Being the true journal of Mr. George T. Loher who in 1895
cycled from coast to coast on his Yellow Fellow Wheel
By George T. Loher with commentary by his granddaughter,
Ellen Smith
Published in 1978
In 1895, George T. Loher, a 29 year old butcher from
California, set off with a friend for a bike ride of over 4,000 miles. His friend turned back soon after the trip
began as the conditions were too harsh for him.
Loher, however, pushed through loneliness, harsh climate, equipment
problems and harrowing terrain in order to accomplish his enormously ambitious
goal.
His journal consists mostly of a list of town names with
some strong opinions, positive and negative, about the people he meets in those
towns. He briefly describes road conditions,
ranging from discouragingly difficult during the first half of his trip, over
unpaved roads, through the Rocky Mountains, and past the Badlands, to very
favorable conditions as he entered Wisconsin and finished his journey through
New York City.
Quite interesting to me was the fact that his bicycle had no
brakes. Apparently, coaster brakes were
not available until 1898. Loher
describes his method of riding down steep mountainsides by “tying a quantity of
brush together and trailing it through the dust”.
Also intriguing is that many people he encountered resented
the bicycle. Businessmen were concerned
about a drop in carriage sales. Horse
lovers saw bikes as a threat. Police
were concerned about traffic problems.
Farmers were upset about the fast moving bicycles frightening their
horses and mules.
I picked this journal up recently at a used book store. It caught my eye because this summer, my
brother Andy has embarked on his own cross country bicycle trip. 117 years after Loher’s journey, I’m sure
Andy will run into much different road conditions and better access to
equipment for bicycle repairs. What will
be similar about their adventures are the potentially harsh weather conditions
and the wide variety of personalities met along the way. Likewise, what they share is the ability to
set an unusually ambitious goal and to actually follow through on it.
Best wishes to you, Andy.
Here are some words from another adventurer who accomplished this goal
many, many years ago.
“Now let me conclude my experiences by saying that if you
ever cross the continent on a bicycle, I sincerely hope you will meet with
better roads, more congenial people, and last but not least, a stronger bicycle
than I had.”
More information about Andy’s cross country bike journey from Mukilteo, Washington to Bar Harbor, Maine can
be found here.
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