Evening star., 1942-10-04
When the Bicycle Was King and They Had Them Built for Ten

were the well-known and popular 100
mile century runs" usually made on
Sundays and holidays, with cups and
medals for the survivors" Riders on
multiple-seated machines often helped
as PAGERS for these contests.
Features Of some Of the large meets
were handicap and pursuit races, and
unusual contests such as relays in which
triplets, quads, quints and sextettes were
used at different stages Of the same race,
A Racing Tricycle..
The Oriten was not the only freak OF
the period, and one odd craft seen at the
New Jersey State Fair in Trenton AZ
years ago this fall was racing tricycle.;
hybrid that was part bicycle, part
motorcycle and part automobile.
One fair visitor described it as % per
cent cycle and per cent horseless car
riase, while others suggested the designer
was Scot who preferred to buy tires in
sets OF three, instead of four. Powered
by a 2,x-horsepower De Dion motor,
which the operator assisted by pedaling
when starting or on grades, its front
wheel was detachable to allow the driver
to install pair of wheels and an extra
seat, making it quadricycle.
The bicycle designers were as impor-
tant in those times as the engineers OF
the automotive industry today. Their
ideas hastened the development of the
motorcycle, which really emerged from
the racing bicycles, and contributed In
some ways to the early progress OF the
automobile.
One OF the first successful American
motor tandem bicycles was the lTyphoon,
built IN Middletown, Conn.,, in 1899. This
also was powered by an engine that was
assisted in the pinches by the pedalinv
OF the riders Built by Oscar Hedstrom
for c. s. Henshaw, 1t established a To-
mile worlds speed record at the PAM
American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901
while being ridden in open competition
by these two men, the famous tandem
bicycle team OF Henshaw and Hedstron.
In the age of airplanes, and SUPER
highways built exclusively for the fast
passenger automobiles Of the average
citizen, 1t Is interesting to recall a speed
contest Of the late COS sponsored in New
York by the World, which offered prizes
for the persons who made the fastest
time between its 125th street office and
the Pulitzer Building, on Park Row.
approximately II miles apart, using any
means of transportation.
As contestants were about to start from
Harlem at the crack Of . pistol shot-,n
foot. on horseback, on bicycle, and by
other means Of transportation Hen.
shaw was ready with two motor tricycles.
one operated by an associate.
Mr.. Henshaw didn't start, however ~.
cause he had some important engage
ments in the immediate future. and ths
police captain Of the district was stand
ing nearby threatening him with arrest
If he got under way, declaring his ma
chine was 50 speedy and noisy ii would
panic the horse trafic all the way down
town. His associate got away with ths
rest, but came to grief at Columbus
Circle, about one-third OF the vav toshis
destination. when policeman threw his
nishtstick into the front wheel to halt
him. Tearing along at al Of Ia miles
an hour, the driver took Z header that
sent him to the hospital instead Of tina
station house. '''
A messenger boy won the race. using
the elevated railroad. tt