Pope Columbia Safety Bicycle, 1889
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New "safety" bicycles, like this Pope Columbia, touched off a bicycle craze in the 1880s and 1890s. More stable with two same-sized wheels and less expensive than the high-wheeled "ordinaries," safety bicycles allowed many Americans to discover the sheer joy of riding.
New "safety" bicycles, like this Pope Columbia, touched off a bicycle craze in the 1880s and 1890s. More stable with two same-sized wheels and less expensive than the high-wheeled "ordinaries," safety bicycles allowed many Americans to discover the sheer joy of riding.
Artifact
Bicycle
Date Made
1889
Keywords
![Driving America](https://www.thehenryford.org/images/default-source/on-exhibit/driving-america.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=94a32201_4)
On Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America
Object ID
32.1022.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Metal
Rubber (Material)
Chromium
Leather
Color
Black (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 46 in
Width: 28.5 in
Length: 73.5 in
Wheelbase: 43.75 in
Specifications
Make & Model: Pope Columbia Safety bicycle, 1889
Maker: Pope Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut
Speeds: 1
Brakes: rear-wheel handle brake
Weight: 51 pounds
Price: $135
Average 1889 wage: about $438
Time you'd work to buy this bicycle: about 4 months