While I've done lots of research on Jesse James, early cycling was new to me. Back in 1887 the bicycle of choice was the Ordinary. These were the days before gears, so if you wanted to go fast, you needed a big wheel.
That, and the many unpaved roads, made bicycles very unstable and many a cyclist "took a header." The guy on the right of this picture has his legs up on the handlebars as he descends the hill, a common precaution so that if he hits a rock or pothole and does a header, he'll land on his feet. A safer (and more ladylike) option was to use a tricycle.
I'm not sure when the second edition will come out. I'll be sure to mention it here, of course!
Image from 1887 courtesy Library of Congress.
I have a good sense of balance, but those cycles would've made me nervous.
ReplyDeleteAn extreme sport for the times? Liked that image, Sean. Good luck with the writing. Research is something I enjoy as well.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered how lethal those old bicycles were. Taking a header from that far off the ground at any significant speed could easily be deadly.
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