The Safety Bicycle and Beyond

 

Because of the Ordinary's inherent danger, efforts were made to design a safer bicycle. Some people tried to modify the Ordinary to make it safer, others put their efforst into redesigning the bicycle. The latter path won out as “Safety” bicycles became more popular. These cycles had two small wheels of equal size, a chain driver, and gears. Soon after the advent of the Safety bicycle, John Boyd Dunlop patented a pneumatic tire (in both England and the United States). Brakes were also improved in the 1890s. The number of bicycles in use boomed as production rose from an estimated 200,000 bicycles in 1889 to 1,000,000 in 1899.

By 1899, only a few score automobiles had been built, horses and carriages were expensive to maintain in crowded cities, and urban public transportation was, with few exceptions, slow and frequently inadequate. The bicycle met the need for inexpensive individual transportation—much as the automobile has in recent times—for going to and from business, for business deliveries, for recreational riding, and for sport.

What seems to us a simple device of modest and limited performance was, in the relatively unmechanized 1890s, a swift vehicle and a fine machine. A nationwide bicycle club, the League of American Wheelmen, was formed on 30 May, 1880 at Newport, Rhode Island. Membership reached 150,000 in 1900.

Directly and indirectly, the bicycle had a decided influence on the introduction of the automobile. In addition to introducing thousands of persons to individual and independent mechanical transportation, the bicycle proved the value of many materials and parts that were subsequently taken over by the automobile designers. Ball bearings found one of their earliest uses in the bicycles of 1880 or earlier. The differential unit was employed in tricycles, and various forms of free-wheeling and gear-shifting devices were in use. Steel tubing, developed largely for cycle frame construction, was adopted by some earlie automobile builders. Pneumatic tires, previously mentioned, and wire wheels were also in use on bicycles prior to the introduction of the gasoline automobile in America.

Many pioneer automobile builders were at first bicycle manufacturers. Among these were Charles E. Duryea, Alexander Winton, and Colonel Albert A. Pope. Furthermore, Wilbur and Orville Wright were bicycle manufacturers in Dayton, Ohio, before they turned their attention to the aeronautical field, and Glenn H. Curtiss, another aviation pioneer, started out as a bicycle manufacturer.

A group of early safeties, ca 1889

A group of early safeties, ca 1889

From Abbot Bassett scrapbook

Between 1900 and 1905 the number of bicycle manufacturers in the United States shrank from 312 to 101. Interest in the automobile was only partly responsible for this. Additional factors were a switch to other forms of recreation, and the fact that a considerable number of electric railways took over the sidepaths originally constructed for bicycle use. Thereafter, for over half a century, the bicycle was used largely by children.

Recent cycle development has not involved significant changes in construction, but rather a refinement of earlier features. During the late 1960s there began a reawakening of adult interest in cycling as a non-polluting, non-congesting means of transportation and recreation. In 1970, nearly 5 million bicycles were manufactured in the United States, and an estimated 75 million riders shared 50 million bicycles, making cycling the nation's leading outdoor recreation.

 

This bicycle is a lavishly decorated example of a common safety bicycle. It is covered with foliage, rosettes, and other organic Art Nouveau-inspired figures made of silver covered with a thin layer of gold.
Description
This bicycle is a lavishly decorated example of a common safety bicycle. It is covered with foliage, rosettes, and other organic Art Nouveau-inspired figures made of silver covered with a thin layer of gold. An expensive product for a limited market, it was introduced by Tiffany and Co. for the 1895 holiday season and was available at the height of the bicycle craze of the 1890s. Mary Noble “Mittie” Wiley of Montgomery, Alabama owned this bicycle. Her monogram MNW appears on the front tube in gold with diamonds and emeralds. Wiley was married to Ariosto Appling Wiley, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives and later a Representative in the United States Congress. Despite the couple’s prominent standing in Montgomery and Washington over many years, the circumstances surrounding the acquisition and use of this bicycle are unknown. In 1915, Mittie gave it to her son, Noble, intending that he give it to his daughter, Hulit, when she was old enough to appreciate it. But Noble Wiley became fascinated by the bicycle’s unusual materials, techniques, and history, and he donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1950.
date made
1896
maker
Pope Manufacturing Company
ID Number
TR.313486
catalog number
313486
accession number
188297
serial number
12877
The Homer P. Snyder Manufacturing Company of Little Falls, New York expanded its product line from knitting mill machinery to bicycles in 1898 during the safety bicycle craze. The company remained a leading manufacturer of bicycles in the early twentieth century.
Description
The Homer P. Snyder Manufacturing Company of Little Falls, New York expanded its product line from knitting mill machinery to bicycles in 1898 during the safety bicycle craze. The company remained a leading manufacturer of bicycles in the early twentieth century. Motorcycles offered an appealing transition from bicycles to motorized personal mobility; Schwinn, one of the largest bicycle manufacturers, acquired Excelsior motorcycles in 1911 and Henderson motorcycles in 1917 to exploit the demand. In the late teens and twenties, some manufacturers even designed bicycles that resembled motorcycles to appeal to boys. This 1927 Snyder bike resembles a contemporary motorcycle; it has a tool box shaped like a gasoline tank, an electric headlight with battery compartment, and a luggage rack. Making bicycles look like motor vehicles became a long-lasting trend. From the 1930s to the 1960s, headlights and imitation gasoline tanks on some bicycles had shapes that suggested streamlined automobiles or airplanes, exciting the imagination of children.
date made
1927
maker
Homer P. Snyder Mfg. Co., Inc.
ID Number
TR.309382.01
catalog number
309382
accession number
99530
In 1963, Schwinn introduced a low-slung child’s bicycle that had begun as a fad in southern California. The California custom bikes had small wheels, “Longhorn” handlebars, and a slim, elongated seat.
Description
In 1963, Schwinn introduced a low-slung child’s bicycle that had begun as a fad in southern California. The California custom bikes had small wheels, “Longhorn” handlebars, and a slim, elongated seat. The mass-produced Schwinn Sting-Ray was an instant success; it was perfect for wheelies, and the “banana” seat accommodated the rider and his “date.” The Sting-Ray came in vibrant colors, including Flamboyant Lime, Radiant Coppertone, Sky Blue, and Violet. As sales boomed, Schwinn added the Fastback and Manta Ray, several models for girls, and the Orange Krate, Apple Krate, Lemon Peeler, and Pea Picker. This bike was donated by the manufacturer.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
maker
Arnold, Schwinn and Co.
ID Number
TR.326804
catalog number
326804
accession number
265701

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