When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fancy a game of croquet? Cyclists on the beach in France, ca. 1919
Whether you’re 5 or 105, chances are you’ve felt the carefree joy of riding a bicycle at some point in your life. This week we’ve hand-picked a number of images featuring bicycles from Open Collections in order to celebrate Bike Month 2016!
Man and woman on bicycles next to the first C.P. R.M.S. Empress of Japan’s ship figurehead at Vancouver, B.C.
The history of the bicycle can be traced back to 19th century Europe, with the term bicycle coined by the French in the mid-1800’s. Over many decades, refinements to the design and materials meant that the bicycle went from being a novelty to a practical form of transportation for men, women and children of all ages.
Woman biking in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Today, bicycle transportation has become second nature to many urbanites throughout the world as a low-cost and healthy way to get around. Here at UBC’s Vancouver campus there are a number of great initiatives to support students and staff in their cycling endeavours. I Bike Here is a website offering tips, resources, news and maps about biking in and around campus. The AMS Bike Co-op promotes bike education, outreach and advocacy amongst the UBC community. Another great resource is The Bike Kitchen, a not-for-profit, full-service bike shop right here at UBC. You can learn how to fix your own bike, purchase or rent a bike, and even donate your old bike!
Military personnel admiring telescope made from the wheel of a bicycle, British Western Front
There are many good reasons to get outside and go for a bike ride, but even if you prefer strictly the imaginary kind, UBC Library has a number of interesting bike-centric books to get your gears going. Check out some neat reads here, here and here. And, of course, enjoy looking at some of these great cycling images taken from Open Collections!
Happy riding everyone!
