Originally Posted by
RandomlyWest
Great post! Factoring in inflation, the top-of-the-line $100 Yellow Fellow = a $3,000 bike in 1890s terms, though you get more for your money for $3K today.
Here's the amazing thing to me, how little bicycles have changed in 125 years.
IKR. I've always known how similar early bikes were, but the book really shined a new light on it. Pneumatic tires were new at that time and a big deal (developed by John Dunlop, veterinary surgeon who ran a veterinary clinic and experimented making pneumatic tires for his child's tricycle).
The biggest surprise is the weight of the bike, rather stunning to me, and the distances he rode/day(69 miles/day avg..very respectable even today). I wouldn't have imagined it possible given the roads(or lack of), trails, cowpaths, 8 inch deep dust "good roads", RR tracks... he rode on. He basically rode from early morning (5-7am) to sundown , and beyond if need be, with no lights to see the road he wasn't riding on.
Other than all that..his journey read similar to a any tour we'd do today with daily destinations and places to "apply for dinner". On a personal note, he rode through many places that are very familiar to me today with visiting relatives, or locations I've lived..Red Wing, Lake City, Minnesota City, Winona, La Crosse...he traveled the then sandy river roads on the west side of the Mississippi..now hwy 61(and as beautiful then as it is today). Then on to Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha...
Cyclists (Wheelmen who ride "wheels" rather than bicycles) were not liked by many folks back then. They scared horses and threatened the horse trade. Restaurants and theater owners didn't like them as they lost business to people enjoying bikes rather than their establishments..