{"id":5667,"date":"2012-07-19T22:33:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-19T22:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/07\/19\/how-ireland-killed-the-hiwheel-the-story-of-the-tire\/"},"modified":"2023-10-18T20:09:26","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T03:09:26","slug":"how-ireland-killed-the-hiwheel-the-story-of-the-tire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/07\/19\/how-ireland-killed-the-hiwheel-the-story-of-the-tire\/","title":{"rendered":"How Ireland Killed the HiWheel & the Story of the Tire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"220px-John_Boyd_Dunlop_418px\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In 1887,\u00a0in Belfast, Ireland,\u00a0veterinarian, John Boyd Dunlop, outfitted his child’s bike with tires that held air. Soon he convinced local Irish bike club cyclists to use his tire with tube configuration on bikes they could touch their feet to the ground on. When these \u00a0bikes then started\u00a0out-speeding their HiWheel counterparts in race after race, the once invincible tall wheel bike was headed for the graveyard of history. In fact, by 1892, they had disappeared from the bicycle showrooms of America.<\/div>\n

\nWhat had kept the HiWheel in favor\u00a0since its inception in 1869,\u00a0even though smaller wheeled bikes were catching up in speed, was its ride. Even as chains, which the Penny Farthing did not have, were becoming lighter and much reduced in size, making the shorter bikes faster and faster, the ride on a tall wheel was still far superior in its comfort. The farther one can get from the road, especially the rough roads of the late 19th Century, the less of its shock the cyclist \u00a0will feel. Dunlop, in effect, leveled the playing field with his invention.<\/p>\n

Soon, instead of only the fit, well heeled men of the day being able to ride bikes, \u00a0women, kids and the fit and the unfit were all able to enjoy the bicycle. Bikes could be made to do work and run errands. They made it possible for most everyone to go much farther much faster. \u00a0They gave women independence back at a time when a man’s strength \u00a0had before been needed to work with horses and buggies.<\/p>\n

You can also read how his pneumatic tire found its way on to the automobile in the link that follows. I think you will agree that along with Edison’s \u00a0light bulb, Dunlop’s invention joins the ranks of Goodyear’s vulcanized rubber, Bessemer’s steel and Drake’s oil well as tools that have brought about quantum leaps in the advancement of civilization.<\/p>\n

Read the whole\u00a0Story<\/a>\u00a0about how the tire evolved…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1887,\u00a0in Belfast, Ireland,\u00a0veterinarian, John Boyd Dunlop, outfitted his child’s bike with tires that held air. Soon he convinced local… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,9,1,78,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hiwheel","category-ireland","category-uncategorized","category-nbggrabbag","category-uncategorized-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VuuR-1tp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8681,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2014\/11\/09\/one-lane-irish-road-in-the-winter-on-the-hiwheel-eagle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":0},"title":"One Lane Irish Road in the Winter on the HiWheel Eagle","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"November 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the little one lane road that sold me on Ireland as being a worthy place to get some wintertime bike miles back in 2010...","rel":"","context":"In "Eagle-HiWheel"","block_context":{"text":"Eagle-HiWheel","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/eagle-hiwheel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5532,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2013\/07\/28\/59-second-view-of-irish-back-road-from-8-feet-up-on-eagle-hiwheel-bicycle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":1},"title":"59 Second View Of Irish Back Road from 8 Feet up on Eagle HiWheel Bicycle","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"July 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The road you see in this video is not turf you will find the locals riding. They want to be on roads that will let their expensive road bikes give them their money's worth. Not to mention that roads like these are so commonplace here in Ireland, few of he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ireland"","block_context":{"text":"Ireland","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5641,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/10\/15\/77-yo-irish-hiwheel-cyclist-is-international-trick-champion\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":2},"title":"77 yo Irish HiWheel Cyclist is International Trick Champion","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"October 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Peter Matthews offers his UK audience seven minutes worth of tricks.\u00a0Filmed in 2006, Peter was 70 years old at the time. Based in Dublin, he also HiWHeeled across the USA in 2004\u00a0with Gary Sanderson: More photos from their ride across America Peter still does tricks. \u00a0See them at the end\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HiWheel"","block_context":{"text":"HiWheel","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/hiwheel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/IMG_0736.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5558,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2013\/02\/13\/ed-cox-to-lead-am-river-hiwheel-ride-519\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":3},"title":"Ed Cox to Lead Am. River HiWheel Ride 5\/19","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"February 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We just got the interview we did with Ed Cox, the Sacramento bike coordinator, on line. And talk about a powerhouse for all matters bicycle, I am excited to be able to share just some of how this man has helped to impregnate an entire region with two wheel transportation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sacramento"","block_context":{"text":"Sacramento","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/sacramento\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aX7jCx-lW9g\/URwTxn3cEuI\/AAAAAAAAA5A\/hiYku5AikU4\/s320\/8251104888_3e4e07eaae_o.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5547,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2013\/06\/21\/red-hiwheel-flower-holder-meets-the-eagle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":4},"title":"Red HiWheel Flower Holder Meets the Eagle","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"June 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Can you see the little red bike that made me stop?","rel":"","context":"In "Ireland"","block_context":{"text":"Ireland","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/ireland\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/DSCN0277.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5566,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2012\/12\/08\/peter-matthews-a-cyclist-with-few-equals\/","url_meta":{"origin":5667,"position":5},"title":"Peter Matthews – a Cyclist with Few Equals","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"December 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"There are few bicycling resumes more impressive than the one Peter Matthews has lived for the last 78 years. At the Dublin, Ireland home he has completely renovated over the last 5 decades to also include space for his vast collection of bikes and parts, much of which dates back\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HiWheel"","block_context":{"text":"HiWheel","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/hiwheel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/IMG_0719.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/IMG_0719.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/IMG_0719.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/IMG_0719.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/IMG_0719.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5667"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13560,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5667\/revisions\/13560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}