bicycle: 200 years on two wheels

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Foreword

In 1817, in the southwestern city of Mannheim, Germany, an inventornamedKarlDrais created the firstmachine to employ the principles ofpropulsionwerecogniseinamodernbicycle,firstridingthisexcitingnewmachineon12Juneof thatyear.His inelegantlynamedLaufmaschine,or thehobbyhorseordandyhorseas itwascalled inEngland, literallymeans ‘running machine’ and requires the rider to perch on the two-wheeled contraptionandusehis feet to pushalong theground, all thewhilesteeringbymeansofthefrontwheelandhandlebararrangement.

LaterontheFrench,verysensibly,addedcranksandpedalstothemixand what became commonly known as the velocipede was born.Michaux and Company began mass producing this revolutionary newvehicle in the1860sand itwasagreatsuccess, thoughnotwithout itsproblems. Themain issue was the shockingly uncomfortable nature ofthe ride, which led to it being given the disparaging moniker,‘Boneshaker’. The penny-farthing’s large frontwheelwas an attemptedresponse to this, but soon alternative ‘safety bicycles’were developed,enabling the rider’s feet to be near the ground, and keeping their feetawayfromthefrontwheel.

Theadventofthebicycleopenedupawholenewworldforbothmenandwomen.Thethrillofpersonaltransportationfuelledthebikeboomofthe1890sandonceanappetiteforcyclinghadbeenfirmlyestablished,therewasnoturningback.Indeed,thehumblebicycleplayednosmallpartinsustaining societies through world wars, peacetime strikes,demonstrations,women’ssuffrage…allmannerofhistoricaleventswereaidedbytheabilitytojumponabicycleandpedaloffindependentlyandunderone’sownsteam.

Todaythebicycleenjoysaprivilegedpositionasoneofthemostglobally

successful means of personal transport, as well as a beacon ofsportsmanship. Cycling sporting heroes have become icons, whetherOlympians or Paralympians, or stars of Tours and road-races. Theimpressive Mirrorpix photographic archive, home to one of the world’slargest photographic libraries, with over 100 million images and morethanacenturyofnewscoverage, is theperfectmedium topresent thechangingfashionsofthebicycleasitreachesits200thanniversary.Fromdustmentopostmen,fromchildrentosoldiers, fromamateurPoloclubstoParalympians,thesebeautifulandevocativeimagesrevealthepowerandimpactofthebicycleuponsocietyacrossthechangingyears.

Putyourfeetupandenjoytheride!

ArarepictureofthepioneermembersoftheNovocastrianCyclingClubin1891.Thissceneincludestheclub’sonlyladymember.

Tyneside cyclists take a breather after a day out inNorthumberland in1892.

Familypicnic inBirminghamc.1900featuringaHeraldMotorCompany(HMC)cycle.

Agentlemanonhisbikeintheearlypartofthetwentiethcentury.

JesmondDeneCycleClubin1912.

Although wounded this Belgian soldier could bicycle with a littleassistance from his comrades, following the Battle of Auderghem, 26September1914.

Soldiersseenherecheckingpapers.Noonewasallowedtoproceed inBelgium without a passport and documents on which is the holder’sportrait. As can be seen in the picture the Belgian authorities haveobliteratedall thenamesonsignposts inaneffort to slowandconfusetheGermanadvance.(DailyMirror,p.4,19August1914)

Belgian Boy Scouts carried messages deemed too private to trust totelegrams or ordinary messengers during the early stages of the FirstWorldWar.Somewere sent toFrance togather theharvestwhilst themenwentofftothewar.BelgianBoyScoutswereissuedwithpistols,astheirworkbroughtthemclosetotheFrontLine.OneBoyScoutbecamefamousatthebeginningofthewarfollowingthecaptureoftwoGermanspies dressed as priests near Liege. After this the boy, Joseph LouisLeyssen,seeninthephotograph,wasallowedtohelpontheFrontLine,and more than once rode with important messages right through theGerman lines.He is seen here after being decorated following his fifthengagementwiththeenemy,inSeptember1914.

