History of the pushbike: Part 2

Most bikes, well the ones in good condition, had mudguards. Many of the streets and roads, even in town were not sealed then and after rain you’d get mud sprayed up your back if you didn’t have mudguards. The roads to Cootamundra and Cowra were only sealed in the 1950s. There was none of the smooth riding or driving we take for granted now.

Men wore long trousers then. They still do usually but then there was a danger of getting the bottom of your trousers caught in the bike chain so men used bicycle clips on the bottom of their trousers or they tucked the bottom of the legs in their socks.

Some boys just rolled their trouser leg up to about their knee. If you got your trouser leg or your skirt caught in the chain it ended up with black grease on it and sometimes tore.

Many bikes were in poor condition. Pedals were often just the middle of the pedal without the bit that has ball bearings in it. If you didn’t watch out your foot could slip off the pedal and you’d fall off.

We seemed to often fall off our bikes. Sand would collect on the roadside and you’d get into it or you'd hit a deep rut. Next thing you’d be on the ground. Or you’d try to ride through water and fall off into it.

Some people rode too fast down the hills and came off at the bottom. And some people got dragged off their bikes by dogs. No one used a lead for dogs in those days and many dogs wandered the streets. Some people ran into dogs.

One fellow I know ran into a cow. The owner said, “Hey is that cow all right?” but didn’t ask the fellow lying on the ground if he was okay.

Down near the Burrangong Creek roughly where the Lambing Flat monument is (Main Street is it?) there were trees and some daring soul made a sort of race track through the trees. 

Continued next week...