Reunions

In the years following the cycling boom years of the 1880′s and 1890′s, former members would get together for annual dinner parties. At these events they would review slide presentations by Otto Burger, sing old songs, and eat heartily (as well as enjoy a drink before prohibition.)

The invitation for the 1932 event included a poem by Burger, Bumiller, and Emil Schmitt that waxed nostaligic for the early days:

“When doctor’s condemned water unfit to drink

and Red Lights were not used for Traffic Blinks,

When Lion Brew was a beverage aged in wood

and not made from the stuff mother now brings

home from the neighborhood.

Oh, take me back just for tonight

To those good Old Days you and I rode a Bike,

When joys and pleasure were unconfined

By edicts of Volstead, Wheeler and their kind.

Oh, take me back just for tonight

To mingle with the Old Pals that rode a Bike,

Relating adventures of the Road and Track

That merit recording in History’s Almanac.

Oh, Take me back, just for tonight

To join the chorus in Songs of the Bike,

Raising high our Cups of foaming glee

for tomorrows Sun we might never see.

Oh, Take me back just for tonight

TO THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS YOU AND I RODE A BIKE”

Bicycle Polo – the first match in the Queen City

The first bike polo match in Cincinnati took place on Tuesday, May 19 1896 at the Poorman Riding Academy building in Walnut Hills on Woodburn Ave. It was a match between Sid Black and E.C. Rexford. During the match exhibited trick riding to win.

Cincinnati’s Velodrome

Aerial view of Chester Park

In 1895 the cycling community of Cincinnati was excited to hear of plans to build a cement bicycle track in Chester Park; a popular entertainment destination located off of Spring Grove Avenue. The track was to have dressing rooms and training quarters for the cyclists.

A popular route for cyclists out of downtown, Spring Grove Avenue follows the Mill Creek, passes through Carthage and Elmwood Place, and continues on to Hamilton. J.E. Poorman’s annual road race from Hamilton Ohio to the Winton Place area would now be able to arrive and take a turn around the velodrome.

J.E. Poorman race medal

For years the area racing men (and women) had to make do with local horse racing tracks; such as tracks in Latonia Kentucky, Carthage, and Oakley. The soft soil of these tracks made it difficult for the riders, so a cement track was eagerly anticipated. There had been hints from various clubs and investors of plans to build a bicycle only track for many years. The Walnut Hills Cycling club discussed plans to build a clubhouse and track in the 1890′s. There was also talk of building a race track at the popular Ludlow Lagoon in Kentucky (a banked  motorcycle track was built at the lagoon in 1913, but it closed after a fiery crash killed nine).  In late January 1896 Bearings Magazine reported that “the new track has passed from the hands of the Cincinnati Consolidated Street Railway Co. into those of the Chester Park Athletic Club.” The track opened with a grand bicycle festival that May 2, and attracted out of town professional racers as well as the locals. The track manager scheduled weekly professional races on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pro level talent was under par for the Cincinnati racers, so it was announced that spring that the track would begin to host race events for “locals only” in addition to its regular scheduled A races.

Ludlow Lagoon motorcycle Track; 1913

In the picture above one can still see the Cincinnati Southern Railway bridge in the background which still stands.

Here is a plan showing the track in 1896:

Here is a contemporary photo showing the cement track. One can also see the overhead wires for lights which allowed for night races:

The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote on May 20, 1896: “Tonight Chester Park will hold an electric light race tournament…The riders this evening will plainly be seen and the event in detail will be no less ably managed than the events given by daylight.”  In addition to overhead lighting, the track manager had four large cadmium lights that would spotlight the riders as they raced around the track. Nightime racing during the week would provide a welcome diversion for those who had to work Monday through Saturday (Sundays were for riding!)

Plans were also made to have a large indoor cycling venue with electric lighting and exhibitor booths, but it’s not clear whether this was ever realized.

