Portage County Historical Society
Bicycling Craze
taken from the May 19, 1992 Stevens Point Journal
by
Brian Earnest
The bicycle seems to be the vehicle of choice in the 1990s. Mountain bikes, racing bikes, touring bikes, BMX bikes - you name it. If it has two wheels, chances are you can see it on the streets of Portage County.
But the bicycle craze is nothing new in these parts. In fact, cycling was in vogue 100 years ago in the Stevens Point area. Written accounts of turn-of-the-century Stevens Point make frequent mention of bicycling as the preferred method of transportation among area pedestrians.
One published national health study recommended bicycles as “the preferred way to get to work,” particularly in busy metropolitan areas.
Numerous bike shops in the area offered the sale of new bikes, bike parts and bike repair services. Two of the bigger suppliers were Reton Bros. and the H. D. McCullough Co.
One big announcement in the area came in 1895 when Dr. Jesse Smith, a well known Stevens Point dentist, opened a bike repair shop at 452 Main Street “to make all kinds of repairs needed.” The Stevens Point Journal reported that “considering the large number of bicycles in the city, he is confident that a good business can be worked up.”
Smith, however, promised not to give up his dental practice, vowing to give it “his personal attention
The bike traffic became heavy enough in 1896 that a “good road from the city to the lake” was needed, and so a bike path from McDill to Lake Emily was built.
The 12 man construction crew had a tough time building the trail, however, “on account of difficulty in finding a good path over the sod.”
In 1901, Stevens Point bikers were charged $1 apiece to fund the construction of “sidepaths” in the city in accordance with a new state law calling for mandatory paths for bikers and walkers.
Not surprisingly, bicycle racing also became popular, particularly at fairs and carnivals. The reported winning time of the 1901 15 mile Fourth of July race was a respectable 53 minutes, 37 seconds.
One brief fad that apparently didn't catch on was “ice cycling,” which became a hot winter activity in the area in 1894. The ice bike was, as its name would suggest, a bike designed for snow and ice that featured a single ski in place of a front wheel and a studded real wheel.
A proponent of the experimental sport proclaimed it to be “excellent training and a faster time can be made than in regular bicycling.” Indeed, the same fellow made the rather outlandish claim of being able to race a quarter mile in 20 seconds, which translates into a speed of 45 mph.
In 1895 "several crack men of the city” planned to partake in the new sport as soon as the river froze on a path from the Clark Street bridge to Woodland Park.
No word yet on how the event went over.