Bicycle
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1981.0214.001
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- OBJECT TYPE
- safety, highwheel/lever drive
- DATE
- 1887–1889
- ARTIFACT NUMBER
- 1981.0214.001
- MANUFACTURER
- Springfield Bicycle Mfg. Co.
- MODEL
- Springfield Roadster
- LOCATION
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
More Information
General Information
- Serial #
- N/A
- Part Number
- 1
- Total Parts
- 1
- AKA
- N/A
- Patents
- N/A
- General Description
- METAL FRAME/ METAL WHEELS W. SOLID RUBBER TIRES/ RUBBER PADS ON PEDALS/ LEATHER SADDLE/ SYNTHETIC HANDGRIPS
Dimensions
Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.
- Length
- 189.8 cm
- Width
- 66.4 cm
- Height
- 143.5 cm
- Thickness
- N/A
- Weight
- N/A
- Diameter
- N/A
- Volume
- N/A
Lexicon
- Group
- Non-motorized Ground Transportation
- Category
- Cycles & cycling
- Sub-Category
- N/A
Manufacturer
- AKA
- Springfield
- Country
- United States of America
- State/Province
- Massachusetts
- City
- Boston
Context
- Country
- Unknown
- State/Province
- Unknown
- Period
- LATE 1880'S; 1890'S
- Canada
-
The early lever-operated and geared bicycles found their way to Canadian bicyclists as an improvement to the high-wheeled bicycles. This Springfield Roadster was able to move the rider back behind the large wheel. These vehicles were purchased and used by Canadians who saw the benefit of safer machines that could compete with the Ordinaries in gearing. Canadians were likely beginning to use the bicycle as a means of transportation en-masse, and the cobblestone roads often made their rides dangerous and unpredictable. In the 1880s, cycling was mostly done in clubs and large urban environments. One such example is the Montreal Bicycle Club. While the early safety era did feature attempts to diversify the cycling clubs, little representation was enjoyed by women until the arrival of the safety bicycle by 1890. Les nouveaux bicycles canadiens avec des engrenages par commande à levier était une amélioration des bicycles à grandes roues. La population du pays estimait que ces bicycles, tout comme le modèle Springfield Roadster, étaient plus sécuritaires et qu'ils pouvaient compétitionner avec les engrenages des bicycles Ordinaires. La capacité de reculer le coureur en arrière de la roue a permis aux citoyens d'envisionner l'utilisation du bicycle comme un mode de transport sur des roues en cailloutis. Pendant les années 1880s des clubs comme le Club de Bicycle de Montréal profitais des avances technologiques du bicycle, mais ils avaient peu de représentation des femmes avant l'arrivée du bicycle sécuritaire qui a fait ces débuts en 1890. - Function
-
This geared bicycle was used as a mode of transportation for its rider. Ce bicycle avec roues d'engrenages est utilisé comme mode de transport pour son coureur. - Technical
-
The Springfield roadster is a close relative to a geared highwheeler patented in 1888 by Francis Rourk of London, Ontario. The Springfield roadster has weight distribution in mind in how the rider is positioned. Due to the angling of the wheel fork the rider is naturally leaning backwards, distributing the center of gravity behind the front wheel. It preserved the look of the iconic ordinary bicycle while making it a safer ride, and that’s why it was successful in the mid-1880s. Le vélo de ville Springfield est similaire que celui à grande roue à engrenages breveté en 1888 par Francis Rourk de la ville de London en Ontario. Ce bicycle a une distribution de poids nettement amélioré. Grace à l'angle de la fourche de la roue le coureur est naturellement basculé vers l'arrière pour positionner le centre de gravité en arrière de la roue en avant. Ce bicycle préservait la conception iconique du bicycle ordinaire tout en permettant le coureur de profiter dune augmentation de sécurité pendant l'utilisation de bicycle. Ce facteur était primordial au succès du vélo de ville pendant le milieu des années 1880s. - Area Notes
-
Unknown
Details
- Markings
- N/A
- Missing
- EAR TIRE
- Finish
- FRAME PAINTED BLACK/ METAL STRIPS AROUND BACK OF STEM, CRANKS & PEDALS, RIMS & SPOKES, AND SADDLE SPRING & MOUNT - PAINTED SILVER GREY/ SADDLE-BROWN
- Decoration
- N/A
CITE THIS OBJECT
If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:
Springfield Bicycle Mfg. Co., Bicycle, between 1887–1889, Artifact no. 1981.0214, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1981.0214.001/
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