Can anyone tell me what these are for?

[museumgirl]

I work at a museum, and we are doing an exhibit on recreational materials. We have an old wooden bicycle with strips of metal covering the riding surface of the wheels. My research has told me that this is called a "boneshaker" bicycle. We think it is from around the 1860's-1880's. My question is, on either side of the fork, above the pedals, there are two L-shaped pieces of metal. They stick out away from the wheel on either side, and look kind of like foot rests or really early versions of modern "pegs," but they are too high up. Would anyone be able to tell me what might be the function of these mystery pieces? Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[imfastareyou]

foot rests...

the bikes of that era were 'fixed drive' you couldn't coast. so the pegs were to put your feet on when going down hill so you did not have to pedal at 200+ rpm...

 

[Aeropsycho]

pictures!!!

sounds like one need pics!


j...

 

[museumgirl]

Thanks

Thanks that is what we thought they might be, they just seemed a little high up to rest your feet on. Guess they had shorter legs back then haha.

 

[chuckspeed]

No - that's where you'd want your feet on a fast downhill. Was riding down a hill on a beach cruiser in SoCal today; put my feet on the cantilever tubes near the headset. if you put your feet down any further than that, they would either get whapped by the pedals on a fixed gear bike - or - interfere with steering. Get 'em high and outta the way.