Mortiroloboy
New Member
Whilst looking round our local booty this morning I found an 1899 edition of 'Cycling', (which is I take it the predecessor of CW) cyclists' pocket Road book, it is a small red booklet approx 5"x5", bound in red linen over board, with black ink titles,priced at 6d, inside the front board is a label stuck inside with a latin phrase 'ex libris' over a coat of arms two rampant lions one above a shield, one on a shield with a ground of dots and lines with the motto 'touch not the cat but a glove'. The name of Beatrice Maxwell Ainsworth appears under the crest.
On the first page there is an embossed stamp WH Smith London, the book contains advce for cyclists' about repairs, first aid, clothing choices, then there is a section on routes, all starting from Westminster Bridge, and going to hundreds of destinations, other pages have routes split into regions listing each town, the distance from the start point, and a cumulative distance. In the back of the book is a pocket, in this pocket is a map, which when folded out shows the UK with routes marked out from London, on the back of this sheet appears lots of adverts for bikes, clothing, accessories etc. There is a table of gears relative gear inches, to teeth on cogs, another table of lighting up times on every saturday throughout 1899.
considering its age, 109 years it is in pretty good condition, I have tried to find out about it , but Google is of no help, I'll write to CW to see what they can tell me, anyone here got a similar book? It says in the preface that it is the fourth edition of the book
Truly fascinating insight into a bygone era, but essentially nothing seems to have changed, equipment has obviously improved, but the ethos remains the same.
On the first page there is an embossed stamp WH Smith London, the book contains advce for cyclists' about repairs, first aid, clothing choices, then there is a section on routes, all starting from Westminster Bridge, and going to hundreds of destinations, other pages have routes split into regions listing each town, the distance from the start point, and a cumulative distance. In the back of the book is a pocket, in this pocket is a map, which when folded out shows the UK with routes marked out from London, on the back of this sheet appears lots of adverts for bikes, clothing, accessories etc. There is a table of gears relative gear inches, to teeth on cogs, another table of lighting up times on every saturday throughout 1899.
considering its age, 109 years it is in pretty good condition, I have tried to find out about it , but Google is of no help, I'll write to CW to see what they can tell me, anyone here got a similar book? It says in the preface that it is the fourth edition of the book
Truly fascinating insight into a bygone era, but essentially nothing seems to have changed, equipment has obviously improved, but the ethos remains the same.
