Today in Wheeling History: July 13—The Wheeling Wheelmen held their first grand bicycle meet, featuring 15-mile and 30-mile road races over the National Road (1886).
The Wheeling Wheelmen organized the first major bicycle racing event in the city's history on July 13-14, 1886, marking a significant milestone in both local sports and the national bicycling craze sweeping America. The event featured two road races on July 13th: a 15-mile race from West Alexander to the McClure House, and a 30-mile race from the McClure House to West Alexander and return, both conducted over the National Road. The main prize was a $20 gold medal offered by the club to the winner of the thirty-mile race, with numerous other prizes donated by local firms and individuals.
The event occurred during the golden age of American bicycling, when the League of American Wheelmen, founded in 1880, had grown to over 100,000 members nationwide who advocated for paved roads and cycling rights. The Wheeling races attracted participants from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Allegheny, and other regional cities. W.D. Banker of the Allegheny Cyclers emerged as the standout competitor, winning both the 30-mile road race in 2:52 on July 13th and the hill climbing contest on Fulton Hill on July 14th in 3:28. The hill climbing event, which drew large crowds of spectators who could view the entire course, featured only five starters despite ten entries, disappointing local organizers who had hoped for greater participation from Wheeling cyclists.
The event established Wheeling as part of the broader "Good Roads Movement" that would eventually lead to America's highway system, while showcasing the growing popularity of cycling as both recreation and sport in the Ohio Valley.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/bdh6y6a5); Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/2cc38wsu) (https://tinyurl.com/y7ddh887) (https://tinyurl.com/yv8aujmu), Wheeling Daily Register (https://tinyurl.com/vp6x2tb4) (https://tinyurl.com/3rndzzwf) (https://tinyurl.com/4u52fh4j), West Virginia History OnView (https://tinyurl.com/3cz4y4xp), League of American Bicyclists - Equity and Our History (https://tinyurl.com/3zb5hy4j), Connecticut History - The League of American Wheelmen and the Good Roads Movement (https://tinyurl.com/mr36zjvy)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wheeling Daily Register, West Virginia History OnView
The Wheeling Wheelmen organized the first major bicycle racing event in the city's history on July 13-14, 1886, marking a significant milestone in both local sports and the national bicycling craze sweeping America. The event featured two road races on July 13th: a 15-mile race from West Alexander to the McClure House, and a 30-mile race from the McClure House to West Alexander and return, both conducted over the National Road. The main prize was a $20 gold medal offered by the club to the winner of the thirty-mile race, with numerous other prizes donated by local firms and individuals.
The event occurred during the golden age of American bicycling, when the League of American Wheelmen, founded in 1880, had grown to over 100,000 members nationwide who advocated for paved roads and cycling rights. The Wheeling races attracted participants from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Allegheny, and other regional cities. W.D. Banker of the Allegheny Cyclers emerged as the standout competitor, winning both the 30-mile road race in 2:52 on July 13th and the hill climbing contest on Fulton Hill on July 14th in 3:28. The hill climbing event, which drew large crowds of spectators who could view the entire course, featured only five starters despite ten entries, disappointing local organizers who had hoped for greater participation from Wheeling cyclists.
The event established Wheeling as part of the broader "Good Roads Movement" that would eventually lead to America's highway system, while showcasing the growing popularity of cycling as both recreation and sport in the Ohio Valley.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/bdh6y6a5); Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/2cc38wsu) (https://tinyurl.com/y7ddh887) (https://tinyurl.com/yv8aujmu), Wheeling Daily Register (https://tinyurl.com/vp6x2tb4) (https://tinyurl.com/3rndzzwf) (https://tinyurl.com/4u52fh4j), West Virginia History OnView (https://tinyurl.com/3cz4y4xp), League of American Bicyclists - Equity and Our History (https://tinyurl.com/3zb5hy4j), Connecticut History - The League of American Wheelmen and the Good Roads Movement (https://tinyurl.com/mr36zjvy)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Wheeling Daily Register, West Virginia History OnView
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