ThisisthenewBritishArmyScout,inJune1915,knownastheDivisional

CycleCorps,equippedwithfoldingmachinessothattheycouldmakeapursuit over any obstruction thatmay bar their way. It was consideredoneofthemostusefulunitsofthearmy.

Doncaster InfirmaryAppeal,October1925.Astudentona tall unicycleattemptstoclearthecourseforthestartoftheraces.

CyclistsataLondonbankduringthegeneralstrikeof1926.

Threefellowsplayingcyclepolo,whichwasinventedinCountyWicklow,Ireland,in1891byretiredcyclistRichardJ.Mecredy.Thesportissimilarto traditional polo except that bicycles are used instead of horses. (13June1937)

AstreetentertaineratTowerHill,London,balancingabicycleusinghismouthwatchedbyacrowdofspectators,c.1935.

Two businessmen who usually travel to town by car share a tandemcycleaftertheintroductionofpetrolrationingon22September1939.

Girl Guides receive notes to be delivered to members of the HomeGuard,22October1940.

Blitz:takenfromtheGermanwordBlitzkrieg(‘lightningwar’),thiswastheBritishnamefortheLuftwaffe’ssustainednightattacksagainsttheircitiesfrom August 1940 to mid 1941. A man on a bicycle makes his waythroughwar-ravagedLondon.

Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) on an RAF basewheel out theirbicyclesattheendoftheirshifts,in1942.Theywereissuedwithbikestosavefuel.

ThewaronwasteisseenhereataWesternCommandSalvageDepot.Menfromtheyardinspectsalvagedbicycletyrespilingup,January1943.

A couple of young women use stepping stones to cross the RiverEwenny, which rises to the north-east of Bridgend town, SouthWales,flowspast thevillageofPencoedandenters theRiverOgmoreestuaryjustbelowOgmoreCastle,July1943.

HomeGuardvolunteersarecheeredbylocalresidentssittingonthesideoftheroadastheyrunthroughatrainingexerciseinWeybridge,Surrey,duringtheSecondWorldWar,24May1943.

RoyaltourandinspectionofcropsatSandringham,Norfolk.KingGeorgeand family travel in a pony trap to avoid the use of petrol, 13 August1943.

LACStanleyMallettRAFgives aFrenchgirl a lift on a borrowedbike,wearinguniformand tinhelmet, rifleslungover theshoulder, inAugust1944.

SailorsfromanavysubmarineseenhereenjoyingsomeshoreleavewithbicyclesprovidedbyRaleigh.(February1944)

TroopsoftheCanadian9thInfantryBrigadepartof3rdDivisioncarryingtheirbicyclesashorefromlandingcraftLCL299intheNanWhiteSectorofJunoBeachshortlyaftermiddayonD-Day,6June1944.

Ayounggirl ridesabicyclewithherpetdog in thebasketon the fronthandlebars,c.1945.

MembersoftheYouthHostelAssociationatHoughtonMillinHoughton,Cambridgeshire,c.1945.

BicyclesinCopenhagen,Denmark,December1946.

100,000 wheels of all sizes being produced at Morden, 13 December1947.

Part of a cycling netball team, the girls practise each day for an hourwithoutstopping.

Marquis the chimpanzee ridingabicycleand carrying2-year-oldBarononhisshoulders,whileoutontheirmorningexerciseintheWestEndof

London, 22September 1948. Later, the troupe of chimpanzeeswas tobecomeknownas‘MarquisandFamily’.In1960,theMarquisChimps—Enoch, Susie, Baron and Hans— were signed to appear in a trio oftelevision commercials for Brooke Bond Foods, makers of Red RoseTea. The commercials featured the chimps in parodies of aWildWestshootout, a golf match and the most popular, a wild nightclub with aswingingchimpbandsingingthepraisesofRedRoseTea.

Workingwomen,August1948.Knowing that theiroutputhelpsBritain’sexport drive, the workers of this big Birmingham bicycle factorycompletely filled the factory’s store after their bank holiday rest. In thefirsthalfof1948,855,156Britishcyclesweresoldabroad.

LendingahelpinghandasJeanSimmonslearnstorideapenny-farthingonthesetofSoLongattheFair,1949.

