Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Friday, May 27, 2011

Nice 1912 Columbia Bicycle Catalog

Columbia 1912
A nice catalog, digitized by the Smithsonian

Here is a link to the
catalog's cover and from there you can navigate to the rest of the pages as individual page image thumbnails. Columbia bicycles, from the Pope Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut.

The catalog is quite text-heavy for the first few pages, arguing heavily for the benefits of bicycles in various ways - economical, reliable, and health benefits as well (with a quote from a physician, as was often done in the 1890s).

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Book Review - "It's All About the Bike"

"It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels" by Robert Penn. Published April 26th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA, 208 pages.

Book description at Goodreads.com.


YouTube video giving author's description of his book

Here's my review on Goodreads ~
The author describes some of the history, particularly the early history, of the development of cycling along with an account of his selection of the bits and pieces that are eventually assembled to make his dream bike including visits to manufacturers, all in less than 200 pages. Since I have a coffee table book that describes the history of just derailleurs, in my view he summarizes, generalizes, and leaves some (OK, a lot of) stuff out. For me, knowing something about the subject, it was an interesting read - I enjoyed it. I have to wonder how a reader who was interested in bikes but didn't know that much about the subject would find his explanations of certain slightly technical subjects. It would have been great to have more and better illustrations.

I read the U.S. edition. The dust cover of the U.K. edition included a color photo of this bike he went to so much trouble to have built; it seems odd to have left that off the dust cover of the American version. The British English was not fixed for the U.S. edition - I thought that was a standard process. "Tyre" etc. Not a big deal but seems odd. U.S. distances are supplied in addition to kilometers etc.

Even having read his book, I still don't quite understand what this was the ideal bike for (given that he has six other bikes of various types). It almost seemed like he wanted a randoneering (touring) bike, anyway something for long-long rides, but the subject of randoneering (with its rather different views of many of the choices he made) doesn't come up.

At the end he points out that the bike cost him $5,500. (He translated that to a U.S. measure, anyway). There are plenty of off-the-shelf bikes that cost more than that, so I think he must have got some special pricing on some of it. (Which is fine.)
I have a few other thoughts since I wrote the above ~

* Coming from the U.K., he really has a very European focus in the components he finds interesting. This isn't really a problem per se, but it would have been nice if he could have said a little more about some of the other sources that are important today. Yes, Campagnolo of Italy has made and continues to make great components, but they are mighty pricey and most people are making other choices - Shimano and increasingly SRAM.

* I still don't really understand his "dream bike" except that it is a really sturdy road bike made of steel. He says he figures he'll still be riding it when he is 70 down to the pub, but I am doubtful he'll want to ride what is essentially a racing bike to the pub then. He says nothing about randoneering bikes that seem a lot more "dream bike" to me, but perhaps this movement hasn't caught on in the U.K. (I don't think this fellow reads Bicycle Quarterly, the mother-ship journal of rando cycling.)

* With all the choices in the universe, he has his custom bike painted orange and blue - really, orange and blue? The Denver Broncos. Oh well.

* I also didn't get his choice of carbon fiber Cinelli handlebars for his steel bike, particularly since as I read the book, he got Cinelli Ram bars that integrate the stem and the bars, but on his site the photo shows carbon fiber handlebars with a standard stem. The photos of Cinelli Ram bars that I have seen are quite exotic - so much so that they would grab much of the attention on any bike you had them. Anyway, I must have misunderstood something, but I would have chosen something more traditional for the handlebars.

* The book is mostly about his quest for a perfect road bike of his own profile, but he does meet Joe Breeze of mountain biking fame and describes a pretty amusing outing with him, riding down a famous old mountain track. A lot of his descriptions of discussions with the people he meets who create (or whose companies create) the parts of his bike are engaging; really, that stuff is better than some of his descriptions of early cycling history.

He has photos of the bike

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Wheels of Change - Women Cycling 1890s

Wheels of Change is a brand new book about the liberating influence of bicycles on the lives of American (mostly) women in the 1880s and 1890s.
The bicycle craze swept the nation and allowed women to ride into a new world full of all sorts of freedoms.
Dust jacket blurbs often resort to hyberbole, but this volume really does include "an astonishing number of primary source research gems" that I have been enjoying.

Woman Learning to Ride a Bike, 1890s

The author, Sue Macy, has her own author site where she uses as part of her web design the picture I have above, so I know we have been looking at some of the same stuff that is out there!

I suppose this is intended for a teenage audience, but I find it excellent.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

"Bicycling for Ladies" (Book - 1896)

Bicycling for Ladies available online from HathiTrust.org. Another version (with the cover) from Harvard.

