TheWashCycle

The Bicycle's 200th Birthday: The first bike ride

In addition to being the 50th anniversary of the Loving decision, today is also the 200th birthday of the bicycle. We know that from the journal of the bicycle's inventor Karl Drais. Below is a translation of his journal entry for that first ever bicycle ride.

Today I have tested the machine, and it is wondrous. I can cover greater distances with less effort than walking and without requiring a horse. I think it is possible that this will become a useful means of transportation, at least until a method of attaching a motor is developed. 

Despite my excitement, I do have some concerns. My ride filled me with such a sense of freedom that I fear I became a bit arrogant and possibly even self-righteous with a willful disregard for the law and for people on foot. Nonetheless, I'm sure that this is a temporary sensation and will not become a problem in the future.

As I rode down the carriageways I was greeted with glances of wonderment and words of encouragement. Shouts of "What are you doing?" "What is that?" and "Get in the bike lane!" echoed behind me as I rode along.

Not all were so positive as many a sideway glance did I get along the way; and when I stopped to allow crossing traffic to pass, Joseph Fischer rudely asked me if I had left my helmet at home. 

I rode briefly through town where traffic was heavy and, though I'm embarrassed to admit it, I was at times fearful. It occurred to me that space between the sidewalk and the parked wagons could be set aside for people on this machine (that I will either call the "Laufsmachine", "Segway" or "Yugo") so that they may safely traverse dense areas. I'm sure such a common-sense idea will quickly take hold. 

One last thing, when I stopped 7th street some jerk shoaled me. I mean really. Could he not see that I was the superior rider? I quickly dropped him and celebrated my victory with a 180 degree nose pivot. 

 

From the archives: Who hasn't been in a profane mood at times

From July 30, 1880

From the Archives: Biking to work

 The League of American Bicyclists organized the first Bike to Work Day in 1956, but WABA organized the first one in DC in April 1977, about 5 years after it was formed. Of course people had been biking to work in DC for far longer than that. 

By 1898 ...a division head in the Treasury Department noted that there were 400 Treasury Department workers riding daily to work, for whom the department was building a bicycle stable.

In 1980, the federal government saw real potential in bike commuting (this was during the 1970's energy crises that spawned movies like the Road Warrior)

A study released by the DOT estimates that by 1985 the number of bike commuters could reach one to two million nationwide. In 1975 there were only about 470,000 such riders. DOT has launched the study to find ways of increasing bike riders,hip as a form of transportation. Bill Wilkinson of DOT's Environmental Safety Office, says the department will now attempt to find out "what the obstacles to bike use for transportation are, what the potentials are and how much energy can. be saved through wide-spread bike use." The study found that the country could save between 300 and 600 million gallons of fuel per year and significiantly reduce air pollution if the number of bikers continues to increase.

It didn't quite work out that way. In 1980 there were about 530,000 bike commuters and by 1990 the bike commuting rate would actually drop from 0.5% to 0.4% and the total number down to 500,000. But starting in 2000 that began to turn around. Nonetheless, there still aren't quite one million bike commuters in the US, let alone two million

While cheap gas probably played a part in that, a lack of investment didn't hurt.

As a result of the study, Secretary of Transportation Neil Goldschmidt has announced a program to make bicycle commuting easier and safer and raise it to the level of a "full-fledged" transportation mode. The DOT program will work toward the elimination of hazards such as narrow traffic lanes and inadequate shoulders, provide training in bicycle skills, promote increased enforcement of traffic laws related to bike accidents, provide more bike parking facilities and work toward increased bicycle use in conjunction with mass transit. 

Much of this wouldn't start until the late 1990's, which is when bike commuting did start to pick up. 

From the Archives: Bicycle Back

In addition to "bicycle face" another hidden danger of bicycling identified in the 19th century appears to be "bicycle back" as noted in this June 30, 1880 blurb in the Evening Star

Bicyclists will do well to meditate on the following ominous paragraph in the last London Truth: "it may be noticed that many young men you meet nowadays are prematurely round-shouldered and walk with bent knees and a sort of crab-like movement. This is not the result of over-study or weakness, but the consequence of perpetual wobbling on what is called the 'steel horse.' This peculiar and ungraceful appearance, which is becoming indelibly stamped on many youths, is known as the 'bicycle back.'"

Alas, bicycle back is not covered by Obamacare. 

A pro-cycling magazine "The Wheel World" took a different bent to the issue

The wretched habit of riding with the body inclined forward has 
produced an habitual bent attitude with several riders, and given 
rise to a prejudice against the sport itself, as producing a " bicycle 
back." Nearly all oarsmen have this form of back, and it has not 
proved detrimental ; but it is ungainly, and the methods by which 
it is acquired on a bicycle are entirely unnecessary. Erect riding is 
more graceful, develops the chest, and add ; an exercise to the 
muscles of the throat and chest that rowing d )es not. 

