Around the World on a Bicycle
In 1884, the 29 year old Thomas Stevens set out from San Fransisco on the 'modern mechanical invention' of the Penny Farthing to circumnavigate the globe on his 'big wheel'. His book - "Around the World on a Bicycle" - was published in 1888 and his writings are presented here in blog form. Read more in the archive.
June 1885
- Gypsy bands
- The girl I left behind me
- Runaway
- Female charms
- Songs in Slavonia
- A day in Eszek
- Capital of Slavonia
- Danubian roustabouts
- Igali
- Sport and Adventure
- Supper under the trees
- Reaching Budapest
- Away in a manger
- Hungarian Peasants
- Crossing over into Hungary
- Viennese regulations
May 1885
- To Vienna
- A trip to the barber
- Lively Prattle
- Dogs and ditches
- Altheim to Haag
- Into Austria
- Rosaries, crucifixes and other paraphernalia
- Munich Sightseeing
- Munich
- Swabish peasants
- Augsburg
- Tubingen
- The Black Forest
- Dry pantaloons
- Over the Rhine
- Alsace
- Leaving France
- Escargots and Prussians
- Suspicion in Bar-le-Duc
- Marne and Rhine Canal
- Gliding in the morning air
- Paris to Sezanne
- Champs Elysees
- Locked out
- Paris
- Roll, Jordan, Roll
- Lost in Elbeuf
- French Customs
- The end of England
- Inventories
- Chiltern Hills
- Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire
- The Starley Memorial
- Merrie England
- Macadamized highways
- Leaving of Liverpool
April 1885
- Return to Liverpool
- Cyclists in London
- Chinese Embassy
- Application for a passport
- Arrival in Liverpool
- Advice from a traveller
- Ice berg
- Leaving the dock
- Winter break
August 1884
July 1884
- No foine
- Mohawk Valley
- Unspeakable mule
- Sparkling stream
- Seneca Falls
- Lost in the darkness
- Batavia Wheelmen
- Policeman's Whistle
- Road-rights
- The Empire State
- Passing through Pennsylvania
- The Garfield homestead
- Brush with the law
- Buckeye yell
- Pumpkin cradle
- Drought in Ohio
- Wheeling in the gloaming
- Goshen
- Cram's Point for breakfast
- Chesterton
- Lake Michigan
- Democratic Convention in Chicago
- Mit dot
June 1884
- Refused shelter
- Visit to the barber
- Ferryman
- Into Illinois
- Whip-poor-wills
- South Amana
- Des Moines
- Variable
- Carson Township
- Unstuck
- Military Road
- Day of Rest?
- Duncan
- Timberless Plains
- Chased by a Mule
- A Header Near Elm Creek
- Rattlesnake
- Looking for Supper
- The First Homestead
- Storm Watching
- A New Hat
- Racing the Storm
- Once There Were Buffalo
- Isolation of the Prairie
- Prickly Thoughts
- Prairie Schooners
- On To Cheyenne
May 1884
- Laramie Wheelmen
- Grand Views and Rain
- Antelope
- Laramie Plains
- Prairie dogs
- Inquisitive Coyote
- Continental Divide
- Rock Springs
- Paying the bill
- Green River
- High-water and Whiskey
- On to Carter Station
- Uintah Mountains
- Tie-Drive
- Gastronomic Feat
- Castle Rocks
- Pulpit Rock
- The Thousand Mile Tree
- Devil's Slide
- Weber River
- Ogden
- Orchards
- 'Perlocefede' in Corinne
- A Plague of Gnats
- Entering Mormon Land
- Bed bugs
- Monument Station
- Great Salt Lake
- Matlin
- Wrigglers
- Depressing Tecoma
- Bears
- Extinct Volcanos
- Halleck
- Alkali Bill
- Incident with a mountain lion
- Bar-room antics
- Humboldt Canyon
- Maiden's Grave
- Crossing the river
- Cycling by moonlight
- Stone-House Ghosts
- Horned Toad
- Winnemucca
- Lovelocks
- Hot Springs
- The Forty-mile Desert
- Little Shanty
- Over the Deserts of Nevada
April 1884
- Into Nevada
- Snow sheds
- Dutch Flat
- Railway tracks
- Sunday at Clipper Gap
- Up to Clipper Gap
- Gold fever
- You'll never make it through
- A header near Rocklin
- Senoritas
- Parks and Pastures
- Elmira to Sacramento
- Elmira
- Tuiles
- The road to San Pablo
- The beginning
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