Bicycling for ladies : with hints as to the art of wheeling, advice to beginners, dress, care of the bicycle, mechanics, training, exercise, etc., etc. by Maria E. Ward. Published in 1896.

Bicycling For Ladies - Cover

Includes many illustrations showing how to (and how not to) ride and repair a bike. The illustrations were made from photographs from Alice Austen and are quite interesting themselves, aside from the text.

How to make a turn.

Correct Position

And how not to make one.

Incorrect Position

How to coast.

Coasting

This bike is like a modern "fixie" and the pedals keep spinning as you coast - there is no freewheel feature. Although not clearly visible, the bike she is riding does have a hand brake that will apply pressure to the front tire to slow the bike down, since putting one's feet back on the pedals during this coasting activity could be difficult.

Under "Women and Tools" the author states:
I hold that any woman who is able to use a needle or scissors can use other tools equally well. It is a very important matter for a bicyclist to be acquainted with all parts of the bicycle, their uses and adjustment.
The author then provides a fairly detailed set of basic mechanical advice, although she starts with care of the rider, who is the "engine" after all.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

"The Dancing Chain" (Book for Christmas)

The Dancing Chain (third edition) is the "history and development of the derailleur bicycle" and a wonderful book. Just got it for Christmas - previously I had looked at the second edition but the third is updated/added to quite a bit.

Dancing Chain Cover

Reall, though - the subtitle is a bit off. What this is is a history of the 20th century (and now into the 21st century) bicycle as influenced by the development and imnprovement of derailleurs.

Dancing Chain Sample Page

Chapter 15 is a helpful explanation of "how derailleurs work" that is good to look at early rather than at the end - but then this isn't exactly the kind of book that one reads from start to finish but rather dips into here and there.

This is one sort of book that's not going to be replaced by an e-book reader soon!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

New Google Tool and Cycling

A new tool for analyzing frequency of words in the texts that Google Books has digitized (and has in its publisher program, too, I assume) allows some analysis (or conjecture, anyway) about cycling history.

An easy example that demonstrates this is to look at the frequency of the word "wheelmen" in American English - the results are fairly dramatic. With "ordinary" bicycles after the Civil War, there is some mention, but it is only with the introduction of modern safety bicycles in the 1880s that the term is much used - reaching a peak in 1885. The falloff seems earlier than I would have expected. Hmmm.

The tool also allows closer examination of a narrower time range, such as 1875 to 1925.

Other languages are available, including Russian. What was the usage of велосипед (bicycle in Russian) for example?

Monday, November 22, 2010

Two Books from 1890s - Travel by Cycle in Europe

Cycling in Europe was published in 1899 and is available online here.

The title is reasonable:
CYCLING IN EUROPE.

But the sub-title is rather long:
AN ILLUSTRATED HAND-BOOK OF INFORMATION FOR THE USE OF TOURING CYCLISTS, CONTAINING ALSO HINTS FOR PREPARATION, SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING BAGGAGE, EXPENSES, ROUTES, HOTELS, ETC., ETC., AND A LIST OF FAMOUS CYCLING TOURS IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, GERMANY AND HOLLAND, GIVING EACH DAY'S STOPPING PLACE, AND NOTES OF ATTRACTIVE FEATURES ALONG THE ROUTE.

Title Page, Cycling in Europe (book, 1899)

The book reminds me of Rick Steves of today - while he writes advice books on travel, he also organizes and leads tours himself.

Cover, Cycling in Europe (book, 1899)

68 pages of advice of various kinds - all for only forty cents.

Most of the photographs seem to be stock photos but there is one that does have bicycles in it, of France ~

Photo, Cycling in Europe (book, 1899)

Some of the advice is fairly general travel advice; for example, about passports:
Unless you are going to Russia or Turkey, you will not be obliged to show a passport on entering the country, and if you take one the chances are ten to one that you would not use it once, and yet I would advise that you take a passport, because you might need it, and if so you will be very thankful that you have it.


A second book on this topic published in 1898 is "Why Not Cycle Abroad Yourself?" is also available online.

The subtitle of this one is a little shorter - WHAT A BICYCLE TRIP IN EUROPE) COSTS, HOW TO TAKE IT, HOW TO ENJOY IT, WITH A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL TOURS, ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. It isn't clear from the title, but the book is intended specifically for women cyclists.

What would any sensible nineteenth century up-to-date young woman do nowadays if setting out on a journey beyond the night and across the day, to say nothing of going beyond the furthermost purple rim? Why, naturally she would get out her bicycle, read this little book which would tell her all she need to know, and start off throughout the world at an expense which would make her or anyone else think living in a Harlem flat dear by comparison, considering the returns achieved.


