© 2022. All rights reserved.
ca. 1860s Velocipede
{{ galleryProps.activeIndex + 1 }}/4
Description
The bicycle in America lay dormant for decades until the summer of 1865. That July, Pierre Lallement, a French mechanic, arrived in the United States with the parts to build an improved velocipede. He settled in Ansonia, CT and worked in a factory while he prepared his vehicle. The wheels and frame were very similar to the 1819 version, but Lallement had attached foot pedals to the front wheel. When the contraption was ready for testing, he embarked…
The bicycle in America lay dormant for decades until the summer of 1865. That July, Pierre Lallement, a French mechanic, arrived in the United States with the parts to build an improved velocipede. He settled in Ansonia, CT and worked in a factory while he prepared his vehicle. The wheels and frame were very similar to the 1819 version, but Lallement had attached foot pedals to the front wheel. When the contraption was ready for testing, he embarked on a 4 ½-mile ride to a neighboring village. The first half of his test was uphill, and the new pedals made climbing the hill much more tolerable. Going downhill, things went… well, downhill very fast when he realized he was about to hit a horse-drawn wagon and swerved into a culvert to avoid the crash. Although he had added pedals, there were still no brakes to slow Lallement’s vehicle.
On November 20, 1866, Lallement secured a patent for his improved velocipede. Despite the patent, Lallement couldn’t get his velocipede manufactured. He returned to France in 1868, only to find other making and selling velocipedes with pedals in Paris.
It was these two-wheeled vehicles that led someone to create the word “bicycle” using the Latin for “two” and the Greek for “circle.” Traveling performers began to tour with the new bicycles, business owners converted warehouses and ice-skating rinks into cycling schools, and wooden tracks were built around ball fields for races. By 1869, carriage makers were producing 1,000 bikes a week.
The major roadblock for bicycles that remained was the roads themselves. Cyclists regularly encountered rough stone avenues, dusty drives, mud and ruts, and more. Since the bicycles were still made with solid wood wheels, most outdoor surfaces were difficult for riding. Cyclists and their critics even resorted to calling the machines “boneshakers” because of the rough rides.
While the boneshaker was a far better bicycle than the 1819 velocipede, poor American roads prevented cycling from shifting from fad to success. Fortunately, European roads were much better, which supported innovations that led to literally bigger and better bicycles.
Year:
1868
Model:
Velocipede
Donated By:
Peter Orne