“The Golden Age of Bicycling” Comes To Branford- Intro: Pt 1 of 5

Bicycling in the mid 19th century was more akin to a circus act than a means of transportation. It was both difficult and hazardous for the rider, precariously perched above the enormous front wheel of the “high wheeler”.  Not until the 1880s, when the “safety bicycle” was invented, did bicycling truly become popular.  The sprocket and chain system provided both the mechanical advantage of gears and the elimination of the outsized front wheel that turned only once for each pedal revolution.  With the different gear sizes, a single pedal stroke exponentially increased rear tire rotation. The new design also lowered the rider’s center of gravity and was a significant safety advantage.

The later 19th century launched “The Golden Age of Bicycling” when this reliable and comfortable device for everyday transportation was made affordable to the average citizen through mass production.  2 million bicycles were produced in 1897 alone. The public romance with the bicycle was captured in song, art, and literature. Local bicycle clubs and national advocacy groups such as the League of American Wheelmen sprang into formation.

Susan B. Anthony, women’s suffrage movement pioneer, said the bicycle “has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.”  Bustles and petticoats were jettisoned.  Women could pedal wherever they wished, unencumbered by both previously restrictive clothing and social convention. 

A New York Evening Post editorial in 1890 bemoaned the “Ravages of the Bicycle Craze” noting theatre owners “have had the poorest season for many years” because men and women of every age were saving their money to “buy wheels”. They were skipping the theatres and places of amusement so they could go out riding on the weekends.  Theatre owner in Chicago even discontinued Sunday performances for lack of attendance and “the churches are suffering almost as severely as the theatres from the same cause”.

Llewellyn Barker joined many in Branford who were not going to be left behind in this popular new trend.

“I bought a bicycle of (from) Sandy Wood   $65      it is an high grade $135 machine” (10/19/1892)

A more complete understanding of Llewellyn's life is available at http://llewellynbarkerdiaries.wordpress.com/