Title page of Why Not Cycle Abroad Yourself (book, 1898)

The tone is of helpful light amusement ~
As to the expense: Aside from the first cost of the ocean passage a European tour on a bicycle costs no more than, if as much as, an ordinary summer outing at home under the same conditions and of a like duration. The truth is that the cheapness of a wheeling tour in Europe is really remarkable — if one wishes to make it cheap and knows how. As to languages one has no need of an interpreter. Abroad, as elsewhere, money talks and is the best interpreter you can possibly have. However, this statement is made with limitation. I have no wish to disparage the worth of linguistic attainments, and no one is further from belittling the value of a knowledge of French, for instance, with a smattering of as many other languages thrown in as you can conveniently get into your hand bag. Still, one can go as far as to say that with a fair idea, in advance, of what things ought to cost, and with all the information which it is our object to have comprised in this little volume, one can travel throughout Europe on a bicycle without being subjected either to extortion or petty annoyances, and with perfect ease, comfort and safety. I make this statement, too, not from any theoretical point of view. It is based on actual experience in Italy, where, ordinarily, nothing is spoken except the language of the country. There I have often stopped at a cafe to enquire the way to the next town in my choicest Italian, and have been understood to say that I wanted a bottle of their best Chianti. Still, such an experience is so novel, and you and your friends get so much amusement out of it, that it becomes a pleasant incident of the trip. Besides, it really isn't a serious matter if you get to your destination perhaps a bit later than you expected. You may be sure that the extra time will not have been without pleasure and profit.


At back of Why Not Cycle Abroad Yourself (book, 1898)

While entertaining enough to read now, as a book of practical advice at the time it would have been somewhat tedious since it combines narrative description of actual trips and randomly placed advice - trying to find answers to specific questions would not be easy. Apparently one was expected to read the entire 210 or so page.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

1906 Book - Around the United States by Bicycle

'Title

This book describes the 1904-05 trip around the United States of two young fellows - nominally to win a wager. This sort of "sponsored" bicycle adventure began in the 1890s and I was surprised to find such a trip as late as 1904 - my reading (of other books about the period) suggests that the news media became skeptical about this sort of thing and it fell out of fashion before the end of the nineteenth century. (They did follow through and publish a book, which most of these travelers failed to do.)

The full book is available online here. (It is from the Library of Congress . . . )

The rather elaborate routing to minimize their travel but hit all the required states (and territories!).

'Map

From the introduction:
Clarence M. Darling and Claude C. Murphey, age 19 and 20 respectively, left Jackson, Michigan, on May 2, 1904, to make a trip by bicycle through every state and territory within the boundary lines of the United States proper, namely, forty-five states, four territories, and the District of Columbia. The trip was the result of a wager. Upon the success of the tour a purse of five thousand dollars would be won by the two contestants providing that they lived up to all the terms and stipulations of the wager. The conditions were that they were to start on this long journey penniless, while on the trip they were neither to beg, work, borrow, nor steal, all the expenses of the tour to be met by the profits resulting from the sale of an aluminum card-receiver or ashtray, a facsimile of which is given on one of the following pages.


Below, the "souvenir" they sold to raise money as they traveled.
'

One of the few illustrations to include one of their bikes, showing a location in Washington state.
'Illustration

The only photo of the authors and their bikes, at the finish. Or at least I assume the authors are in this photo - but which ones are they??
'Photo

As is often the case in books reporting on trips taken by bicycle, little is said specifically bicycle-specific aspects of the travel, it is more a report of their encounters with people they met along the way and observations about places. They do not, for example, even report on their daily mileage achieved, which would seem closely connected to their winning the "wager" - but given the title of the book I suppose they figured readers would understood them to have won it, so no drama there.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Wheels and Wheeling (1892)

Another book from the Library of Congress collections, digitized by Google, is
Wheels and wheeling: an indispensible handbook for cyclists published in 1892. The modern "safety bicycle" was not dominant at that early point.

The first chapter describes the important "League of American Wheelmen" in rather great detail, followed by an entire chapter about "macadam roads." Finally the history of the bicycle is given and the "copious illustrations" described on the title page begin.

Early forerunners of the (modern) "safety bicycle" are described, such as the "Bicyclette."

Bicyclette (1880)

The basic modern bicycle is called a "diamond safety."

Diamond Safety Bicycle

One senses that the move to the basic modern bicycle had some who resisted - note this "chainless" variant of a "safety bicycle" ~

Chainless Safety Bicycle (1892)

There are of course mysteries - did the chainless safety (above) have a freewheel of some sort in the front hub? Otherwise why is there a brake for the front wheel - or perhaps the illustration is in error.

