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Catalog of the Cycle Collection (Smithsonian Bulletin 204)

Catalog of the Cycle Collection of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum, Bulletin 204 by Smith Hempstone Oliver was published in 1953 by the United States Government Printing Office at the Price of 40 cents.

pl. 1: 1819 a) Johnson's Pedestrian Hobby Horse Riding School, London b) Hobby Horse

Quotes

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pl. 2 a) 1819 Hand-and-foot-operated Tricycle b) 1821 Gompertz Hand-operated Velocipede
 
pl. 3
a) 1866 Lallement Velocipede
b) 1880s Star Bicycle
 
pl. 4 a) S. H. Roper 1860s Steam velocipede b) 1884 Copeland Steam tricycle (1888 photo)
 
pl. 5 a) 1886 "Wheeling on the Riverside Drive" b) 1879 Early Bicycle Club, Readville, MA
  • The bicycle, perhaps the most widely known form of mechanical transportation in the world today... is used for transportation, recreation, and business in nearly every part of the world. ...[I]n Europe... the streets in foreign cities [are] teeming with bicycles as workers pedal between home and work...
  • It is stated that a Frenchman, de Sivrac, constructed... in the latter part of the eighteenth century... a "celerifere," ...a ...wooden bar supported on two wheels and carrying a padded saddle. The front fork had no swiveling action, so the vehicle could not be steered. It was propelled by the rider's striking his feet against the ground.
  • About 1816, Baron von Drais constructed a similar machine, the front wheel... mounted in a fork that could be swiveled... to be steered. His... "Draisienne" or the "Draisine," several years later was introduced into England by Denis Johnson, whose improved version had an adjustable saddle, a cushioned rest for the forearms, and... different... handle bars. Known in England as the Pedestrian Curricle, the Hobby Horse, or the Dandy Horse, this... was in vogue in 1818 and... several years afterward. Contemporary lithographs show dandies practicing on the machine in riding academies, as well as riding it over the open road (pl. 1). It, too, was propelled by the riders striking his feet against the ground.
  • In 1821, Gompertz in England designed a machine to be propelled by the motion of the rider's arms, which, by... gearing, applied power to the front wheel (see pl. 2, b).
  • About 1840, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith, fitted cranks to the rear-wheel axle of a velocipede...
  • In Paris shortly after 1860... Pierre Michaux or his employee Pierre Lallement fitted pedals to the front-wheel axle of a velocipede, creating... the "boneshaker." Later, Lallement took up residence in New Haven, Conn., and on November 20, 1866, obtained a patent (No. 59915) covering a similar machine, entitled "improvement in velocipedes." The patent drawing reveals a saddle attached to a spring... [and] weighted, pivoting pedals.
  • The Hanlon brothers of New York City obtained a patent (No. 79654) on July 7, 1868, for an improved version of the Lallement vehicle... covering adjustable pedals and seat. ...[T]hey suggested... rubber rings could be used on the wheels to make them noiseless and... prevent... slipping... an early [suggested] use of the rubber tire. ...[P]atent (No. 86834) granted February 9, 1869, covered a mudguard over the front wheel, and a brake shoe operating against a wheel... controlled by twisting the handle bars. Although these machines achieved temporary popularity... this... waned because they were cumbersome... heavy, and required an awkward angle of thrust on the pedals, as the rider sat far behind them.
  • S. H. Roper, of Roxbury, Mass., constructed a steam-operated velocipede... (pl. 4, a) [which] appeared in the late 1860's at fairs and circuses in New England. Resembling a Hanlon-type velocipede, with wooden wheels and iron-band tires, the machine was propelled through the rear wheel... axle... fitted with cranks connected to two small steam cylinders, one on each side of the rear section of the frame.
  • In the early 1870's, bicycles and tricycles using wire wheels made their appearance, notably in England. James Starley of Coventry was one of the pioneers in this field, and.... fathered many new and ingenious features pertaining to cycling. ...English pioneer ...H. J. Lawson... built an experimental rear-chain-driven safety bicycle during this period.
  • The high-wheeled bicycle, with the saddle well forward over the large front wheel, was first produced in England and... introduced to America... at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. This... the ordinary, was the first... practical bicycle. The rider was in a position to add his weight to a downward thrust on the pedals, and, compared to... the boneshaker... it was a light-weight, comfortable machine. It was immediately popular, and the interest in bicycling increased greatly with its introduction.
  • At the close of the Exposition the unsold ordinaries were taken by the Baltimore firm of Timms and Lawford, and most of them were soon sold to the newly organized Cunningham Co., of Boston, Mass., which, in 1877, was the first bicycle importing firm in America. In the same year Albert A. Pope also began importing English bicycles, and in 1878 his company, the Pope Manufacturing Co., of Boston, Mass., became the first manufacturer of bicycles in America. In that year Pope began building bicycles under the trade name "Columbia" in the factory of the Weed Sewing Machine Co. at Hartford, Conn., and by 1895 all of his interests were concentrated in that city...
