Cycling Through The Years, Wednesday September 24, 2003

It's said that once we learn to ride a bike we never forget. Alongside simply offering a way to get to there from here, cycling has brought exhilaration, relaxation, exercise and just plain fun for generations.

In 1817 a German baron, Karl von Drais patented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster: two same size in-line wheels with the front one steerable, mounted in a frame which you straddled. The device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, rolling forward in a gliding walk. The 'hobby-horse' became all the rage with London society.

1865 saw pedals applied directly to the front wheel. Officially named the velocipede (fast foot) it was popularly known as 'the bone shaker'. Made entirely of wood they combined with the roads of the day for a bumpy, uncomfortable ride.

What adventures might the child's 'penny-farthing' displayed at the Dundas Museum have shared with its owner? All metal, these appeared after 1870 as metals advanced enough to provide the strength and lightness required. The pedals still attached to the front wheel; there was no freewheeling mechanism. The first to be called bicycles (two wheels) the front wheel became larger and larger, makers realizing the larger the wheel, the farther you could travel with one rotation of the pedal. 'Taking a header' became a phrase of the day. With the rider sitting so high above the center of gravity, if the front wheel was stopped by rut or stone, the entire apparatus rotated forward. The rider, legs trapped under the handlebars, was dropped unceremoniously on his head.

Costing an average worker six month's pay, 'high-wheels' enjoyed particular popularity among men of means, and became a focus of social life. In Canada, bicycle clubs formed in every major city by 1880. Riders were often very competitive, going out in all weather, challenging each other to clock up long distances and fast times. Clubs also provided numbers against the challenge of stagecoach owners who did not like sharing the roads. Each club had their own uniform with tight fitting knee length pants (nicker bockers) and a close fitting jacket with a rounded collar. These were worn with knee length stockings and a cap adorned with the club badge. In the Museum's archives is an 1893 photograph of Dundas' Dr. Harry Pirie as a young man, nattily attired in such a uniform alongside his penny-farthing.

While men were on the high-wheels, women, confined by their long skirts, took a spin on adult tricycles. These also afforded more dignity to gentlemen such as doctors and clergy. But technology continued to advance. Metal became strong enough to make chain and sprocket small and light enough for a human to power. Designs returned to the original hobby-horse style, two same-sized wheels now driven by a chain mechanism connected to the rear wheel. An Irish veterinarian, John Dunlop, trying to give his son a more comfortable ride on his tricycle, first added the pneumatic tire in 1881.

Canada then saw a phenomenal increase in the number of manufacturers and riders of bicycles. Now a practical investment for the working man as transportation, the bicycle also gave greater flexibility for leisure. Tricycles only having been practical for a turn around the park, women gained freedom with these new, more versatile models, still able to keep skirts properly covering their legs. We discover in another archival photo thirty people posed at the roadside: men in ties and bowlers, women in long skirts and hats, and several small boys in suits, each with their bicycle. It is simply titled, 'A Few of our Bicyclists'.

Whether it's the tranquility of exploring Dundas neighbourhoods, the grueling challenge of the hills leading out of the valley, or the sheer joy of the ride back down, the tradition of bicycling has echoed through the valley for years. Good times. Great memories.

website updated June 23, 2010
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