January 24, 2007 – Thomas Stevens (1854-1935) left San Francisco in April 1884, intent on becoming the first person to cross the United States by bicycle, according to Wikipedia. After reaching Boston in August of that year, he kept going east and took a steamer to England. Some 13,500 miles later, in 1887, Stevens boarded a steamer in Japan, bound for San Francisco. Stevens accomplished this amazing feat on a Columbia, 50-inch (front wheel diameter), standard model penny-farthing bicycle made by the Pope Manufacturing Company of Chicago. Penny farthings were popular from their invention in 1871 until the 1890s.

The automobile was invented while Stevens was on his three-year odyssey and roads were rather primitive almost everywhere. While crossing California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Stevens followed train tracks and was once surprised by train while crossing a trestle. He travelled light with only socks, a spare shirt, a rain coat (that doubled as a tent and bedroll) and a pistol stuffed into his handlebar bag. Overseas, Stevens was received by royalty in Iran and chased by angry mobs in China.

Stevens”š travels are chronicled in Around the World on a Bicycle by Thomas Stevens and Thomas Pauly (a living author). This 1,072 page volume by Stackpole Books lists for ($24.95 US) $29.95 in Canada.

Pauly explains that Stevens was seeking adventure and “his working man life was going nowhere.” He read some accounts of people who had tried to ride across the USA and the challenge appealed to him. Stevens learned to ride the penny farthing in Golden Gate Park before setting out on his epic trek.

Stevens also wrote an account of his travels in 1887, equally entitled Around the World on a Bicycle and the copyright has since elapsed on this book. It can now be accessed for free at sites such as www.gutenberg.org.