Past Masters

[bagpuss]

From "Cycling"1891.
One of the roads hard men.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 8/sizes/l/

 

[daccordimark]

Wow, disc wheels front and rear and the chainwheel is on the wrong side.
Proper fixed wheel as well with no brakes. A true hard man of the road.

 

[Old Ned]

Wow, disc wheels front and rear and the chainwheel is on the wrong side.
Proper fixed wheel as well with no brakes. A true hard man of the road.

They look like discs due to the artist's impression of speed but he's also drawn the opposite side chainstay and fork blade which gives the game away. Disc wheels were known in those days, nothing's new! The 'wrong side' chainring could be authentic as there were all sorts of innovative ideas around in those days. Brakes as we know them didn't exist, just a piece of bent metal rubbing on the front (solid usually) tyre. Only very slightly better than absolutely useless.

Racing cyclists were a hardy breed in that era. Chased by the police, harassed by horse riders, verbally abused by urchins. Not much has changed, has it!

 

[bagpuss]

Here is another classic .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 456874687/

 

[Old Ned]

Here is another classic .
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 456874687/

I think that bike is rather like a Slingshot and may even have a spring as part of the 'downtube' element.

 

[bagpuss]

A club run 1890.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/74418119@N ... 456874687/