Touring - 126 Years Ago Today...

...Englishman Thomas Stevens returned to San Francisco, completing the first circumnavigation of the Globe by bicycle, (also the first transcontinental crossing of the US.) http://forums.youthrights.org/images/smilies/rockon.gif

Wikipedia Article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Stevens_%28cyclist%29).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Thomas_Stevens_bicycle.jpg/389px-Thomas_Stevens_bicycle.jpg

Wow. Great story thanks for passing it on....

I like the part about "a raincoat that doubled as tent and bedroll"... early version of multi-use equipment.

Heh heh - his book, "Around the World on a Bicycle" is of course out of print, but the Second Volume "Tehran to Yokohama" is available on Google Ebooks for free! (http://books.google.com/books/about/Around_the_World_on_a_Bicycle.html?id=WQ6AAAAAMAAJ) http://forums.youthrights.org/images/smilies/rockon.gif

Heh ...
I once camped next to the Erie Canal while on a bike tour. As I recall it was within a day or two (plus or minus about a hundred and one years) of when he passed that spot. Might have been the same day.
Walked up to where the towpath would have been and looked up and down and thought about his trip.

Didn't see him.

Heh heh - his book, "Around the World on a Bicycle" is of course out of print, but the Second Volume "Tehran to Yokohama" is available on Google Ebooks for free! (http://books.google.com/books/about/Around_the_World_on_a_Bicycle.html?id=WQ6AAAAAMAAJ) http://forums.youthrights.org/images/smilies/rockon.gif

Gutenberg Press has it for download and it was reissued in paperback last year, available through Amazon.

That is back when men were real men!

Both volumes are available for free download from amazon...

Definately those U.K. blokes were of a lot tougher stock back then! On a rock crusher none the less!

Good gawd! On a highwheeler no less! What a wuss I am for complaining about my 21 speed hybrid being uncomfortable for more than 50 miles :) It's a wonder he had any teeth left when he got back, I'd be face planting every day at least.

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