  • In 1877 the first [U.S.] bicycle periodical... "The American Bicycling Journal," was started at Boston by Frank W. Weston, and 2 years later... merged with "The Bicycling World,"... of Boston. ...[T]he first bicycle club in America was the Boston Bicycle Club, jointly founded... 1878, by Charles E. Pratt and Frank W. Weston...
  • The ordinary, or high-wheeled bicycle with the large wheel in front, was especially hazardous, as the rider was in danger of taking... a "header" [headlong fall] whenever the front wheel struck an obstruction... To circumvent this... a bicycle with the large wheel in the rear was devised. ...[K]nown as a Star, its popularity never approached that of the ordinary.
  • In 1884 or 1885 Lucius D. Copeland equipped one of these Stars with a small steam engine and a boiler, and successfully operated the machine. Two or three years later a tricycle (pl. 4, b) was similarly equipped for Copeland by the Northrop Manufacturing Co. ...[T]hese machines appeared in many engineering magazines ...and Sandford Northrop issued advertising brochures publicizing ...his Moto-cycle Manufacturing Co., but the venture proceeded no further ...one of ...many... attempts ...to produce a commercially successful self-propelled vehicle.
  • Although usually thought of as early automobiles, the original vehicles of... Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz are a part of the history of cycle development. Each produced, independently... a gasoline-engine-powered cycle in 1885. Daimler's was a two-wheeled vehicle—a motorcycle—while Benz's machine was a large tricycle with wire-spoked wheels, the single front one being... steerable...
  • The high-wheeled ordinary and the Star bicycles were succeeded by the so-called safety, pioneered by J. K. Starley, nephew of James Starley, and by Lawson, to eliminate the danger... of the rider taking a header over the high front wheel. Gradually the size of the high wheel was reduced until, by the middle 1880's, the proportions of the modern safety had been achieved. Curiously, this was a return... to the proportions of the old Hobby Horse... However, the safeties were driven by chain or shaft to the rear wheel from pedals... below the rider. Most of those produced at the turn of the century were chain driven.
  • Prior to 1898, bicycles had appeared with braking mechanisms... but... did not include coasting or free-wheeling features. The... coaster brake... appeared in the patent applications of Harry P. Townsend, of the New Departure Manufacturing Co. ...in 1898; James S. Copeland, of the Pope Manufacturing Co. ...in 1898; and William Robinson, of Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1899. These issued as patents, respectively, in 1907, 1913, and 1903. It is stated that the Townsend patent, No. 850077, contained the broad and controlling claims. The 1898 catalog of the Pope Manufacturing Co. describes the Columbia New Departure automatic brake... as a device for which a need had long existed. ...[T]he widespread adoption of the coaster brake made the bicycle ...much safer ...
  • In the 1890's interest in bicycling reached boom proportions. Production... rose from... 200,000 in 1889 to 1,000,000 in 1899... [T]he importance of the bicycle to the life of the 1890's was much greater than... today. Then, only a few score automobiles had been built, horses and carriages were expensive to maintain... and urban public transportation was... slow and frequently inadequate. The bicycle met the need for inexpensive individual transportation... for going to and from business... deliveries... recreational riding, and... sport.
  • What to moderns seems a simple device of modest and limited performance was, in the relatively unmechanized 1890's, a swift vehicle and a fine machine. Owners were drawn together by their interest in it as a mechanism, as well as in riding or racing, and bicycle clubs were a part of the social and sporting scene.
  • A nation-wide bicycle club, the League of American Wheelmen, was formed... 1880... through... efforts of Kirk Munroe... and Charles Pratt. ...[T]he influence of its numbers [above 100,000] was an effective promoter of good roads.
  • Bicycle racing... had a large and enthusiastic following... and the demand for lighter and faster bicycles accelerated... improvements...
  • Charles M. Murphy... 1899, on a board surface laid between the rails of the Long Island Railroad... riding within a hood... at the rear of a car, kept up with the car as it was pulled by a locomotive at... 60 miles an hour. ...[H]e became known as "Mile-A-Minute Murphy." His record was surpassed... 1911, when Alfred Letourner pedaled a mile in 33.05 seconds on a highway in California... at... 108.92 miles an hour in the wake of a shield attached to the rear of a midget racing automobile.
  • [T]he bicycle had a decided influence on the... automobile. The bicycle introduced thousands... to individual mechanical transportation, and proved the value of many materials and parts that were subsequently taken over by the automobile designers. Ball bearings found one of their earliest uses in bicycles of 1880 or earlier. The differential unit was employed in tricycles, and various forms of freewheeling and gear-shifting devices were in use. Steel tubing, developed largely for cycle frame construction, was adopted by some early automobile builders. Pneumatic tires for cycles were patented... in the United States... 1890, by John Boyd Dunlop... of Belfast, Ireland, and were... in use on bicycles prior to that...
 
