O.K. , so I shared that quotation , written by A. W. Romney , and posted to the C. R. List by Chuck Schmidt . I sent it out to a bunch of friends . Some of them are fans of cycling , some are former fans of cycling , and some are just interested in history .
This is the reply I received from one formerly VERY serious cyclist . He was a genuine scorcher there for a while . Now I believe he's more of a potterer . But still , I'd bet he's NOT what you'd call slow !
Honestly , I was laughing VERY out loud ! I may need to quote this one , often !
:^)
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
Two gears? On the same bicycle?! Why it's the work of the devil I tell you. Nothing chaste shall come of this!
----- Original Message ----- From: Raoul Delmare To: Jack M. Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 6:20 AM Subject: A Short Paragraph Written Some 100 Years Ago
Hey ,
Here is a wonderful little piece of writing , from around 1895 - 1905 . I would not care to guess whether it was written in the U.K. , or in the U.S.A . The spellings seem British . Other things might indicate it was from the U.S.A . I would guess it was written sometime very close to 1905 . But Chuck is guessing it was written sometime very close to 1895 .
I'd love to know the exact year when it was written .
Oh! , and the numbers the author refers to are "gear-inches" . A bicycle with a "gear" of 90 inches , feels like pedaling a "high-wheeler" with a big front wheel of some 90 inches in diameter ! Of course to actually pedal a real "high-wheeler" with a wheel that size , you'd need to have an inseam length of MORE than 45 inches . . .
:^)
Raoul Writing In Marysville Kansas ( a small town which is famous for being the home of the grandparents of a certain Mr. Chuck Schmidt . . . )
======================= A.W. Romney, "A Cyclist's Diary" published in the late 19th century:
"...At the present time the scorcher class of rider is almost weekly
increasing his gear, whilst his neighbor, the potterer (backed in this
instance by the experts), keeps to the neighbourhood of 65. I think the
day is not far distant when we will all be riding with both a high and a
low gear, i.e., a two-speed gear. When we are fresh, and things are
favourable, we will use our 80 or 90, but as we tire or the wind rises,
the rain falls or the uphills become more plentiful, we shall fall back
on the less toilsome 60, or even less. Not only so, but I fancy a time
will come when we shall arrive at a compromise between the other two
camps of belligerents, the coasters and the non-coasters, and that we
will find happiness in the free pedal, which gives rest and yet allows
of instant repossession of command of the driving mechanism. Of course,
for this purpose, as back-pedaling in the ordinary sense of the word is
impossible, one of the new fangled but effective brakes is an absolute necessity..."
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Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, Southern California
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