Nelsonians’ fascination with cycling dates back to ‘bone shaker’ days

Nelson is home to two velocipedes, which are in the historic collections at the Nelson Provincial Museum and Founders Heritage Park. The velocephedes were made in Richmond and Nelson in late 1860s. Frederick William Holdaway owned one of them. Henry Baltrop owned the other one. The daughter of Holdaways donated the velcocepede to the museum in 1968. It is now on display at Founders. In 1869, the paper reported that local riders were riding from Richmond to Nelson on velcipeds in 55 minutes.

Nelsonians have been cycling since the early 1900s. The earliest version of a self-propelled vehicle, called a Dandy Horse, was made around 1810. It was used by straddling the frame and walking while seated. Dandys evolved into velocipedes with cranks and levers to propel the vehicle using either the feet or arms. Modern velocephiles were introduced in the late 1860s in France and a short time later in Nelson. They were considered a safety menace to people and horses.

Nelsonians’ fascination with cycling dates back to ‘bone shaker” days. Some cultures view the bicycle as an essential form of transport, while others still have a car culture. The bicycle has always been a lightning rod for the culture wars. Modern bicycles are more comfortable and efficient than ever before.