The need to develop a flat-proof bicycle tire began a few minutes (or maybe it was a few miles) after J.B. Dunlop, an Irish veterinary surgeon, invented the pneumatic (air-filled) tire all the way back in 1888. Let’s take a look at some of the early, unsuccessful, and sometimes humorous attempts to do away with … Continue reading The Historic Quest to Invent a Flat-Proof Bicycle Tire
Tag: bicycle history
Bicycle Toes, the Bicycle Nose & Throat, Bicycle Heart and the Dreaded Bicycle Leg – Are They Real?
My recent story on Bicycle Face is just the start of the numerous cycling-related maladies that afflicted wheelmen and wheelwomen in the 1890s. From the tops of their heads to the tips of their toes, these cyclist mangled, warped and ruined their bodies with every pedal stroke. Or, so it seemed, according to several prominent … Continue reading Bicycle Toes, the Bicycle Nose & Throat, Bicycle Heart and the Dreaded Bicycle Leg – Are They Real?
Do You Have A Bad Case of the Bicycle Face?
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?
The Handle Bar Toilet Case, the World’s 1st Recumbent Bike & Other Wacky Cycling Stories
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
Bicycle History: The International Crime & Punishment Episode
It seems bicycles and crime go together, all around the world. I found lots of fascinating stories from back in the day, so, court's in session … Smuggling on the French-Belgian border, 1897 The duty on pepper was crazy high back then. So darn high that “poor people have almost ceased to know what pepper … Continue reading Bicycle History: The International Crime & Punishment Episode
The Biking France Blog 