Wheelmen

In the 1880s, against the backdrop of New York’s Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Monument, a new phenomenon swept through New York: the Wheelmen. Cycling clubs quickly formed, mostly made up of upper-middle-class and wealthy men who could afford the high-wheeled bicycles and had leisure time to spare. These clubs built or rented clubhouses, wore uniforms, and pushed the city to pave streets, which were then a rough mix of gravel, macadam, and granite. Though asphalt was discovered after the Civil War, it wasn’t affordable or widely used until the late 1890s. Cycling wasn’t without controversy. Reckless riders caused accidents—some fatal— often raising heated debates about road safety. As the 20th century approached, the "safety bicycle" made cycling more accessible to the masses, and women joined in. By 1913, the mass-produced automobile had arrived, stealing the spotlight. Within two decades, the once-grand cycling clubs had vanished, and bicycles became largely associated with childhood fun and fitness training.