Endurance Bicycle Racing

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Fargo
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Endurance Bicycle Racing

Post by Fargo »

I never knew that bicycle racing was such a popular sport in the 1890's. The link below tells of the sport and of my cousin who participated in it. I wonder if Lizzie watched my cousin race?

http://www.novascotiasporthalloffame.co ... cteeID=364#
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Harry
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Post by Harry »

Yes, it appears to be immensely poplar around that time. They used to have indoor multi-day races with the newspapers reporting detailed results.

However, I doubt Lizzie would have been too happy with the "wheelmen", as they were called, at least with the locals. Rebello, page 270+, has this August 2, 1893 article from the FR Herald in his book:

" ... enthusiastic bicyclers who recently attended the convention of the
Massachusetts Division of Wheelmen at Cottage City [Martha's Vinyard Island] wanted some sign which should be peculiar to Fall River riders. By an inconceivable method of reasoning - or more probably, without any reasoning at all - it appeared to somebody that an axe, suitably inscribed, would be a cute little badge for the Fall River Wheelmen.
Acting upon this idea, some riders had a pin made of silver, and some wore it on their uniforms ...'
They were at a place where people congregated from all over the country and they proclaimed, by their badges and banner, that they hailed from a city where a bloody axe had figured recently to the eternal shame of a law abiding community. They laughed and waved their hats whenever anybody pointed at the symbol of a gory weapon that had done three innocent people to death [the Bordens and Bertha Manchester] in the most cowardly manner within the limits of Fall River. They thought it was a great joke to picture the dripping blood and to impress upon the minds of hundreds of spectators who had never visited the city that they must look out for harrowing experiences if they ever came within these borders.
----------------------
That is not all. Some of them are now wearing the silver axes, trophies of the tournament and if they make them a part of their outfit, to wear on their weekly excursions to other cities, as they evidently propose to do, they are going to refresh within the mind of every person they meet, on the roads or in other cities, a series of events that men who have the good reputation of Fall River at heart would be glad to have buried forever beyond human recollection, except in the minds of people who are intent upon avenging the horrible crime."
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Kat
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Post by Kat »

Whew that was a mouthful, without them saying very much! I wonder if they were paid per word! :wink:

Thanks for the transcription, Har!
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