And there are ads from different bicycle manufacturers in the front and back.

Rambler Bike Ad from (1892)

Amusing description of the pneumatic tires.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Century Old DIY Book for Cycle Building and Repair

Cycle Building and Repairing with Numerous Engravings and Diagrams in Google Book Search, published in 1904. From the Library of Congress. This one has loads of diagrams and illustrations.

A fair number of illustrations shows various bits and pieces ~

Bicycle fittings (1904)

Below is a tandem for which the book describes construction - perhaps not all the details, but quite a bit.

Tandem bike from 1904

There are 17 pages about dealing with tires - one gathers that these present some issues, judging from pages such as the one shown below. "13 tires in general use" sounds like a bit of standarization was needed.

Bicycle tire (1904)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Russian Book from LC about Cycling (1895)

Sovremennyi velosiped (or Книга "Современный велосипед" 1895 года) from LC's collections was apparently one of the few General Collections items digitized by Google held at LC. It is an interesting book, although unfortunately the digitization by Google wasn't done particularly well. And it is entirely in Russian . . .

Sovremennyi velosiped (1895) - cover

The cover shows a period side-by-side tandem bike.

Like most books of this period, even though it would seem very helpful to have lots of illustrations, there are rather few. Below is my favorite - since the Google image of these pages isn't good, I have done it over with both pages presented as a single image.

Sovremennyi velosiped (1895) - my scan

Below is an ad for a Russian bike dealer towards the end of the book. "Warehouse of American, English, and Austrian bikes and accessories."

Russian Bike Dealer Ad (1895)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Not All Old Books Are Digitized!!

I have been reading Cold Beer and Crocodiles which is about a recent trip around the perimeter of Australia by bike. It mentions a trip by one Arthur Richardson in 1899 that was the first such bicycle endeavor, which Richardson then described in a book, Story of a Remarkable Ride. Alas few copies of this book seem to be in libraries - the Library of Congress catalog doesn't show LC having a copy - and none of the copies in Australia have yet been digitized.

A photo of Richardson on a bike is available, at least.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Wheel Within a Wheel

A wheel within a wheel : how I learned to ride the bicycle, with ... published in 1895, by Frances E. Willard. Published by the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association of Chicago.

Below, a rather overly dramatic photo showing her learning process (posed, one assumes).

Woman Learning to Ride a Bike, 1890s

Eventually it works out ~

Apparently she learned how

Saturday, September 18, 2010

2010 Bicycle Friendly America guide



Arlington, Virginia is on page 20 - a "silver" community.

Cycling in the Netherlands . . . (booklet)

Travel by Bike to Central Asia from England, 1900

Fellow describes his travels from England to Central Asia by bike at the turn of the last century.

Bike traveler 1900, in Hungary

Author with Hungarian cyclists (or "wheelmen"). Image not very good since taken from poor Google Book Scanning.

The full book is available here: A new ride to Khiva by Robert L. Jefferson, published in 1900.

Exotic bike on the National Mall

I went down to the Mall thinking I was going to see some 1880s or so "ordinary" bikes (large front wheel, small rear wheel) but they were nowhere to be seen - instead, found this guy. Well, he was kind of amusing to talk to.

Riding high . . .

It's the kind of bike described in the Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza which has some interesting designs and advocates building wacky rather than useful bikes, which seems a bit unusual.

Friday, September 17, 2010

1890 Booklet from Columbia Bicycle Manufacturer

A booklet from 1890, Suggestions for the Choice, Care and Repair of Cycles is from a prominent bicycle manufacturer of the day (probably the most significant one at the time, actually). I find it particularly curious that a guide of this sort would not include even one illustration - one is left to divine what is meant by the instructions for "how to glue a tire" (as one example) by reading their description of the process with no reference to what the bits and pieces look like.

Pope Mfg Co booklet back page

Saturday, September 11, 2010

First "safety" bicycle

First Safety Bicycle

There were bicycles with wheels of approximately the same size before this - the main innovation of this bicycle was the use of chain drive to power the rear wheel rather than direct use of the front wheel with pedals on the front wheel's hub.

From the book published in 1945 (but in the public domain), Fifty years of Schwinn-built bicycles.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Cycling for Health and Pleasure

How to mount a bicycle as understood 115 years ago - I had never seen this approach. From the rear of the bike? Really?

Cycling - 1895 how to get on

Then there is this overly complex (given that it is intuitive) explanation of how to pedal a bike.

In the early days, even for a general audience there was detailed explanation of the mathematics of gearing -nowadays we probably err the other direction with too little.

There is the inevitable guidance on attire, for women in particular.

Cycling - 1895 womens attire

All from Cycling for Health and Pleasure, published in 1895.