pl. 9 1869 Greene & Dyer Monocycle, Patent No. 91535
 
pl. 10 a) 1876 Child's Tricycle velocipede b) 1878 Unzicker Tricycle
 
pl. 11 a) 1879 Shire Velocipede
b) 1880 Fowler Tricycle
  • [I]mprovement in highways and street paving promoted by organized bicyclists... was an important element in the acceptance of the early automobile. ...[T]he cycle was the proving ground for the automobile.
  • As the twentieth century progressed, cycling lost its popularity... Many manufacturers of bicycles failed... but a few managed... When cycling... regained some... past distinction, these... were... to carry on... [C]hanges in design that... helped... restore interest... included... better tires, brakes, lights, suspension systems, and locking facilities.
  • During World War II, the bicycle was used by ever-increasing numbers... a necessity created by... shortage of automobiles, and... rationing... tires and gasoline. Many... remember... the advantages of... bicycle over... automobile, especially for short-distance... and have held... their 2-wheeled machines.
  • It appears that the bicycle will continue as an important factor in our economy and our everyday life for years to come.
  • GREENE AND DYER MONOCYCLE, 1869
    U.S.N.M. No. 312832... photograph No. 41054; plate 9.
    ...Allen Greene and Elisha Dyer... were granted patent No. 91535... 1869, for an "improvement in velocipede." This incomplete monocycle... represents their invention. ...[T]he vehicle crashed badly on its first trial run, and proved to be unsatisfactory. The 24 spokes and the felloe are of wood, while a thin metal band attached to the felloe serves as a tire. ...The bowed spokes radiating in from the rim are alternately connected to each side of the wheel hub. Each of these sides is composed of two metal discs bolted together, with 12 of the spokes clamped between each pair of discs.
    Within the center of the wheel a framework is suspended from short shafts extending inwards from the two sides of the hub. A swinging seat for the operator is attached to the framework. Small hand cranks are also attached to the framework near the short shaft extensions, but how they worked is not clear. The patent specifications refer to hand cranks and foot treadles jointly providing the motive power, but no treadles exist now, and the cranks are inoperative. ...[I]t is doubtful if the vehicle ever was completed.
    • See also: US91535 Greene & Dyer (Monocycle) Velocipede Patent @Google Patents.
  • UNZICKER TRICYCLE, 1878
    U.S.N.M. No. 309256... photograph No. 784-B; plate 10, b.
    ...Patent No. 204636... issued... 1878, to Otto Unzicker... for an "improvement in velocipedes" ...a tricycle propelled by the back-and-forth motion of the wooden handle bars. The bars, which also steer the tricycle, are fastened to the upright arm of a bell-crank attached to the top of the fork. Motion of the bell-crank is transmitted by connecting rods to cranks on the ends of the front-wheel axle.
    ...The sidesaddle places the rider on the left side of the vehicle. Because of the mechanical disadvantage accompanying this method of propulsion, and the relatively narrow track of the rear wheels... a full-sized vehicle would not have proven very satisfactory on the poor roads of the nineteenth century. ...Unzicker's patent was assigned... to the same Adolph Shoeninger associated with Marble.
    • See also: US204636 O. Unzicker Velocipede Patent @Google Patents.
  • SHIRE VELOCIPEDE, 1879
    U.S.N.M. No. 248087... photograph No. 30650-D; plate 11, a
    ...Built at a rather late date for this type... "boneshaker"... marked "J. Shire, Patent allowed May 10, 1879, Detroit, Mich." ...John Shire, of Detroit, Mich., was granted patent No. 216231 on June 3, 1879, covering "improvement in velocipedes."... The high, wire-wheeled ordinary was... on the market by 1879, and... this crude machine... seems anachronistic. It... was built in the future capital of the automotive world.
    The forked frame and the front-wheel fork are both made of wood with iron reinforcements. The front-wheel fork pivots... straight wooden handle bars surmounting it. The upper end of a nearly vertical wooden brace also serves as a pivot point for the front fork. The lower end of the brace is connected by iron bars to the lower extremity of the frame.
    Both of the wheels have wooden hubs, spokes, and felloes, with thin metal tires. ...Wooden crank arms, having a 5-inch throw ...not adjustable for ...working length, are attached to the front axle. Spool-shaped wooden pedals are mounted at the ends of the arms. Oil cups are mounted at each end of the two axles. A wide wooden mudguard is affixed above the rear wheel. ...There is no brake on the machine.
    • See also: US216231 J. Shire Velocipede Patent @Google Patents.
  • FOWLER TRICYCLE, 1880
    U.S.N.M. No. 309257... photograph No. 784-D ; plate 11, b.
    Patent No. 224165... February 3, 1880, to Francis Fowler... for a tricycle equipped with a ratchet connection in the hub of each driving wheel. The purpose was to enable the outer of the two driving wheels to rotate freely on the crankshaft when the machine was making a sharp turn, thus performing the function of a modern automotive differential unit.
    This model... is constructed of metal with... wooden grips on the handle bars and leather straps on the pedals of the cranks... The frame consists of a curved bar at the rear, upon which a saddle is located, and a vertical forked frame at the front pivoting in the steering head of the bar. At the top of the fork is a horizontal bracket supporting a rod which serves as the handle bars. This rod is free to be rotated within its supports in the bracket.
    Rotating the rod tightens a cord running down the curved bar and causes a brake shoe to bear against the single rear wheel mounted at the lower end of the bar. ...
    An axle is mounted at the bottom of the fork. On each end of the axle is a wheel... Cranks connect the axle and the wheel hubs.
    Each front-wheel hub incorporates a pair of double-crown, ratchet gears held together by a spring in the hub. Forward movement of the axle drives the wheels, but when the cranking is halted and the axle is stationary the ratchets open and the wheels coast. ...[T]he outer wheel slips when the machine is making a sharp turn. Each intermittent opening of the ratchets would cause the wheels to be forced slightly apart and would occasion considerable wear of the teeth, as well as a clicking noise, deficiencies not found in the Van Anden velocipede, with its pawl-and-ratchet device in the hub of the front wheel.
    • See also US224165 F. Fowler Tricycle Patent @Google Patents.
 
