Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Best Airlines for Bikes: US to EU

« on: March 20, 2018, 05:27:49 am »

"US to EU"

With the UK set to leave the EU in 12 months time and exit any transition period at the end of 2020 this will soon mean flights to either the Republic of Ireland or mainland continental Europe.

The only trans-Atlantic flight I've taken with a bike was on Virgin from Gatwick (London) to Havana and found them good.

Another thing to remember is that airlines like Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia are all subsidiaries of the IAG group.

Had a Warmshowers guest about ten years ago who flew from the U.S. to Ireland on Aer Lingus specifically because they were the most 'tandem friendly' airline flying to Europe.

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General Discussion / Re: Taiwan or People's Repubic's bikes

« on: March 12, 2018, 04:06:42 pm »

"I know that the majority of bicycles in the world today are manufactured in Taiwan and are generally good to excellent quality."

I didn't know that, probably because it isn't true. The majority of bicycles are manufactured in the People's Republic of China.

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General Discussion / Re: Most miles you have ridden in one single tour?

« on: February 24, 2018, 06:26:33 pm »

Don't know and don't care.

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General Discussion / Re: e-thical issue

« on: February 11, 2018, 03:41:02 pm »

Planning 60 miles per day, supported.

You're already alienating the purists so you might as well go the whole hog. 

5

General Discussion / Re: Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: January 01, 2018, 05:43:43 am »

My primary interest isn't the U.S. it's Ireland.
Ireland was where the pneumatic tyre (tire) was developed by the Scottish born cycling enthusiast John Boyd Dunlop and is also where the sport of cycling polo was invented. Just as in the U.S. there was an explosion of interest in cycling which started among the wealthier sections of society but expanded to include the less wealthy in the 1890s and the early 20th century.
Some material, particularly books, can be found on the internet but a lot of early cycling era newspapers here are only available in the National Library in hardcopy or microfilm. For example, I was able to inform a librarian form the National Library of Ireland that a certain copy of a national newspaper in 1922 had an illustrated article on a local cycle manufacturer which she was seeking information on. I knew because I had a copy of the newspaper. When you have only one newspaper it's easy to find information but when you have hundreds of thousands it's not so easy.

Collectors have their uses.

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General Discussion / Re: Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: December 29, 2017, 05:50:34 am »

Or you could pay $34.99 for a commercially produced reproduction 20X28"

https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Map-of-California-Roads-for-Cyclers-1896-Posters_i9879434_.htm?UPI=F5VR0Q0

Personally I prefer originals

7

General Discussion / Re: Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: December 26, 2017, 06:31:27 pm »

This happened 2 or 3 years ago and the map was so cool I posted it here at that time.

Yes it's a cool map but institutions like the Library of Congress get most of their material from private sources such as collectors. Hopefully my collection will end up in the National Library here when I'm dead.

For anyone who's interested I've written an article in Crazyguyonabike on early cycle touring in Ireland using items I have.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=18439&v=CO

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General Discussion / Re: Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: December 26, 2017, 05:53:05 pm »

This is the only thing American in my collection. An advertisement in 'The Art and Pastime of Cycling' published in Dublin in 1891.

9

General Discussion / Re: Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: December 26, 2017, 04:21:50 pm »

Here you go:

You're a librarian?

10

General Discussion / Any 'cycling in print' collectors?

« on: December 22, 2017, 11:39:31 am »

I've been collecting printed material (books, maps, guides etc.) relating to early cycling for about five years. I'm not American, I was born, raised and live in Ireland so most of what I have is either Irish or English but generally the former. The earliest item is a cycling road book for England & Wales (1884) and the earliest Irish item is the 'Cyclist's and Pedestrians Guide to the Neighbourhood of Dublin' (1891)

I've asked this question on a number of forums but haven't really got much response so thought I'd try here.

Anyone collect historical printed material related to cycling?

This is a link to an album of photos of some of the items in my collection https://1drv.ms/f/s!Fv-NlJsKWC3udXlSMHdGeTZHTzY0JAw