From the Library: The Two-Wheeled World of George B. Thayer

Though barely over five feet in height, George Thayer stood tall in the world of bicycling. He was a prolific bicycle tourist, particularly around his native New England, but also the Great Lakes states, Europe, and was one of the earliest cyclists to cross the continent. Thayer was nearly as prolific a journalist as he was a bicyclist, and his exploits are well documented in newspapers and cycling magazines of the time. This book fills in the gaps, how he got his start, what he did in between cycling adventures. Though Thayer eventually, and grudgingly, transitioned into the era of safety bikes, most of his exploits were undertaken on, and his greatest love was for, the high-wheelers.

Though I don't recall it ever being stated outright, by reading between the lines, I got the impression that Thayer used his stature as a means to excel, to prove to himself, if not also others, that his height would not limit him in his drive to meet goals that he set for himself - he was terribly disappointed to have been too young to enlist during the Civil War, but nearly forty years later, was thrilled to be accepted for service during the War with Spain, and another twenty years beyond, when he joined the YMCA, to go to Europe for World War I.

Though this book is first and foremost biographical, there is also much information concerning experiments with bicycles for military applications, bicycle racing in the New England area and, of course, early bicycle touring.

Hayes, Kevin J.   The Two-Wheeled World of George B. Thayer   Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2015