Tandem bicycle

[mightymads]

I hadn’t given much thought to this scene before I had an idea of writing a tandem bicycle into my own fic. It turned out that this particular model is a tad anachronistic for 1881 when Watson and Stamford were discussing Holmes. The thing is, a Danish inventor Mikael Pedersen patented the first publicised tandem in 1898.

A velocipede (or a high-wheel bicycle) for two existed as early as 1886:

Smartly dressed couple seated on an 1886-model bicycle for two

By the way, ACD and his wife tried it out:

Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife Louisa on a double high wheel bicycle (August 1892).

A fun fact:

Given the tantalising but eminently respectable closeness that a tandem bicycle allowed for between the two riders, they quickly gained the moniker ‘courting bikes’, popular with couples who wanted to spend time together. The idea was that the gentleman would ride on the back seat and steer, while the lady could perch in the front with enough room for her skirts. That meant that all the controls were loaded to the rear passenger, the person in front could simply enjoy the ride.

Sources:
1. The Romantic History of Tandem Cycling
2. 1892: A Day with Dr. Conan Doyle, by Harry How (The Strand Magazine, UK)
3. Friday Facial Hair: It’s Date Night!

Comments

[mightymads]

ACD was a jock :D I tried to imagine H&W on a high-wheel bicycle together, but it seemed too cracky. If it was a courting bike, most likely they wouldn’t have exposed themselves.