Four of the family in the trailer: Baby Sonia aged 10 months, Molly(wearingglasses)aged7,Roseaged4andBobbyaged4,August1949.

Members of the Old Time Cyclists’ Fellowship at Tynemouth in June1950withaparadeofvintagebikes.

BicyclesparkedoutsideoneoftheuniversitycollegesinOxford,c.1950.

Arsenal players Swindin, Goring, Smith, Horsfield and Holton picturedduringatrainingsessiononthepitchatHighbury,August1950.

A man talking to a newspaper seller under the covered entrance to

LeatherLane,offDaleStreet,Liverpool,17January1950.

Cyclistsona‘HoboRun’atPontelandin1951.

MrGallouPierre seenhereafter just arriving inBristolwithhisonions,whichhetakesroundonhisbicycle.MrPierre,fromPlouenan,Finistere,France,likedonionshimselfandalsoastickofEnglishcelery,whichheisherepicturedeating,22September1952.

Robert the dog sits on the butcher’s bicycle dressed for the job, June1951.

ArthurEnglish,left,linesupagainstTomPhillipsontheSkidKidsCycleTrackinLondon,18May1952.(DailyMirror,p.11,19May1952)

Lorchentheparrot takesthedoveHeinzforaride—onabicycleonatightrope.TheyarejustonepartofanactfromGermanybilledas‘Carola

andhisCockatoos’,December1952.

BertramMillsCircusacts,December1952.Twowomenbalanceontheshouldersofmanridingabicycleintheringatthecircus.

Heretheinventorofthe‘dogcaravan’,MrC.TumbridgeofKensalRisetowsPrince,aJackRusselldog,alongbehindhispushbike.

DressRehearsal of JackHylton’s circus at EarlsCourt, London,whichopenedon23December.Oneof thehighlightsof theshowwasLouisaGalwasandher performingbears. Louisa is seenhere riding a bicycle

alongsideoneofthebears,‘Maika’,inDecember1953.

MembersoftheWarwickLions,HackneyCometsandArsenalAcescyclespeedway clubs battled on the Warwick Lions track, in Hackney,September 1953, for The Battle of Britain Trophy awarded to theindividualchampion.ThiseventisheldannuallyandissponsoredbytheHackney branch of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), whosefundsbenefitfromacollectionmadeontheground.

TheColequadrupletsseenhereontheirnewbikes,whichweregivenasbirthdaypresents,September1953.

Stout Banner Forbett seen here setting the record for sitting still on abicycle,May1953.

Mantestingchildren’stoybicyclesandrockinghorses,December1953.

Anearlyformoftricycle.Withtheadditionofabigwheelitcouldbemadetocarryanotherperson,March1954.

Butlins(left toright):PeggyBrownandJoanSmithofSouthWalesandMargaret Jones and Marry Etherington of Preston have fun on socialcycles,July1954.

Actor Richard Todd playing with his son Peter at home, 5 November1954.

TrickcyclistonstiltsleansagainstaGlasgowtramin1954toadvertiseacircus.

Boys playing on a council estate as one of their mothers looks on,London1955.

MrCharlieHemleyonhistandem,October1954.

TheQuickly Club assembles outside AndyMcNeil shop in June 1956.The thirty members are preparing their first motorcycle run fromLanglandsRoad,Glasgow,toHouston.

CoventryMotorMart bicycle shop onWhite Friars Street, Coventry, c.1957.

MissCycling1898 (left) alongsideMissCycling1959,November1958.Togetherthesetwovintagemisses(appropriatelydressedfortheirparts)went cyclingalong theThamesEmbankment.Miss1898was ridinganold-fashionedsit-up-and-begmodel,whilstMiss1958 rodeaScoo-ped,

thelatestideainpushbikes.Enclosedinafibreglassbody,theScoo-pedismadebytheElswick-HopperCycleandMotorCompany.

OlympiccyclistRonStrettonseenheretrainingforthe1956games,May1953.

SuezCrisis,1956.LieutenantJohnYoungcrossingPortSaidharbouronapedalbikeraft–productoftheimprovisationalskillsofthesappersof1001DocksOperatingCompanyRoyalEngineers.