pl. 12 a) 1880 Hammelmman Tricycle b) ca. 1880 Smith American Lever Tricycle
  • HAMMELMANN TRICYCLE, 1880
    U.S.N.M. No. 309258... photograph No. 784-A; plate 12, a.
    Patent No. 225010... March 2, 1880, to Charles Hammelmann... for a velocipede. This model shows a tricycle propelled by two foot-operated, spring-returned levers that rock sector racks meshed with ratchet gears on the front-wheel axle.
    The model... is constructed of metal, with the exception of the wooden saddle. The frame consists of a curved bar at the rear, terminating in a fork at its lower end, and a vertical fork at the front, this fork pivoting in the steering head of the bar. A saddle is attached to the curved bar by means of a spring. At the top of the front fork are the handle bars. An axle at the bottom of the rear fork mounts two wheels...
    The front wheel... perimeter is grooved as if to mount a solid rubber tire... Mounted on each side of the front-wheel hub are ratchet gears. The wheel and gears rotate as one unit on the stationary front axle.
    Two foot-operated levers, spring-returned to their upper positions, are pivoted at the lower ends of the front fork... To each lever is attached a rack meshed with a gear that is mounted free on the front axle and next to the ratchet gear on its side of the wheel hub. A pawl on the free gear rotates the ratchet gear and the wheel in a forward direction when the foot lever is depressed. The two levers are independent of each other and are intended to be depressed alternately.
    • See also US225010 C. Hammelmann Velocipede Patent @Google Patents.

