Harry Nettleton’s 1907 RaCycle Pace Maker

1907 RaCycle

There are a lot of names here so lets see… This is the Pace Maker model RaCycle, and RaCycles were made by the Miami Cycle and Manufacturing company of Middleton, Ohio.

Bikes like this one followed high-wheelers onto the cobbled streets of early 1900’s America. With newly invented roller chain and pneumatic tires, this would have been a luxuriously smooth ride compared to a Penny-Farthing.

One of the selling points of the Pace Maker was the massive front chainring (equivalent to a modern 84-tooth ring) that was meant to attract attention and suggest higher speed (but the big ring was actually offset by a big back cog that ended up producing a comfortable gear ratio).

The new air-filled tires were mounted (using shellac as glue) to wooden rims (maple, I think).

Head badge

Adjustable handlebar

Oversized drivetrain

Fork pegs

42 skip-tooth chainring

A RaSaddle?

The handlebars on the Pace Maker are really cool. They pivot at the stem, and can be adjusted in width and height, depending on a rider’s desire.

Foot pegs on the front fork allowed the rider to enjoy speeding downhill on his fixed-gear bike. Sure, without your feet on the pedals to control the speed there would be no brakes, but brakes are overrated.

Racycle advertisement

Check out the old ad that we found for RaCycle bikes. The copy in old advertising and press releases like this one was so earnest. According to the manufacturer, a 1904 Worlds Fair jury “consisting of the ablest consulting and manufacturing engineers in Europe and America, were unanimous in their decision that the Racycle was the most perfectly constructed, easiest running bicycle in the world.”

However they were judged, early “safety” bicycles like this one really brought inexpensive personal transportation to the masses. They connected people with jobs and schools, connected rural areas of the country with cities, connected extended families (and liberated family members from one another).

This bike was originally owned by Harry Nettleton of Red Wing, Minnesota. Harry raised the original $16.50 purchase price by collecting clam shells from the Minnesota river and selling them to a local button factory.

By the way, if you take a look at the Iver Johnson Truss-bridge bike from the same era, you’ll note that the RaCycle was about a third of the price of the Iver Johnson.

rolling bay club

Rolling Bay Wheelmen (The Classic Club)

Wow, these guys were serious…

The cycling club in 2003

We have had a cycling club for long enough that the pictures and exploits of past and present team members are now documented on the walls of the museum.

These Bainbridge Island teenagers are now well into their adult years. Kiel Reijnen is a Bainbridge Island firefighter after retiring from professional bike racing with the Trek-Segafredo team. It was fun watching him at the Tour of Flanders and the Vuelta…

Zach McDonald won two National Cyclocross championships and raced as a pro on the Rapha-Focus team. He now works as a financial analyst.

Peter Nowadnick raced bikes and rowed while at Dartmouth.

Devin leads the Boat Street Criterium

Kiel and Francis racing for Classic Cycle

Kiel wins at Seward Park, 2002

Justin “Lumpy” Morgan, 2001 time trial

Team bikes, 2003

Chad Weldy at Seward Park

Devin is married, and works as an inventor and craftsman (he built a bottling machine that would make Rube Goldberg proud. Beau Green is a large animal Vet. Justin, Peter, and Chad have all graduated from college and have real careers… They all still ride bikes, and some of them still do it really fast.

By paul|2024-11-09T04:24:45+00:00July 5th, 2011|museum people|0 Comments