Couple of cycling tips from 1897

[Hilldodger]

How to keep cool when cycling. To keep cool in hot weather procure a cabbage or rhubarb leaf (a large one) and pin it to the cap so as to hang down at the back of the neck. This, besides cooling the body, also keeps flies away.

An effective makeshift. When visiting a county town some distance from home, should the weather turn out wet, half a yard of cheap oilcloth purchased at the local draper’s and cut into strips with your pocket knife, will provide mud-guards of which you need not be ashamed and which will be very effective.

More on my blog. And the truth about JB Dunlop

 

[Maz]

Nice one!
Now I know where the term 'head of cabbage' comes from.

 

[tyred]

How to keep cool when cycling. To keep cool in hot weather procure a cabbage or rhubarb leaf (a large one) and pin it to the cap so as to hang down at the back of the neck. This, besides cooling the body, also keeps flies away.

Very trendy

 

[swee'pea99]

Well everyone knows that. Question is, which are better, Shimano rhubarb leaves or Campagnolo rhubarb leaves?

 

[zimzum42]

An effective makeshift. When visiting a county town some distance from home, should the weather turn out wet, half a yard of cheap oilcloth purchased at the local draper’s and cut into strips with your pocket knife, will provide mud-guards of which you need not be ashamed and which will be very effective.

Can someone ping Bonj with this information?

 

[Cubist]

How to keep cool when cycling. To keep cool in hot weather procure a cabbage or rhubarb leaf (a large one) and pin it to the cap so as to hang down at the back of the neck. This, besides cooling the body, also keeps flies away.

However, there is, as yet no reliable research which proves whether cabbage leaves protect the back of the neck or not. There is a very real danger that the Govt will attempt to make the wearing of cabbage leaves mandatory. In order to further my argument against the mandatory wearing of cabbage leaves I am prepared to fall out with anyone who attempts to sugest that they might be a good idea........

 

[rikki]

I'm not sure a cabbage leaf will keep flies away.

Cooking cabbage usually attracts flies. It is especially effective at attracting flies.

Maybe having a warm cabbage leaf on the back of your neck keeps the flies out of your face [because they're all on your cabbage leaf]

Rhubarb leaves are poisonous. Not sure whether flies like them or not.

 

[rikki]

An effective makeshift. When visiting a county town some distance from home, should the weather turn out wet, half a yard of cheap oilcloth purchased at the local draper’s and cut into strips with your pocket knife, will provide mud-guards of which you need not be ashamed and which will be very effective.

More on my blog. And the truth about JB Dunlop

Any information on how to assemble the makeshift mudguards?

 

[Hilldodger]

Nope.

 

[Cubist]

Any information on how to assemble the makeshift mudguards?

Think outside the box. You don't need to attach the "mudguards" to the bike, you can attach them to your clothing to keep the mud off. This is the "city commuter" version using a large number of oilskin strips:

 

[Arch]

Any information on how to assemble the makeshift mudguards?

Any gentleman who rode a bicycle and carried a pocket knife is perhaps assumed to be practical enough to figure something out for himself?

 

[tyred]

Think outside the box. You don't need to attach the "mudguards" to the bike, you can attach them to your clothing to keep the mud off. This is the "city commuter" version using a large number of oilskin strips:

I think I'd rather get wet than look like that

 

[Smokin Joe]

I remember Barry Hoban saying he sometimes used a cabbage leaf as a shade during very hot mountain stages.

 

[Cyclista]

1899 and he's still better at tricks than I am!