  • SMITH TRICYCLE, Ca. 1880
    U.S.N.M. No. 211501... photograph No. 38001); plate 12, b.
    [T]he American Lever Tricycle... made by the H. B. Smith Machine Co., of Smithville, N. J., well-known manufacturer of Star bicycles in the 1880's.
    The rear wheels of the tricycle have separate axles, each independent of the other, and... are rotated by pedal levers that, when depressed, pull on straps wound around overrunning clutches on the axles. Springs return the drums of the clutches to rewind the straps when the pedal levers are allowed to rise. Each wheel is provided with its own axle, clutch, strap, and lever combination. The straps can be... attached to... two positions on the levers to provide two different mechanical advantages, or driving ratios.
    The frame is of metal tubing. The three wheels have metal rims with radial wire spokes... A thin, solid rubber tire is attached to the front wheel ...rear tires are missing.
    A wooden saddle... mounted on springs is attached to the upper end of a rod that can be raised or lowered... A lever, actuating a friction brake that rubs against the tire on the front wheel, is pivoted on the right handle bar. A small metal mudguard is secured over the... front wheel.
 
pl. 13 Pedal levered:
a) ca. 1880 Smith Bicycle
b) 1885 Smith Bicycle
  • BICYCLE, Ca. 1880
    U.S.N.M. No. 248836... photograph No. 30650-F plate 13, a.
    The maker of this Star is not known... but it was probably an early product of the H. B. Smith Machine Co. ...
    One side of the triangular metal frame consists of a tube for the steering post, at the lower end of which is a fork supporting the front wheel. Straight handle bars are attached to the upper end of the post. The metal front wheel... [and rear wheel are] fitted with a solid rubber tire...
    Spring-returned, overrunning clutches are attached to the ends of the rear axle. The wheel is turned by leather straps wound on the clutches and attached to pedal levers (see the description of the Smith tricycle). The effective attachment point of the straps to the levers can be adjusted to... two positions, by... a pivoted linkage, to provide a "gear shift"... as two driving ratios are made available.
    The leather saddle is adjustably mounted upon a broad flat spring. A brake, bearing against the rear tire, is operated by a linkage on the handle bars... controlled by the... right hand. The linkage is returned by a coil spring... Another coil spring, located at the base of the steering post, serves as a shock absorber.
  • SMITH BICYCLE, 1885
    U.S.N.M. No. 279005... photograph No. 7971/2 E; plate 13, b.
    Patents No. 321819 & 321932... both issued on July 7, 1885, to William S. Kelley... Both... Star type, and claim improvements in bicycles and tricycles.
    This bicycle is... similar... to the full-sized Star previously described, its method of steering and operation being the same. The steering post is not within a tube, however. The metal front wheel is fitted with a solid rubber tire. ...The rear wheel, also ...metal, is fitted with a single-tube pneumatic tire... and... spokes.
    The leather saddle is mounted on springs and is adjustable fore and aft. The handle bars are curved. Linkage, operated by the rider's right hand, causes a spoon brake to bear against the rear tire. The linkage is returned by a flat leaf spring to the "off" position. As on the earlier Star, two driving ratios are available by shifting the effective attachment point of the straps to the foot levers.
    • Note: changed the quote order of this entry to align with plate sequence. See also US321819 & US321932 William S. Kelley Bicycle patents @Google Patents
 