Moss the dachshund suffering a slipped disc is seen here in a caninewheelchair,June1960.

Charles Westley seen here with part of his old bike collection, whichincludesthepenny-farthingandtheboneshaker,Bristol1961.

MrErnestSanderonhis1860boneshakerin1960.

Girls of Crediton High School in Devon on a three-day cycling tour ofDevonduringtheWhitsunbankholiday.Thegirls,agedbetween14and17,spendnightsinyouthhostelsalongtheway,21May1961.

PeoplestandandstareinthewindowofthePennyFarthingCoffeeBarin Brighton and watch Susie the cat sitting on the saddle of the hugepenny-farthinginthewindow,February1961.

BroxbourneGrammarschoolgirls,ChristineWallace(left)andJoneHay,walkhomefromschoolwithtwosacksoffuelaswellastheirhomework,January1963.

MorecambeandWiseinJune1963cyclingaroundBlackpool.

WinstonChurchillatRoyalAcademyannualdinner,May1963.

MackesonpremierattheCrystalPalaceracetrack,9August1964.

TourofBritaincyclerace,Blackpool,Lancashire,7June1964.

ChimneysweepFredGibson ridingabikeonhis round inChadderton,

Lancashire,in1965.

Clifford Davis of Leeds Road, Wakefield, tries out his flying machinemade frombitsofoldpedalcycles.MaxwellHemingway,6, lookson inwonderatMrDavis’flyingmachine,inWestYorkshire,25June1965.

Achildwithanelephant,February1965.

Linda Carruthers, Valerie Harrison, Gillian Carruthers and AllisonCarrutherstryingoutthecomfortofaVictorianpramon28October1965.

World-famousharmonica player LarryAdler on hisway to a concert atCamdenTownona‘DonkeyBike’.

HelpingtolaunchtheSkolsix-daycycleracemodelsSueDonoghueandJillBernardareseenhereontheforecourtofEarlsCourtExhibitionHallon 12 September 1967. They are dressed in the newest fashions

designed by Falcon Stuart in his studio shop in Pimlico Road,Westminster.

ActressSueLloydputsmoneyinaparkingmeterforherminibicycleontheEmbankmentinLondon,May1967.

Model BlancheWebb wearing a fur jacket, riding a bicycle, November1969.

CyclistsarriveinBrighton,EastSussex,fortheBrightontoLondonbikeride,9February1969.

‘I hope they’ve put out the fire by now,’ saidAlfredHitchcockwhilst atClaridgesinSeptember1969.

GeorgeRees,Britain’soldestbutcher’sboy,ridingonapushbikeinApril1968.Notethebowlerhat,andtheneatovercoatcoveringthetraditionalblue-and-white striped apron. The basket is full of choice joints andcutletsandplumpprimesausages.

MissDawnWhittaker takes a break from cycling a 1935 bike on a triparoundherTynesidehomein1970.

Nuns on motorbikes in Ardrossan, Scotland, 30 April 1971. Heaven’sanswer to theHellsAngels roarsalong theseasidepromenade.Sisters

ofMisericorde – Sister Anne-Marie (left), Sister Anne and Sister PeterPatrick–travelmorethan100milesaweekontheirmotorbikes,visitingsickandelderlypeopleinandaroundArdrossan.

ModelSusanSayerridingtheiconicchopperbike,December1971.

73-year-old Patrick Thomas of Laleham, Middlesex, has made himselfthis9ft-longbicycle,whichherideslyingonhisstomach.Patclaimsthebikegiveshimextraspeedbecausethereislesswindresistancebut,asJoanSmithdemonstrates, if thisstyleofbikecatcheson itcouldcauseproblemsforthegirls,February1972.

PaulandLindaMcCartneyoutridingbicyclesinFebruary1973.

JohnCammridesabicycleunderwaterathis localswimmingpoolwiththeaidofanaqualungcompressedaircylinderwhilstwearingmaskand

goggles,January1973.

TheGoodies,on theperfectanswer topetrol rationing, ride their three-seater tandembicycle in London,Wednesday21November1973.TheGoodiestriowereTimBrooke-Taylor,GraemeGardenandBillOddie.

