Cycling in the 19th century

The category cycling in the 19th century moved to a special project called CYCLING REVOLUTION. It’s part of the PelotonTales blogfamily, focusing rather on the impact of the bicycle on the modern life.

Faces from the peloton: Josef Fischer (1865-1953)

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Josef Fischer (1865-1953) the winner of the first Paris-Roubaix (1896)

Josef Fischer, the winner of the first Paris-Roubaix (1896) was born on the 20th January, 1865 in Atzlern (near München, Germany).  Fischer participated in several of the earliest long-distance bicycle races, like the 582,5 km long Vienna-Berlin race in 1893, where he triumphed. The route took him 31 hours. Next year, among others, he attended … Read more

Female hour record holders in the 19th century

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19th century female cyclists hor record holders netween 1893 and 1897

Not only men, but also women liked to compete against the hour since the beginning of the history of cycling.  Here are the women who set records during the last years of the 19th century. Mlle de Saint-Saveur 7 July 1893 Vélodrome Buffalo, Paris, France 26,012 km Renée Debatz 4 August 1893 Vélodrome Buffalo, Paris, … Read more

Marie and Pierre Curie on their honeymoon (Vintage cycling image of the day)

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The famous scientist couple, Marie and Pierre Curie with their bicycles on their honeymoon in 1895

THE 19TH CENTURY CYCLING CONTENT MOVED TO.  THE CYCLING REVOLUTION BLOG, THE NEWEST MEMBER OF PELOTONTALES BLOG FAMILY.   Marie (1867-1934) and Pierre Curie (1857-1906) were married on 26 July 1895. It was a wedding without religious service and Marie wore a simple blue dress she used to wear later as a laboratory outfit for … Read more

Maurice Garin after winning Paris-Roubaix 1897

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Iconic vintage cycling images: Paris-Roubaix 1897 Maurice Garin

The second edition of Paris-Roubaix was  held on the 18th April 1897. 32 professional and 28 amateur cyclists departed in the rainy Paris, but the 280 km long racerun mostly under sunny conditions. The Italian-born French Maurice Garin, who is best known for winning the first Tour de France in 1903, and the Duch Mathieu … Read more

“the pleasure of riding”

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Cycling related quotes from classic literature , quote of the day daily on PelotonTales

“It was up Kingston Hill that he first noticed a peculiar feeling, a slight tightness at his knees; but he noticed, too, at the top that he rode straighter than he did before. The pleasure of riding straight blotted out these first intimations of fatigue.” (H. G. Wells: The Wheels of Chance: a Bicycle Idyll)

Henri Desgrange, the cyclist

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How good was Henri Desgrange as a rider himself?

The founding father of the Tour de France, Henri Desgrange (1865-1940)  was a cyclist in his younger days. He set twelve world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 km (1893) Apparently, Desgrange saw a bicycle race for a very first time while visiting the finish of Bordeaux-Paris in 1891. First he raced … Read more