Twitter Tweets of the Nineties

Wheelmen (and women) in the 1890′s would have daily deliveries of newspapers to their homes. In Cincinnati there were a number of newspapers; The Enquirer, Times-Star, and Commercial Gazette were the most popular. At some time or another they each had weekly columns giving updates and news of the local wheelmen and clubs.  The Times-Star paper had a Saturday feature called “Music of the Tires” or  ”Wheel Whispers” with a column of short 0ne-liner items. These resemble the twitter feed of today: “Bert Tutty says he is troubled with the wheelman’s “grip”, “Kess Smith still possesses his great 64 inch,” “H.O. Barth is a camera fiend,” and “Kess Smith is an expert angler.”  Some jabs at local wheelmen were often printed: “Wyn. Bicknell has made a new record, vis., eating ten chickens at Miamitown dinner. Max Mueller is not far behind him, he having devoured five ducks. These one-liners were then followed by more specific news or announcements for the clubs, such as this one for a former Brighton clubmember: ” Al Smith, a member or the once famous John Barclay Brighton Scorchers, is now in the revenue service in New Orleans. Harry Hodgson says Al is still a good rider.” The Sunday rides were also provided. The trips for June 18, 1892 were the following: “Porkopolis, Milford; Brighton, Windisch farm; Cincinnati, Jones Station; Crescents, Hamilton; Orioles, Brookville; Walnut Hills, Milford; Athletics, Miamitown.”  Some of the “tweets” were very cryptic and can only be guessed at from our perspective today: “H. Cage is the lone wheelman of Camp Washington Ridge,” and “George Eggers holds down Mohawk Bridge.”

The Wheel Notes from the Times-Star on May 30, 1892 announced that the “Brighton Bicycle Club gave a Decoration Day run to Park Place today. It was a complimentary jaunt in honor of six young ladies of Park Place who will shortly remove to Chicago…”

And finally, an anecdote from the “Whirls of the Wheel” from May 16, 1892: “A married man recently purchased a pneumatic safety. On his first ride the tires gradually deflated. He returned it and some repair was made, but on the next excursion his fate was similar. Ultimately…he discovered that his spouse had been pricking the tires with a pin as an effective means of keeping her lord at home.”

 

Boasting Coasters

In 1892 members of Cincinnati’s clubs met for a mammoth field day at the Red’s baseball park. There were races, trick riding exhibitions, and a parade. For the parade the local cycling clubs decorated their wheels with bunting and streamers and rode in formation. Each club carried a banner with their club name and mottos stitched to the fabric.  One un-named  club was so brash as to carry a banner that exclaimed “Our Wheels Never Stop Except for Death.”

Winter Training

From Wheelmen's Gazette December 1888

A Familiar Ride

Here’s an interesting account of a ride on a route many Cincinnati riders are familiar with.

Wheelmen's Gazette, April 1888.

The Associated Cycling Clubs’ Clubhouse

On July 4, 1893 a collection of cycling clubs in Cincinnati entered an agreement that would allow them to share a clubhouse. They called themselves the Associated Cyclers’ Club House Company. The clubs that shared the house were the Porkopolis Wheelmen, Athletic Cycling Club, America Bicycle Club, Crescent Wheelmen, Monroe Bicycle Club, and a few unattached riders. The facility was located at 120 East Ninth Street downtown. Ironically this property is now a parking garage in a sea of other parking garages. However, when it was operating as a wheelmen’s clubhouse the first floor had two large furnished parlors, a meeting room, dining room, and a kitchen (they served a small spread every evening). The second floor had a large billiard room, card room, locker room for the wheelmen to change clothes, bath rooms, and toilet rooms. The third floor had three large furnished rooms for visiting wheelmen. The bicycles were stored in a brick out building in the rear yard. Dues were $2.25 each quarter. The house rules were: “Be a gentleman” and “No gambling permitted.” Apart from this its supposed that anything was possible.

Lion Tamer

Here’s an interesting story that takes place at the old Chester Park bicycle track in Cincinnati (near where Cincinnati Waterworks is now on Spring Grove Avenue)

Cycle Age, 1898

Roadside Repairs

Members of the Brighton Bicycle Club repair a tire

The new safety bicycles with pneumatic tires were subject to punctures. These could be repaired by removing the stitches on the rim side, applying a vulcanized patch (or in some cases melting the rubber with a solvent), stitching the tire back together, and re-gluing. It’s interesting that they could do this repair without removing the entire tire from the rim. Note the bottle of solvent or glue at their feet.

roadside repair