The exposure to out-of-door air, the constant employment of the 
mind by the delight of changing scenery or agreeable companion- 
ship, add their contribution, and make bicycling, to those who have 
tried practically every other sport, the most enjoyable, healthful, 
useful exercise ever known. 

 There was also, it seems, something called "bicycle tongue" but I have no idea what that was. 

From the Archives: The result of those races

Back in November, there was a post about the 1st annual races of the Capital Bicycle Club, and I know you've all been waiting in anticipation to hear about the results, so here they are.

About 5000 spectators (most of them ladies) showed up to watch. The first race was a sprint around Logan Circle (then still Iowa Circle) which was won in a time of 41.75 seconds by a man named Chester (What's the Strava time on that now I wonder). Borden then won the mile race in 3 minutes and 25 seconds. Coyle won the 5 mile race in 19:25. Borden then won the slow race when everyone else fell off their bikes. So now you know. 

 

From the Archives: Strava Beta Version

"Wear Bloomers like mine and see if your log book does not record a proposal" said the Naughty Girl

From an article in the October 25, 1896 Morning Times about the Boulevard Belle "She Carries a Record of her Daily Bicycle Rides" one learns of the importance of a bicycle log book (and apparently, the right bloomers).

In the log book, cyclists could record crashes on the "Caution" pages, good places to ride under "Pleasant Paths" and draw pictures of the roads under "Supplemental". Ah 19th Century facebook.

But the main purpose seems to be to record flirtations both big and small. "The light that goes out and is made to burn again by a pair of fine eyes, a blonde mustache, a fine heart and a match." [I should have warned you this is NSFW]

One such flirtation that was recorded goes something like this:

Today Rex told me loves me. He mentioned it at the end of the asphalt, where we dismounted for a soda before heading back. He said "You have pushed* your way to my heart. My tires are inflated with love when I see you. With one hand you have steered me on until I see your light ever burning before me."

Damn Rex. That boy's got game. Such smooth words seemed to have worked as she replied

"You have gained complete control of my handlebars. I cannot back pedal against your affections. My cyclometer and yours shall henceforth tick as one."

And there are your wedding vows young lovers. Now if you'll excuse me, I need a cold shower.

*At the time, one was said to "push a bike". 

(Interestingly the article says that one young man is what a Frenchman would call a "Smart Alexis." I wonder if that was a derivative of a Smart Alec.

From the Archives: Switfly and Silently

The July 1974 edition of the DC Gazette had a wonderful little article on the history of bicycling in DC. It contains several interesting bits. I knew that the first American woman given a driver's license was from Washington, DC, but I didn't realize the first American woman to ride a bike was.

One hundred women on bikes led the 1892 League of American Wheelmen parade in Washington, and a local woman, Mrs. William F. Smith, was a star attraction. The wife of a local bike dealer, she claimed to be the1 first women in the U.S. to ride

Claim is unverified. The treasury had so many bike commuters, that they wanted to build them a stable.

By 1898 there were 102 bicycle shops in Washington, and a division head in the Treasury Department noted that there were 400 Treasury Department workers riding daily to work, for whom the department was building a bicycle stable. He wrote in a Star article that though he had begun his career in Washington believing that men on wheels were a "lazy set", he now effused that, these 400 were the best clerks in the department, arriving fresher and in better humor than those who rode the streetcar, and being "rustlers" in work as well as on their wheels.

And there was a "war on bikes"

The first traffic regulations in Washington were occasioned by the bicycle. Before the bike's appearance, Webb's Digest of city ordinances carried no mention of which side of the road vehicles were to be driven on, no provisions for lights or bells, no mention of speed. While the League of American Wheelmen was responsible for promoting sensible traffic regulations, by the 1890's some cyclists felt the regulations were being enforced to such a degree by what were seen as "pro-horse" forces that it amounted to no less than class discrimination.

Another 1st for DC!

Washington was the first large American city to mount police on bicycles to handle cycling offenses. A police detail on bikes led the League of American Wheelmen parade here in 1892. The police considered themselves speed demons, often participating, with much precinct rivalry, in local bicycle races.

And of course details on the Capital Bicycle Club (motto:"Switfly and Silently")

An article in the 1883 Wheelman, a national wheeling magazine, describes the Capital Club as "a little world of itself" where members could share "the pleasant interchange of thoughts and opinions which always characterize fraternal association." Most every night members would gather in the clubhouse to play dominoes, pool or whist while "cleaning bee's" went on in the machine room.

From here every Wednesday and Saturday small groups would leave on tours of exploration or "practise runs" often in the ditches, gullies and commons of East Washington. Member Bert Owen , considered the finest bicycle drill master in the city, was famous for his annual "birthday run" in the early 1880's in which he led fellow members over the most challenging routes he could find in the city.

