Bicycle Rim Section, 1900

01

Artifact Overview

Early bicycles used wood or metal tires. Solid, hard-rubber tires replaced these bone-jarring wheels in the mid to late 1800s. In the 1890s a pneumatic tire was introduced. An inflation valve, seen on the rim of this cutaway, filled the hollow-tube tire with air to provide a more comfortable ride.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Cutaway

Date Made

1900

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Collections Gallery

Object ID

00.4.3867

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Hickory (Wood)
Steel (Alloy)
Rubber (Material)

Color

Black (Color)
Brown
White (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 0.531 in
Width: 1.25 in
Length: 13.25 in (total length w/ spokes)

Inscriptions

Black stamp on rim: E. J. LOBDEAL / ALMA, MICH / [illegible center) Stamped on nozzle: CLEVELAND - DILL Embossed on tire: MADE IN U.S.A. / 28