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.

Generator lights

Generator Lights

Supernova E3 Pro light,, generator hub and USB plug

If you’re a self-reliant type and really want to be prepared every time that you go for a ride, a dynamo (generator) light system is the one to have.

If you can’t ever remember to plug in your phone, your computer, your rechargeable lights or even your car, a dynamo system will fix everything.

There is no battery involved. You generate your own power when you spin the efficient dynamo hub. Powerful LEDs can give you anywhere between 200 Lumens and 1000 lumens to light your way (that’s bright)!. Built-in capacitors will keep the lights on for minutes after you stop moving which means that you’ll be safe while stopped at intersections.

We have or can get generator lights from Supernova, Exposure, Kasai, Lezyne, Herrmans, Portland Design Works and Planet Bike.

Shimano, Shutter Precision, Kasai, and Sturmey-Archer all make high quality dynamo hubs that will run reliably for decades (an no, you won’t feel any drag while you ride).

Most front wheels can be rebuilt with a dynamo hub for around $75 in labor and $50 for spokes.

Really want to be prepared for a zombie apocalypse? Get the optional USB port stem-cap, and you can recharge your phone or iPod while you pedal.

By paul|2024-11-09T16:55:36+00:00October 17th, 2023|Accessories|Comments Off