumference of a 56-inch wheel" as the "Bulletin"
explained. Great pride was invested in the gear of your wheel. Of course, at
this time your bike only had one gear!
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