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COROMANDEL LIFE
SPRING/HOLIDAY 2016
The first bikes in New Zealand appeared in
the late 1860s and, as the design then was
relatively simple, bikes could be crafted (or
simply assembled from imported components)
from parts and tools familiar to blacksmiths,
ironmongers, farm implement builders,
wheelwrights and carriage makers.
Early bikes, or velocipedes, featured wooden
style spokes so common on carriages, which of
course made the bicycle relatively heavy. Then
came the lighter wire tension spoke design, still
used on bikes today.
Early bikes featured solid rubber tyres, giving a
rough ride, hence the nickname ‘bone shakers’.
The pneumatic tyre was first patented in 1845
by R.W. Thompson, with improved patent in
1888 by John Dunlop. This gave the bicycle a
smoother ride, adding to the bike’s popularity.
Early bike designs originally sported two wheels
of nearly the same size with pedals directly
powering the wheels. One revolution of the
pedals gave a single rotation of the wheel.
How to go faster? Increase the size of the front
wheel! This comical looking ‘penny farthing’,
with its large front wheel, allowed each push
of the pedal to generate more distance per
revolution, thus enabling the bike to go faster.
(And of course, Kiwis wanted to race them!)
Among the variations, were adult tricycles,
four wheelers, two-seaters, lever propelled,
and mono-wheeled bicycles.
It all came together with the introduction
of the ‘safety bicycle’ which featured a
low frame, chain drive between the pedal
and wheel axle, braking mechanism, and
pneumatic tyres. This skyrocketed the cycle’s
popularity with riders, especially with women
eager to climb on board with this new easy-
to-mount low centre bracing design.
By 1900 New Zealand had 71 cycle
factories, 25 of them in Christchurch.
Some factories manufactured all parts from
scratch, while others assembled bicycles
from imported parts, then continued with
sales, repairs and hires.
Above:
Thought to be first NZ manufactured
chain driven safety bicycle, this handsome
2-wheeler was built in Lawrence in 1893 by
Patrick O’Leary, age 20, employee of Matthews
and Chalmers
Blacksmiths.Henot only made
the bicycle but also the tools needed for
construction, turning the bike out completely,
except for the rubber tyres and driving chains.
Soon after building the bicycle, Mr. O’Leary
taught the postmistress of Lawrence to ride
down Lawrence’s main street, Ross Place.
Left:
This photograph of a velocipede in the
main street of Temuka is said to have been
taken in 1866. If that is correct, this might be
the first New Zealand-made bicycle. But the
first newspaper reports of velocipedes were
in 1869. The velocipede, with its heavy iron
frame, wooden wheels, and a pair of cranks and
pedals attached to the front wheel, had been
invented in France around 1861.
Top:
This penny farthing bicycle was loaned
to the Paeroa Museum by Judith Treanor. Her
grandfather bought it in the 1890s and rode
it around Thames – even raced it in various
events. The cycle still sports the original tyres!
–Photo by Helen Wilson
Kiwi Bike Biz
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