A Barber Shop On Wheels in the 1890s

No odder use has been found for the bicycle than that to which it has been put by a barber, August Leibman, of Gravesend, [Long Island, New York]. Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY, December 20, 1896 Was this the oddest use of a bicycle? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s the link to my previous post on … Continue reading A Barber Shop On Wheels in the 1890s

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A Cheap Bicycle Is Better Than A Dead Horse & More Bicycle Proverbs

There’s nothing better than a good, old-fashioned bicycle proverb. And so, here are several from the newspapers of 1896, back when newspapers were the social media of the day. Some of these silly cycling proverbs rhyme and several still ring true more than a century later. Quickly to bike and quickly to spin … Makes … Continue reading A Cheap Bicycle Is Better Than A Dead Horse & More Bicycle Proverbs

Is the Loop Around Lake Annecy the Most Beautiful Ride in All of France?

I have found one of the most perfect and beautiful rides: the loop around Lac d’Annecy (Lake Annecy). It has everything: *A beautiful lake that is … *Surrounded by mountains on all sides and is dotted with … *Little villages, and, there’s a … *Bike path for 35 of this 38-kilomter ride, and … *You … Continue reading Is the Loop Around Lake Annecy the Most Beautiful Ride in All of France?

Two More Cols (the Romme and the Ramaz) and A Mont Blanc Sighting

That's Mont Blanc off in the distance, dominating the skyline I have a new strategy to help me decide where to ride: I will only climb cols (mountains) that have been in the Tour de France. Actually, it’s not so much a set-in-stone, snooty-sounding strategy as it is a happy coincidence that so many of … Continue reading Two More Cols (the Romme and the Ramaz) and A Mont Blanc Sighting