Bicycle lanes in Chicago, 1897

[Reid]

What do you think of dedicated bicycle lanes?

Would draymen respect them? What about the new self-powered vehicles?

Perhaps the first proposal for bicycle lanes,

https://archive.org/stream/bearings165181897cycl#page/325/mode/1up

Notice, too, the maximum speed of the electric wagons. Sixteen miles per hour was not dictated by the technology. It was the engineers' consideration of the extreme Wattage cost of fighting wind resistance at over 20mph with a boxy vehicle (wind begins to affect mileage at about 15mph for boxes and bikes alike) and, of course, the practical considerations of existing road traffic of that day.

Bicyclists in 1897 were about to pushed off USA roads. Cycling was about to become passe, considered suitable for poor people only. The great bicycle boom years were past in 1897 when, concurrently, the great glut of makers of virtually all the same product began going out of business in crushing financial failures.

Just as lanes dedicated to bikes were about to be instituted, they were not, perhaps for the practical reason that bikes were about to become seriously uncool. By 1900 if you had money for a good bike you saved that money to buy an automobile.

I was struck by the juxtaposition of the announcement of the arrival of horseless dray wagons in Chicago and the proposal for bicycle lanes in the same column inch. Ironic and, as our (usa) president would say, SAD!

 

[bob armani]

What do you think of dedicated bicycle lanes?

Would draymen respect them? What about the new self-powered vehicles?

Perhaps the first proposal for bicycle lanes,

https://archive.org/stream/bearings165181897cycl#page/325/mode/1up

View attachment 23326

Notice, too, the maximum speed of the electric wagons. Sixteen miles per hour was not dictated by the technology. It was the engineers' consideration of the extreme Wattage cost of fighting wind resistance at over 20mph with a boxy vehicle (wind begins to affect mileage at about 15mph for boxes and bikes alike) and, of course, the practical considerations of existing road traffic of that day.

Bicyclists in 1897 were about to pushed off USA roads. Cycling was about to become passe, considered suitable for poor people only. The great bicycle boom years were past in 1897 when, concurrently, the great glut of makers of virtually all the same product began going out of business in crushing financial failures.

Just as lanes dedicated to bikes were about to be instituted, they were not, perhaps for the practial reason that bikes were about to become seriously uncool. By 1900 if you had money for a good bike you saved that money to buy an automobile.

I was struck by the juxtaposition of the announcement of the arrival of horseless dray wagons in Chicago and the proposal for bicycle lanes in the same column inch. Ironic and, as our (usa) president would say, SAD!

Very cool read, "Reid"! With pre-prohibition around the corner at that time, those bootleggers had to have a more capable vehicle to carry all of those barrels of alcohol from point A to point B. Can you see them strapping one of those on a bicycle rear rack? LOL.

 

[Reid]

Very cool read, "Reid"! With pre-prohibition around the corner at that time, those bootleggers had to have a more capable vehicle to carry all of those barrels of alcohol from point A to point B. Can you see them strapping one of those on a bicycle rear rack? LOL.

"After the fair is over," refers to the 1893 world's fair in Chicago, the Columbian Exposition. My own kin, a four year old grandfather, was there.

In a sense, because we all are their determined posterity, we all cycled then and there, and all we have to do is to remember and also appreciate, how much easier it is to live well today because of general progess and also the little-changed technology of bicycling:

 

[bob armani]

"After the fair is over," refers to the 1893 world's fair in Chicago, the Columbian Exposition. My own kin, a four year old grandfather, was there.

In a sense, because we all are their determined posterity, we all cycled then and there, and all we have to do is to remember and also appreciate, how much easier it is to live well today because of general progess and also the little-changed technology of bicycling:

Love this. I may have had some 3rd generation relatives attend. My grandmother was born in Chicago in 1889. I have seen a lot of local history on this event. What an awesome way to celebrate during trying times back then. So many things here in Chicago have evolved. The one thing I marvel most is the building architecture that was erected over the years. So breathtaking and a stunning skyline.

 

[Reid]

Love this. I may have had some 3rd generation relatives attend. My grandmother was born in Chicago in 1889. I have seen a lot of local history on this event. What an awesome way to celebrate during trying times back then. So many things here in Chicago have evolved. The one thing I marvel most is the building architecture that was erected over the years. So breathtaking and a stunning skyline.

And that is so right! Here is my paternal grandfather in Chicago, high school graduation, 1907, he was born in 1889.


These thing, relics, recalls, do not matter. But they do, inasmuch, at the prime basis:

we reproduce soley to continue ourselves.

Why?

Because it's fun to re-cycle

(pardon the pun) .

 

[Reid]

It was a different era.

Mores were upheld against eternally-present greed and corruption!

What would Washington say, if he were to come to life today?

Grin, you just know I have some ancient video homily to project, ha ha!

The key word is projection of the ego. I say it's good if the purpose is to try to make some small improvement, to

think of others for a change.

To hide your own light under a bushel is to darken the world.

And that is a fact.

 

[bob armani]

And that is so right! Here is my paternal grandfather in Chicago, high school graduation, 1907, he was born in 1889.
View attachment 23336

These thing, relics, recalls, do not matter. But they do, inasmuch, at the prime basis:

we reproduce soley to continue ourselves.

Why?

Because it's fun to re-cycle

(pardon the pun) .

Wow, very cool indeed. Most of my relies where on the west side near Douglas Park back at that time. It has changed quite a bit since then.

I also have a full album of a relative that performed in silent movies (with signatures) along side of Laurel and Hardy just before they became a famous in West Hollywood. They performed some very physical maneuvers with very little props back then while filming. Very nostalgic.

 

[Reid]

Wow, very cool indeed. Most of my relies where on the west side near Douglas Park back at that time. It has changed quite a bit since then.

I also have a full album of a relative that performed in silent movies (with signatures) along side of Laurel and Hardy just before they became a famous in West Hollywood. They performed some very physical maneuvers with very little props back then while filming. Very nostalgic.

Wish you would share that material here!

 

[john peck]

What do you think of dedicated bicycle lanes?

Would draymen respect them? What about the new self-powered vehicles?

Perhaps the first proposal for bicycle lanes.

I was struck by the juxtaposition of the announcement of the arrival of horseless dray wagons in Chicago and the proposal for bicycle lanes in the same column inch. Ironic and, as our (usa) president would say, SAD!

I'll bet Rockerfeller put a stop to that notion. Say Reid, check this out on today's "New Atlas"(gizmag) That disc is flat not conical: It is
supposed to reduce drive train fiction by 49%. This is a whole new ballgame for hub motor vs. mid-drive.