Chicago was the USA centre for the bicycling industry in the 1890s. There were literally 100+ companies that manufactured bicycles in Chicago or its vicinity during the last decade of the 19th century. Schwinn was actually a relatively small player at the time. The largest Chicago based manufacturer was Western Wheel Works (Crescent brand) who, circa 1897, employed 1500 workers and produced 350 bicycles per day. Not far behind was Gormully & Jeffery (Rambler brand), which is arguably the most interersting of the Chicago based bicycle companies. They invented the clincher tyre, the only major detachable tyre of the 1890s, beside Dunlop's wired-on tyre. After selling the bicycle business in 1899, Jefferey would focus on automobiles, giving them the Rambler name from his bicycles.