pl. 14 a) 1883 Klahr Bicycle
b) 1889 New Rapid Safety Bicycle
  • KLAHR BICYCLE, 1883
    U.S.N.M. No. 309259... photograph No. 784; plate 14, a.
    Patent No. 285821... October 2, 1883, to William Klahr... for a bicycle. This model shows a bicycle of the Star type, propelled by single-acting pedal levers in combination with racks, pinions, and clutches on the rear axle.
    The model... is constructed entirely of metal with the exception of the tires. The triangular frame supports a vertical steering fork with a small wheel at the front, and a large driving wheel at the rear. Both wheels are radially wire-spoked... The upper extension of the fork is at an angle to the fork itself, and is fitted with handle bars at its upper end. A coil spring tends to keep the fork centered, with the wheel headed straight ahead...
    A rear extension of the lower or horizontal forked member of the frame extends back of the rear-wheel axle, on each side of that wheel. Long curved arms, with pedals at their front ends, are pivoted from the rear ends of these extensions. Slightly curved racks extend upwards from each arm, each rack meshing with a gear on the axle of the rear wheel. Each of these gears incorporates an overrunning clutch, so that when the arms are depressed by foot pressure the gears will drive the rear wheel forward. When the arms return by spring pressure to their upper positions, the overrunning clutches operate, and so do not hinder the forward motion of the machine. The two arms are independent... intended to be depressed alternately. Part of the gearing is missing from the right side of the model.
    A saddle is located on a leaf spring over the rear wheel. A spring-returned foot brake, operated by the left foot, is mounted in front of the rear wheel, and rubs against the rear tire.
    • See also: US285821 W. Klahr Patent @Google Patents.
  • NEW RAPID BICYCLE, 1889
    U.S.N.M. No. 201660... photograph No. 811-C; plate 14, b.
    This bicycle is one of the improved cross-frame, safety type, with a chain strut, a crank-bracket stay, and a stay between the steering head and the top of the saddle post. It is... one of... many makes of English bicycles of the 1880's and was manufactured by the St. George's Engineering Co. ...
    The frame is of metal tubing, the tangentially-wire-spoked wheels are... metal with... solid rubber tires, the handle bars are metal with wooden grips... and the saddle is composed of leather and springs. The lower end of the vertical section of the frame is articulated, for adjusting the tension of the driving chain. The single chain strut is to the left of the rear wheel, as is the chain itself. This strut, as well as the crank-bracket stay, required adjusting in order to swing forward the articulated section of the frame for tightening the chain tension.
    ...The rear-wheel sprocket is driven by a block chain from the front sprocket, which is equipped with pedals adjustable in throw from 4 3/4 to about 6 inches. There is no coaster attachment, the pedals always turning while the bicycle is in motion. Oil cups are... in the hub of each wheel.
    A small metal mudguard is... over the rear wheel, and it is thought... another was located over the... front wheel. A small footrest is attached to each side of the front-wheel fork, for... coasting. A step is attached to the left side of the rear fork, for... mounting... A warning bell is attached to the left handle bar, and a lever for hand operation of the front-wheel brake spoon is pivoted on the right handle bar. A coil spring normally holds the spoon away from the tire.
    A small leather tool bag hangs from the steering-head stay. Attached to a bracket on the front of the steering head is an oil lamp... In addition to the round clear glass in front, the lamp is fitted with a green glass in the right side and a red glass in the left side.
    • Note: changed the quote order of this entry to align with plate sequence.
 
pl. 15 Penny-farthings:
a) 1886 Columbia bicycle
b) 1886 Overman Bicycle
  • COLUMBIA BICYCLE, 1886
    U.S.N.M. No. 307217... photograph No. 797 1/2-C; plate 15, a.
    [T]his early Columbia high-wheeler, or ordinary, is a Light Roadster model of 1886.
    Sold originally for approximately $135, the Light Roadster was a lighter [36 lb. with all equipment] version of the Expert model [45 lb.]...
    [A]available with seven sizes of front wheel... 47 to 59 inches, and two sizes of rear wheel, 10 or 18 inches, depending on the... front wheel... including the thickness of the solid rubber tires.
    The felloes of the wheels are of seamless steel tubing rolled into a hollow crescent, the spokes are... steel wire, and the hub flanges are of light forged steel rigidly secured to steel axles. The axles are mounted on adjustable ball bearings.
    Adjustable, detachable cranks, providing from 4 1/4 to 5 1/4 inches of throw, are fitted to the front axle, with rubber-covered pedals attached...
    The curved perch has a tapering, circular cross section and is made of imported, cold-drawn, seamless steel tubing; the front fork is of the same material but elliptical in cross section; and the rear fork is semitubular.
  • OVERMAN BICYCLE, 1886
    U.S.N.M. No. 307216... photograph No. 811-B; plate 15, b.
    This ordinary, built by the Overman Wheel Co., of Boston, Mass., was their Victor model, and was ridden to many racing victories... [P]robably built in 1886, as the latest patent date on its nameplate is December 1, 1885.
    ...[S]imilar to the Columbia Light Roadster, though larger and of heavier construction. ...The spokes are tangentially laced to the hubs.
    Adjustable cranks with rubber-covered pedals provide for a throw... from 5 to 5 3/4 inches.
    The machine is equipped with a leather saddle, a step attached to the lower left of the curved perch, and curved handle bars. There is evidence... that a brake, operating against the tire of the front wheel, was... fitted to the machine.
 
