The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-07-05
Pioneer Days In Bicycling
(By X. T. Patten)

ridden the first Wneel Is naru 10 piace
The yelocipede from which the bicycle
was developed undoubtedly was In
use here in 1870, perhaps in the 1850 s
The machine of that name consisted
of two wooden wheels. perhaps ol
about equal diameter, the one follow
ing In the track of the other. These
were connected over the top by
frame upon which was mounted a
saddle for the rider. The treadles
were a part of the front wheel so that
in applying power, man was in a
very awkward and inefficient attitude
The sensation was that of lying down
with nothing to lie on. or course
the rider added to his thrust by pull
ing on the handle bars but even then
so little power could be communicated
that 10 was practically impossible to
20 ND a hill at all, even the most
gentle ascent As matter or fact
these velocipedes were used very l1ttle
EXCEPT on the level and down hill. IL
there was an upgrade the rider usual
" got off and walked. They were a
great curiosity; considered almost as
much of an invention as the flying
machine but were never OF any prac-
tical use.
The change to the bicycle was grad
nal. It consisted in increasing the
size OF the front wheel with cores
bonding decrease in the rear or trail
ing wheel, This made 1t possible
TO locate the saddle more nearly over
the pedals, permitting the rider to
apply his weight and strength to
much greater advantage. With THIS
tyne OF machine, which commenced to
70 into general use about 1880, rider
could maintain ten or fifteen miles
an hour and could conquer consider
able grades. The change involved
q rather important disadvantage.
Mounted almost over the pedals the
rider was in danger of being precepf-
tated over the front wheel. II 1t
dropped into hole or encountered an
obstruction the wheel itself was, likely
to stop, while the rider kept on,
taking what was termed O header.
The danger OF this sort Of thing was
constant. 1t is a wonder that anyone
even rode a high bicycle single
season and lived to tell the tale. AS
matter of fact there were many
l serious accidents. No doubt there
are yet people with imperfect. wrists,
elbows, knees and other deformities,
resulting from falling over into the
highway from the "ordinary' bicycle.
These machines have handed down
one bicycle term which ought to be
explained right here. You people
who ride the Safety OF the present
day are apt to talk about gears.
Some will demand IS, another 10;
pSrhaps another rider will want q 70.
Can you any.o you tell what this
term means or how 1t originated? In
the old days of course six foot man
had to have wheel larger than 9
little chap OF five feet six. The size
or the wheel depended upon the length
/; Of the leg. In selecting mount In
the olden days you picked out one so
that you could comfortably reach
from the saddle to the pedal at Its
lowest extremity. recall that my
first wheel was "a inch, Standard
Columbia. 1t really was not quite
big enough.
Ny next purchase was b6 inch
Expert. At one time think ! had n
50 inch wheel. Now when Safeties
came into use there was popular
notion, for which there probably
never was reason, that man should
select the gear for his Safety to cor
respond with the high wheel he had
nreyiously ridden. For example, In
selecting my first Safety l chose 81.
This meant that II was so geared that
one revolution Of the pedals would
Gerry 1t as far on the ground as one
revolution Of a Sc inch high bicycle.
Later on we ignored the relationship
between the high wheel and the
Safety and chose any gear we saw
At. The term gear will always be
II use with relation to the Safety
bicycle but few will know what 1t
really means.
Returning again to the ordinary
oy high bicycle recall that we used
70 ride UP Baptist Hill and Nell Hill
INIT ascents of this kind We're n ter
rible struggle. From time to time
there used to be hill climbing contests
IN various parts of the state. ! re-
call participating in one at Portland,
m Clark Street Hill. We had to
sfsrt away down under an overhead
bridge somewhere and around turn
II was a mighty steep place; only a
few of those who tried were able to
ride It. I can recall pushing my
wheel to the top but being thoroughly
exhausted In the effort. When we
were on the road and really planned
to make the best use of our muscle
FOR a long ride, we always walked
the steep hills. In descending we
adopted the custom Of throwing our
Iers over the handle bars. This was
psrilous enough but much safer than
riding with the feet on the pedals
Il YOU took header you could jump
free from the wheel and were some
what more likely to escape without
broken limbs. AS I look back ana
recall coasting down Tobey Hill ana
the various other steep inclines OF
Somerset County and elsewhere
sometimes in the dark, marvel that
fatalities were not more numerous.
The Safety commenced to displace
the high wheel In about 1885. the
first one I ever saw was ridden In a
race which we had at Fairview Park
ON July Attn of that year. It was
i l.. ~ H.