by David Cardillo, DDNP Staff
HAPPY NATIONAL BIKE MONTH!
Bicycles were a fairly ubiquitous form of transportation in the United States in the early Twentieth Century. Horses were being put out to pasture, the automobile was not yet affordable for the average person, and so bicycles ruled the roads when the October 8, 1918 edition of the Every Evening, Wilmington Daily Commercial made its debut.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.), 08 Oct. 1918. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062237/1918-10-08/ed-1/seq-11/>
Is it me, or is the guy on the bike from the Raymond H. Stout shop on French Street less happy than the guy riding the Harley?
If one goes to the Harley Davidson website, there are no more traditional bicycles, but the electric bicycles can run on both electrical power as well as be pedaled like a traditional bicycle. I must confess that writing this article has taught me that not only did Harley Davidson once make traditional, foot-powered bicycles, they also continue making electric versions of the traditional bicycle.
Bicycles have been economical forms of transportation, especially for short distances. The bicycles themselves are also affordable, though the variety of today’s bicycles range from simple exercise bicycles to die-hard triathlete bicycles, and a price range that is just as variable. But in 1918, according to the ad from Raymond H. Stout’s store, prices ranged from $35 to $60, not counting any discounts for the Christmas season. Using an inflation calculator, those prices in 2022 would range from $670 to $1,148. While not exactly “cheap,” those prices are still much lower than the cost of a car, and the bicycle is still independent of gasoline costs.
Happy biking! Don’t forget your helmet!
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