pl. 17 Safety bicycles
a) ca. 1887 Starley Bicycle
b) 1889 Overman Bicycle
  • STARLEY BICYCLE, Ca. 1887
    U.S.N.M. No. 218218... photograph No. 811-D; plate 17, a.
    This "Psycho" bicycle, built by Starley Brothers, St. John's Works, Coventry, England, is of the improved cross-frame, safety type, with a crank-bracket stay, a stay between the steering head and the top of the saddle post, and a pair of stays from the rear end of the rear fork to the top of the saddle post. In 1887 the manufacturers of this machine were awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition at Toulouse, France.
    The frame is of metal tubing, the handle bars are metal with wooden grips... and the Brooks saddle, of leather over coil springs, is adjustable both vertically and fore and aft.
    Each wheel... has a thin solid-rubber tire and 48 radial wire spokes. The rear-wheel sprocket, on the right side of the wheel, is driven by a block chain from the front sprocket, which is equipped with pedals adjustable in throw from 5 1/1 to 6 1/2 inches. The chain tension is adjusted by moving the rear axle backwards or forwards in slots at the rear end of the rear fork. There is no coaster attachment, the pedals always turning while the bicycle is in motion. Oil cups are... in the hub of each wheel.
  • OVERMAN BICYCLE, 1889
    U.S.N.M. No. 214971... photograph No. 30650-A; plate 17, b.
    Made by the Overman Wheel Co.... this bicycle was their Victoria model, for women. It bears... nameplate... patent dates ranging... November 20, 1877, to July 9, 1889.
    ...[A] woman could sit astride without having her skirt caught on the cross bar. Its adoption... increased the popularity... and helped make cycling... sociable recreation as well as... sport and... transportation.
    The frame is of metal tubing, the wheels are of metal with tangential wire spokes, the thin tires are of solid rubber, and the curved handle bars are of metal with spade handles on each end. The saddle, made of leather stretched across several sets of coil springs, is adjustable vertically and fore and aft. A curved brace at the bottom of the frame serves to strengthen it.
    The front wheel... contains 24 spokes. The rear wheel has the same diameter but... 32 spokes. The rear-wheel sprocket... on the right side of the wheel, is driven by a block chain from the front sprocket, the latter being equipped with pedals having a nonadjustable throw of 5 3/4 inches. Adjustment of the chain tension is obtained by moving the rear axle backwards or forwards in slots at the rear end of the rear fork. There is no coaster attachment, the pedals always turning while the bicycle is in motion. Oil cups are... in the hub of each wheel.
    The front fork... is... designed to reduce the road shocks transmitted to the handle bars. It consists of a pair of hinged, straight arms and a set of four curved spring arms, so arranged that the straight arms, which are compression members, act to steady the movement of the spring arms, which carry the load and reduce the road shocks. Footrests are attached to the outer sides of the spring arms, for... coasting. A small mudguard is secured at the rear of the front wheel.
    A large mudguard is mounted over the rear wheel, a chain guard surrounds the chain almost completely, and twine laced on the mudguard and the chain guard protects the rider's skirts from becoming entangled in the wheel spokes or the chain.
    On the right handle bar is a pivoted lever that controls a rear-wheel spoon brake by means of a system of wires and pivoted arms. A wire spring at the spoon normally holds it away from the tire. A head lamp support is mounted on the upper part of the front fork.

Quotes about this Catalog

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  • Significance and Potential Reception:
    Comprehensive Catalog: The book provides a detailed catalog of the Smithsonian's cycle collection, making it a valuable resource for historians, collectors, and enthusiasts of cycling history. Historical Value: It offers insights into the technological advancements and social impact of bicycles, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Potential Audience: The book would likely have appealed to a niche audience of cycling enthusiasts, historians, and museum professionals interested in the history of technology and transportation.
    Potential Limitations and Criticisms:
    Limited Scope: While the catalog is comprehensive for its time, it might not cover all aspects of cycling history or include later developments. Technical Focus: The book's focus on technical details and specifications might not appeal to a broader audience interested in the cultural and social history of cycling. Accessibility: The book's technical language and specialized nature might have limited its accessibility to a general audience.
    ...[S]pecific reviews and criticisms might be difficult to find due to the book's age and specialized subject matter.
    • Google Gemini, "Insights into the book's reception and significance based on its content and the historical context" (Nov 16 2024)

See also

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