Author: Steve Wartenberg

Do You Have A Bad Case of the Bicycle Face?

~ Steve Wartenberg ~ Leave a comment

In my last post, there was a “bicycle face” joke. And someone asked: “What’s bicycle face?” Well, since you asked … the symptoms, according to an article in the July 29, 1895 issue of the Buffalo Courier, are a face that is “usually flushed, but sometimes pale, often with the lips more or less drawn … Continue reading Do You Have A Bad Case of the Bicycle Face?

Why Did The Bicycle Cross the Road? And More Old Cycling Jokes …

~ Steve Wartenberg ~ 2 Comments

Take my bike, please! Sorry, I couldn't resist. Here are several bike-themed jokes from the 1890s that I found ... They're anything but ordinary. Ethel: Maud has been trying to learn how to ride a bicycle for four weeks now. Penelope: Is her instructor stupid? Ethel: No – handsome. Freeland Tribune, Freeland, Pennsylvania, January 6, … Continue reading Why Did The Bicycle Cross the Road? And More Old Cycling Jokes …

How Teddy Hale Ate 162.5 Pounds Of Food & Rode 1,910 Miles In Six Days

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Have you ever eaten an entire roasted chicken - or two - during a ride? Well then, you’ve probably never competed in a six-day bicycle race … in 1896. In Madison Square Garden. Teddy Hale (“the plucky and graceful Irishman”) won this epic 1896 race, covering 1,910 miles and eight laps … which equals a … Continue reading How Teddy Hale Ate 162.5 Pounds Of Food & Rode 1,910 Miles In Six Days

The Handle Bar Toilet Case, the World’s 1st Recumbent Bike & Other Wacky Cycling Stories

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A steering strap for the bicycle; an ingenious cleaning rack; perhaps the first recumbent; and … the “handle bar toilet case.” These are just a few of the new fun, fascinating, and totally true bicycle stories from 1896 – the year that was the height of the bicycle craze. Here we go … I don’t … Continue reading The Handle Bar Toilet Case, the World’s 1st Recumbent Bike & Other Wacky Cycling Stories