Bicycles have balls, lots of balls, which is what they called the ball bearings in the hubs of wheels back in 1890s. They require cleaning, which is what our hero, Charles Coulter of Monongahela Valley, Pennsylvania, was doing on a June afternoon in 1896. He “had the balls out of the hub and twenty six … Continue reading The Celebrated Bicycle-Eating Frog of Monongahela County (With Apologies to Mark Twain)
Author: Steve Wartenberg
New Book Alert: My Funniest, Strangest & Most Fascinating Cycling Stories Book Is Available!
It took a year and a worldwide pandemic and lockdown, but I've researched, written and finished my book on the wild and wacky - and true - cycling stories from the first golden age of cycling: The 1890s. It's all about the velo-douche and the propeller bike; lions and tigers & bears ... and bikes; … Continue reading New Book Alert: My Funniest, Strangest & Most Fascinating Cycling Stories Book Is Available!
Bicycle History: The Sky-Cycle, the World’s First Flying Bicycle
The first to fly? Wilbur and Orville Wright, right? At Kitty Hawk, in 1903. Maybe, maybe not. It depends on your definition of flying. So, let’s stretch the definition a bit, and pay homage to the great Professor Carl Myers. He was the inventor and pilot of the pedal-powered Aerial Bicycle, also known as the … Continue reading Bicycle History: The Sky-Cycle, the World’s First Flying Bicycle
Seguret: Our Favorite French Village
Do you have a favorite French village? Of course you do. Favorite is the key word here, not best. Because, if I'd written "best" French village, it could have set off a never-ending argument and destroyed friendships. Favorite is a personal choice, something you get to decide, and is based on: Sentiment, romance, memories, photographs, … Continue reading Seguret: Our Favorite French Village
Bicycle History: From the Tandem to the Quintet (5), Double Quint (10), Quindecuplet (15), Quadricycle (20) & Sextet (8) on Ice
The need to increase the number of people you could put on a bicycle was extremely important in the 1890s. Vital, it seemed. One, and then two, wasn't nearly enough. How about five, 10, or 15? No, let's make that 20. I'll start with two unusual tandems, and work my way up to the bicycle … Continue reading Bicycle History: From the Tandem to the Quintet (5), Double Quint (10), Quindecuplet (15), Quadricycle (20) & Sextet (8) on Ice