PamAyresridingherbicyclenearherhome inavillage inOxfordshire,12May1977.

The postman collecting the mail in heavy snow fall at Newington,Ramsgate,Kent,February1978.

ApolicemanproceedingaroundtheperimeterofCannonHillParkuseshisbicycleasamakeshifticebreaker,watchedbyanaudienceofmallardandCanadageese,inBirmingham,12February1978.

Motherandchildcycling,30June1979.

TheTwoRonnies:RonnieBarkerandRonnieCorbettfilmingatBerkeley,Gloucestershire, for the BBC Television seriesWomen Rule England,

July1980.

CharlieCharlespedalstheworld’ssmallestrideablebicycle,whichissotinythatthefrontwheelismadefromtwosilverdollars,April1983.

BMXchampionAndyRuffellseenhereinmid-air,15April1984.

Children practising stunts atStockton’s redundant racecourse, 20 June1984.TheracecourseisnowTeesideParkretailcentre.

Bits of bike, scrap spare parts, lots of elbow grease and tender lovingcare have all gone into three very special pedal cars produced inStockton. Members of the First Fairfield Scouts have all been workinghard to get their vehicles, Fairflea, Fairarri and Fairdinkum, in tip-topcondition fornational racesearlynextmonth.Picturedwith theirentriesare (left to right) Kenneth Newbrook, NicholasWeston, Roger Tindale,Martin Rayner, David River, Ivor Mills and Nicholas Lawler, 27 June1984.

Microlightaircraftmotorbike.TestpilotGeoffBall fliestheskybikeonitsmaidenflightoverMorecambeBayinLancashire.

BMXtrackopensatWaterlooMeadows,Reading,26July1986.

This young man has the wrong transport for getting to school in thefloodsof1987.

Action fromBMXmeeting atClevelandBMXClub,Redcar racecourse,14February1988.

A local residentcyclesalonga floodedroad in thenorthWales townofTowyn,March1990.

Zak Carlin’o performs a high-wire act at the British Steel Gala,KirkleathamShowground,7July1996.

Acyclistcastsashadowacrossthepavement,26August2005.

Irish Fashions, November 1969. Anna Andreucetti wears some ofdesignerCyrilCullen’screations.

BorisBikes–London’scycle-hirescheme.

SirChrisHoywiththreegoldmedalsattheBeijingOlympicsin2008.

TeamGBParalympic cyclistMarkColbournewins a goldmedal in thevelodromeatthe2012ParalympicGames.

The teamcyclingevent heldat the velodromeduring the2012LondonOlympicGames.

Team GB cyclist Bradley Wiggins pictured after winning the time trialeventattheLondonOlympicGames.

TeamGBcyclistBradleyWigginspicturedduring the time trialeventatthe2012LondonOlympicGames.

The peloton passes down the Mall as the Olympic competitors headtowards Buckingham Palace on the first leg of themen’s cycling roadraceon28July2012.

SirChrisHoy of celebrateswinning the goldmedal in themen’s keirintrack cycling final on day eleven of the LondonOlympicGames at thevelodromeon7August2012.

TeamGBcyclistVictoriaPendletoncelebrateswinninggoldonthetrackatthe2012LondonOlympicGames.

TheTourdeFrancepassesthroughtheresidentialstreetJenkinRoadinSheffield,thesteepestpartofstagetwo,Sunday6July2014.

TeamGBcyclistLauraTrottwinsthegoldmedalinthewomen’somniumtrackraceatthe2016RioOlympicGamesinRiodeJaneiro,Brazilon16August2016.

TeamGB cyclist JasonKennywins the goldmedal asCallumSkinnerwins thesilvermedal in themen’ssprint raceat the2016RioOlympicGamesinRiodeJaneiro,Brazilon14August2016.

Team GB Track cyclist Mark Cavendish wins the silver medal in themen’somniumtrackraceatthe2016RioOlympicGamesinBrazilon15August2016.

Chris Froomewins the bronzemedal in the road-time trial race at the2016RioOlympicGameson10August2016.

AlistairandJonathanBrownleeofGreatBritainduringthemen’striathlonatFortCopacabanaondaythirteenofthe2016RioOlympicGameson18August2016.