Search results

Listed under:  Health  >  Physical activity  >  Sports  >  Cycling
Image

Penny-farthing bicycle, c1888

This is a penny-farthing, or high-wheel bicycle, built in Melbourne by H Bassett and Co in the late 1880s. Called 'The Victory', it has a 142-cm diameter front wheel and a smaller rear wheel, both with solid rubber tyres. The pedals are fixed directly to the axle of the front wheel. The leather seat sits on a 'cradle spring' ...

Image

Hubert Opperman bicycles

These two racing bicycles were used by the champion Australian cyclist, Hubert Opperman, in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The one on the right with red handles is a classic road-racing bicycle. The one on the left with grey handles has been made for 'motor-pacing', a type of track racing. Both were manufactured by Bruce ...

Image

'First velocipede race on the Melbourne Cricket Ground', 1869

This is a black-and-white print that depicts the first velocipede (bicycle) race held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 1869. The race was contested by three riders, two of whom are shown astride their velocipedes, cycling past two men. The third competitor, who is depicted on the right of the print, rides a three-wheeled ...