4 March 1895: The popularity of cycling among the aristocracy is remarkable as the bicycle used to be looked upon as the poor man’s horse
The increasing popularity of cycling among the ‘aristocracy’ is remarkable. Among recent recruits may be mentioned Lord Zetland, Lady Havelock Allan, Sir Joseph Pease, the Earl of Camperdown, the Duke of Westminster, and two of the daughters of the late Earl of Iddesleigh. Heretofore the only objection urged against the pastime has been its vulgarity. The bicycle was looked upon as the poor man’s horse, and those who patronised it were considered very ordinary people. The utility of the bicycle as a means of conveyance, its capacity for causing harmless and elevating pleasure, and its undoubted health-giving qualities were all ignored at the dictates of the fashionable world. The said fashionable world have suddenly discovered the virtues of the cycle, and, ignoring the fact that even butchers’ boys may derive pleasure from the same source, they have taken to it in numbers. The middle class, a large proportion of whom are born snobs, will, now that the only objection is removed, join the ranks in thousand. It will have an effect also even on those who are not snobs.
Heretofore many professional and business men have been afraid to appear in public on wheels simply because it would damage them from a business point of view. I have known leading doctors who have made a practice of rising in summer at 5am, to enjoy a long ride before breakfast simply because they dared not appear in public except in the irreproachable brougham. For such as these the bar is being removed.
Continue reading… 4 March 1895: The popularity of cycling among the aristocracy is remarkable as the bicycle used to be looked upon as the poor man’s horseThe increasing popularity of cycling among the ‘aristocracy’ is remarkable. Among recent recruits may be mentioned Lord Zetland, Lady Havelock Allan, Sir Joseph Pease, the Earl of Camperdown, the Duke of Westminster, and two of the daughters of the late Earl of Iddesleigh. Heretofore the only objection urged against the pastime has been its vulgarity. The bicycle was looked upon as the poor man’s horse, and those who patronised it were considered very ordinary people. The utility of the bicycle as a means of conveyance, its capacity for causing harmless and elevating pleasure, and its undoubted health-giving qualities were all ignored at the dictates of the fashionable world. The said fashionable world have suddenly discovered the virtues of the cycle, and, ignoring the fact that even butchers’ boys may derive pleasure from the same source, they have taken to it in numbers. The middle class, a large proportion of whom are born snobs, will, now that the only objection is removed, join the ranks in thousand. It will have an effect also even on those who are not snobs.Heretofore many professional and business men have been afraid to appear in public on wheels simply because it would damage them from a business point of view. I have known leading doctors who have made a practice of rising in summer at 5am, to enjoy a long ride before breakfast simply because they dared not appear in public except in the irreproachable brougham. For such as these the bar is being removed. Continue reading… Cycling
