For a few brief decades before motorcycles and cars took over, the
bicycle was the most advanced personal land vehicle around. And those
decades were not just glorious but soulful and funny at the same time. So please welcome another historical collection of crazy bike images within our Bike Month coverage, and decide for yourself whether the following ideas and inventions were visionary or witless.
Oldreive’s new tricycle, or the New Iron Horse, 1882.
1885: The aerial bicycle was devised by American inventor S. T. Hachenberger, to utilise the newly erected telephone poles and wires for transportation. The idea was soon abandoned.
A monocycle invented by Langmark and Stuef of California, which consists of a cycle moving within a large wheel, ca. 1895.
Alfred Koescher of Berlin, cycling behind a windshield attached to the back of a pace-making motorcycle on a marathon race, ca. 1900.
Max Schreyer’s daredevil bicycle flying stunt from long ramp, 1901.
The Seven Gaynells riding bicycles on an open fence track at an acute angle of 70 degrees, c. 1902.
Sailing bicycles on the beach, Ormond, Florida, c. 1903.
Diavolo performing his bicycle daredevil act, 1905.
Mae Gordon’s original insane moving pedestal, 1907.
A comfortable bike, c. 1914.
Competition for water cycles on Lake Enghien, 1914.
This new bicycle was intended to help solve transit problem, c. 1920.
A model bicycle with wings, 1921.
French inventor Alois Santa with his bicycle aeroplane, 1923.
A bicycle equipped with balloon tires and a “baby” bike are side by side in the Safety Day parade in New York, 1930.
“Rocket” cyclists from the Thirties.
Bicycle designer B. G. Bowden with his aerodynamically designed cycle, 1935.
