1891: In the first long cycle race, the 600km Bordeaux-Paris, the British unexpectedly took the first three places by riding without rest, G P Mills being the winner in under 27 hours. The event made a great impression on the French public.
Later that year, Pierre Giffard promoted the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris to demonstrate the practicality of the bicycle. Cycles were sealed at the start to ensure riders used the same machine throughout and entries from foreign riders and women were refused. 207 cyclists started on September 6th, including 10 tricycles, 2 tandems and an ordinary – believed to be the only one to complete the PBP so far, ridden by M. Duval. Both amateurs and professionals took part, the pros employing crews to carry their gear and 10 pacers each. Charles Terront won, riding without sleep for 71h22m, and 99 riders finished, some taking several days having stopped at inns overnight.
1893 Humber Pattern Road Racer
21″ Frame
28 x 2.20″ wheel rims with 29″ Pneumatic Tyres
The Humber Pattern safety featured here is similar in design to the Humbers ridden by the French racers of the early 1890s, the most famous being Charles Terront, who was photographed with a Humber Road Racer on the Paris-Brest-Paris road race and advertised the bicycle for Humber. With many racing successes, this style of road racing machine, with an upward sloping top tube, and stripped down to the bare essentials, became very popular around the world.
As you can see here, many companies sold them as frames plus fittings. In fact, so many were sold in that way that it’s now impossible to identify individual makers unless a machine retains an original transfer (decal) or has a particular distinguishable feature.
This Humber Pattern safety is an older restoration. I bought it without tyres. As the previous owner had fitted 29 x 2″ rims to the original hubs I assumed he had the idea of building a tribute to the old road racing safeties with wide pneumatic tyres. So I fitted modern 29 x 2.20″ mountain bike tyres. After all, the main roads in 1891 were carriage roads, so could be compared to present-day off-road biking. The result is interesting – a 130-year-old gravel bike? 🙂
In the 1890s, cycle racing was the world’s No 1 sport. In the boom years of the 1890s, the cycle industry could not make bicycles fast enough to supply the demand from chaps who wished to emulate their racing heroes …and maybe even set their own records on the country’s roads.
As well as the established manufacturers catering to this market, hundreds of smaller companies purchased parts through the trade and built their own bicycles. After Humber introduced a safety bicycle with an upward sloping top tube in 1892 – similar in appearance to their racing model – many of the trade suppliers copied the design. It was often described as a ‘Humber Pattern Frame’.
As you can see in the advertisement below, it was offered without a transfer (decal) so that the “maker or agents may put their own transfer…”
When the road racing became popular in the early 1890s, the main roads were primarily used by carriages and carts.
“Coaching in the South of France, the Comte de Madre driving his Coach, the “Old Times,” on the Road near Loudres. Illustration for The Graphic, 9 May 1891.”
FROM an 1893 RACING SCRAPBOOK
1893 SLADE CATALOGUE EXTRACTS
(HUMBER’S AGENT IN LIVERPOOL)
