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Article: 'Safety bicycles' were the rage in 1895: many local dealers later moved from bikes to selling autos and motorcycles.(LOOKING BACK: EARLY BELLINGHAM'S BICYCLE CRAZE)
- Article from:
- Bellingham Business Journal
- Article date:
- May 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Sun News, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A bicycle craze hit the Bellingham Bay towns in the spring of 1890, as more than 40 bicycles were suddenly in daily use on local streets. It was the beginning of a decade-long infatuation with cycling.
The 1880s saw the invention of the "Safety," a bicycle that had front and rear wheels of moderate and equal size. Once available, the Safety quickly replaced the old-fashioned "Ordinary," or Penny-Farthing, with its huge front wheel and little back wheel.
Because an Ordinary rider perched about five feet up, balance was difficult and "going over" resulted in a "header" or other frightful injury. It was of little use, and certainly no fun, to ride a ...