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Bicycles on the Byways ,

The first American public showing of the early high wheel bicycles was at Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition. These machines were designed with two wheels of dissimilar diameters that raised the rider several feet off ground.

Early bicyclist, Lyman H. Bagg with his high-wheel bicycle on the north bank of the Lehigh in Easton June 21, 1886

In 1891, a new style of bicycle was launched with innovations and a seat lower to the ground. Safer, easier to operate and cheaper, these bicycles became popular as a means to travel and play for professionals, laborers, men and women alike.

in 1897, Percy Bryan used his bicycle to deliver mail on his route from Erwinna to Frenchtown.

No one demographic group benefitted more from the advent of these bicycles than women. In the 1890s, women who previously were encumbered by corsets, long gowns, and other voluminous garments, set them aside for divided skirts, knickerbockers, and bloomers instigating a national controversy.

“Thoughtful people … believe that the bicycle will accomplish more for women’s sensible dress than all the reform movements that have ever been waged,” observed an 1895 issue of Demorest’s Family Magazine.
A group of woman cyclists stand outside the The Warford House (later known as the Frenchtown Inn) circa 1895.

Bicycle riding became so popular in this decade that beginning in 1896, newspapers and books were being published showcasing bicycle routes, complete with maps, and narratives describing road conditions and landmarks, as well as area hotels and restaurants on the routes provided.

American Wheelmen's Best Routes, 1897 pages shown here featuring bicycle routes for bucks county

As bicycles became more affordable cycling clubs were formed. The Philadelphia Bicycle Club was the first such club formed in the region. It was founded in 1879 and incorporated in 1885, but by the 1890s most towns had at least one club and sometimes several.

In 1895 "Bicycles are in great demand across the country and persons are laced on waiting lists as the three hundred producing factories cannot supply the demand." Riegelsville People, Places and Events.

With such a great demand for bicycles, it is not surprising that local Doylestown businessmen, Harry and Joseph Ruos with partner James Pollack, would found "P & R Bicycle Works" in a small Doylestown factory on Donaldson Street in 1896.

James Pollock is standing wearing a light-colored suit and white hat. Henry is seated in the second row, directly left of Pollock. Joseph is seated to the right of Henry.

The P. & R. Works had the capacity to turn out one hundred wheels a week. Approximately thirty hands were employed in the factory. Although the owners intended to do a “strictly wholesale” business, retail advertisements for their wheels began to appear in the local papers. In the summer of 1896, the going price for a Lenape was $50

This is the original advertisement for the Lenape as it appeared in the Doylestown Democrat in 1896

Eventually, Pollock left the business to return to hotel keeping, and the firm re-named itself the "Ruos & Ruos Bicycle Works" and later it came to be known as the "Lenape Cycle Works."

The Ruos sponsored bicycle races and road improvement projects to market their brand. When the factory burned in 1899, they purchased the iconic Doylestown Agricultural Works and continued their business.

Lenape Bicycle Sponsorship Advertisement, 1904

Almost as quickly as the bicycle grew in popularity so did the necessity for bicycle specific laws and accommodation need to be put in place. Did bicycles have to observe the same laws as horse and carriages or that of pedestrians? Did they pay tolls as if they were a pedestrian or a horse drawn vehicle?

In nearby Lehigh valley, a bicyclist who was a member of a local cycling club tried to sue the owner of the turnpike when one of his bicycle wheels broke during a ride.

March 29, 1897 edition of The Allentown Democrat.

By the 1920's the automobile had replaced the bicycle as the favored mode of transportation for most adults. This caused a slump in the bicycle industry and forced many bicycle companies out of business including the Lenape Bicycle Works in Doylestown. However the bicycle was still the mode of choice for the area youth, who continued to use their bicycles to explore the countryside.

Bucks County kids pose with bicycle in front of hay stacks circa 1920.

Other youth used their bicycles to take larger adventures. At the age of 20, Frank Kolbe, of Doylestown, rode his single-speed Arrow bicycle over 2,000 miles from Pennsylvania to California. He began his journey in July of 1923 with only $8 in his pocket and reached California two month later in September. Upon arriving, Kolbe sold his bike, affectionately called Black Beauty, to fund his return trip home.

Frank P. Kolbe of Doylestown, PA.

Today we continue to celebrate the bicycle with community bicycle parades and annual events like the Central Bucks Bicycle Clubs Covered Bridges Tour which in October of 2022 is celebrating its 41st annual ride.

This Presentation was created by Amy Hollander, Historic Properties Manger, Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department
Created By
Amy Hollander
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