Thomas Stevens' two volume book is called "Around the World on a Bicycle" Volume one is SanFrancisco to Boston, at trip he did in 100 days. Keep in mind there were no roads and not much in the way of facilities at the time. You can buy a copy of it here:
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/
Volume two is from Liverpool to Tehran, a trip he started in 1885.
>From the description on the website:
Account of the first man to ride a bicycle around the world. A classic, first published in 1887. In 1884, Thomas Stevens left San Francisco on a Columbia high wheeler with the outrageous goal of becoming the first man to ride a bicycle across the United States. When he reached Boston, he decided to continue around the world, and soon sailed to London for the ride across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The high-wheeler was heavy and cumbersome, his supplies were limited to socks, a spare shirt, and a slicker that doubled as tent and bedroll, and much of the country he traversed was wild. Yet he persevered, recording his colorful and often harrowing adventures during the three-year odyssey in a classic of 19th century adventure and travel writing.
Steve Stevens, who currently holds the record for SanFrancisco to Boston on a highwheel (29 days), has attempted to recreate Stevens' Europe / Asia route last year. He gave up before he got to Iran, decided it was too dangerous to be an American riding across Iran on a high wheeler I guess. When he told me what he planned, I told him it was nice knowing him...
His accounts of his trips can be seen here:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
David Toppin dave@pelletizer.com http://www.pelletizer.com <------ see our complete, searchable inventory.
The Pelletizer Group, Inc. 4 LaChance Street Gardner, MA 01440-2476
(978) 669-0060 (978) 669-0061 fax
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Ken Wehrenberg Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:10 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Cc: JHurley@jdabrams.com Subject: Re: [CR]1955 British Cycle Touring Documentary
Regarding John Hurley's question: "...has anyone read the book about the guy who road a boneshaker across the US in the 1890's? I never doubted the account when I read it in college days, but now that I think on it, it sounds like fiction."
John, and list: The book is Across Asia on a Bicycle. Thomas Stevens went around the world on a highwheeler in the 1880s. The two guys this book is about graduated from Washington University in St Louis in 1890 and left right away on the first trip around on modern, equally sized wheels bicycles. They went across central Asia, which was apparently more dangerous. The book has lots of photos, too.
Lewis and Clark had nothin' on them.
Ken Wehrenberg, Hermann, MO -- two Washington U graduations under my belt but no trips around the world via bike
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