The club was at the height of its prestige when, in 1886, in incorporated and built its own clubhouse at 409 15th Street, now part of the site of the Commerce building, with its impressive arched entrance carefully designed to accommodate two three-wheelers abreast.

But the Capital Bicycle Club was only one of many inspiring the same kind of fraternal loyalty. Lists of as many as 10 weekend runs organized by as many clubs were common in the weekend newspapers, one such column headed "Razzle, Dazzle, Sis Boom Ah; Century, Century, Rah! Rahl Rah? " The Century Club, the Columbia Athletic Club, the Washington Road Club, the Arlington Wheelmen, the National Wheelmen, the Capitol Hill Wheelmen, even the Queer Wheelmen and other had their colors, trick riders and fast racers.

I suspect by "Queer" they aren't talking about the same thing we would be today.

The Capital Bicycle Club, which disbanded in 1911 when the Commerce building claimed its clubhouse site, could still muster 60 members in 1929 to a 50th anniversary party, complete with long, reminiscent poems.

In 1936 the Arlington Wheelmen, once known for their many racing titleholders, was one of the few bicycle clubs in the country still in existence and celebrated its 48th anniversary in 1936 with a full complement of 100 members. As late as 1953 the Chain and Sproket Club held its 58th annual meeting with 13 remaining members, having never missed a monthly meeting except once during the World War I influenza epidemic.

Click here

From the archives: The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge

I was reading this fascinating history of Theodore Roosevelt Island, trying to find out what the original plan was for the downstream pedestrian path - the one that ends on the Virginia side in the middle of nowhere. Did they have a plan to connect that to something at some point in time but just didn't follow through or did they just figure that someone would eventually connect something to it? (if so construction began in 1960, so they misjudged). Anyway, I couldn't find any of the designs as presented to the CFA, or anyone else, at the time, so I don't know, but I did learn a lot of other interesting facts. The CFA approved a steel bridge design in 1955, but I'm not sure if that's even the design that was built, since permission to build it wouldn't come for another year.

• There's been talk recently of building a bicycle and pedestrian bridge between Roosevelt Island and the Georgetown Waterfront, but that wouldn't be the first time such a bridge existed. For a few months at the end of the Civil War a pontoon bridge was built to facilitate the return of captured Confederate troops. (see image at bottom)
• The Columbia Athletic Club leased the island, then known as Masons Island, from 1889-1892 and built several athletic facilities there, including a "quarter-mile bicycle and running track". Theodore Roosevelt was a member of the club. In 1890 "the Columbia Athletic Club hosted the annual meet of the American Athletic Union, drawing competitors from around the country. A new world record in the 100-yard dash was set that day at a mark of nine and four-fifths seconds. The crouching start to races is also said to have been first used on the island."
• The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) didn't want the bridge going across the island, as they planned to put a boathouse, ferry landing and outlook terrace there, but after many years they relented.
• In 1956, when the decision was made to run the bridge over the southern end of the Island, the TRA (which had control over the island) demanded, among other things, that "it include direct pedestrian and automobile access to the island." This had been included as a requirement in a 1954 Federal law authorizing the bridge.  In 1957, it was still part of the plan. Yet, the bridge provides neither, and its unclear what happened to that demand and why. I've often though it was a shame that the pedestrian path on the upstream side doesn't provide direct access to the park.

In addition to these bike relevant pieces of information, I found this interesting as well

• In the 1920's there was talk of building a stadium on the island to honor TR. "The Washington Board of Trade led an effort to build a 100,000-seat, $5 million stadium or athletic coliseum capable of hosting major national sporting events and the Olympic Games on the island"
• There was an alternate proposal, that wasn't seriously considered, to raise the island on the south side and then tunnel the bridge through it. An NPS official supported the idea enough to do a formal comparative analysis of the bridge and tunnel plans in February 1957. NCPC supported the tunnel.
• Before being called the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge it was the E Street Bridge.
• There were several ferries that connected the island to VA or DC and also several causeways between the island and VA. But from 1948 up until the current pedestrian bridge was built in 1979, the only way to get there was via ferry. The frequency and price changed many times over the years.
• In 1958, the 4th of July fireworks were launched from the island to celebrate TR's 100th birthday.

From the Archives: Christmas Velocipedes in the White House

From a December 24, 1922 paper comes this article on the history of Christmas in the White House, which includes reference to early cycling in the White House itself by the sons of James Garfield.  

And this photo of Archie Roosevelt on his bike. 

From the Archives: 1982 Bike Accidents* Study

From an October 1982 copy of the DC Gazette

*Don't get all "crash not accident" on me, I'm just quoting the thing