Uploads from letterlust, tagged vélo, with geodata

RIH 1967 5 Dutch champions

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 05:27:14 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

From a Dutch magazine.

0637

1889 Rover 'King of safeties'

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:48:48 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

The Rover is the king of safeties.
34 kilometer within the hour.

S.G. Whittaker says: "The Rover is the fastest machine for any distance above ten miles, and within a few years, he will have proven itself."

Only representatives of Holland: Gerritzen & Trip, Nijmegen.
Any contractor for Friesland: Pieter de Hoo Fz, Leeuwarden.

Whittaker is a US world champion safeties in those years.

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1926 Piet Moeskops

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:09:38 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

Piet Moeskops honored in Amsterdam after he had become world champion sprint in Milan.

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1926 International cycling races at the velodrome in Amsterdam

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:08:42 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

Starts of the final sprint race. Piet Moeskops will be the clear winner.
Lucien Faucheux was the winner of the Grand Prix of Paris earlier that year.

This is the wooden track of the 'old' stadium, not the concrete track of the Olympic Stadium to be built in 1928.

I pasted in both portraits.

0552

1954: Tourists from Volendam visit Amsterdam (Kitsch)

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:18:03 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Publisher: Takken, 't Sticht
This edition: 1954
'Echte fotografie'

0516

“Anyone Can Ride!” Kuala Lumpur

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:58:38 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Fongers / Mercury / De Gritzner / FN bicycles - Nauta & Co Leeuwarden

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:48:15 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Newspaper ad around 1904.

As you can see 1900s ads are often still very lingual.

"Fongers bicycles with large gears and a roller chain are unique.
Mercury bicycles always proved to be the fastest; almost all prices were won on (those machines).
De Gritzner and FN bicycles with the large cog in the middle of the bottom bracket; their extremely elegant architecture and gracious finish, are purchased by cyclists who appreciate such outstanding job."

Follows a story where these bikes and bikes of even some other brands are for sale and their starting prices.
It looks like all these dealers are located in the Dutch province of Friesland.

Clipping, color correction.

0492

Around 1905 Automatische leerinrichting in het Paleis voor Volksvlijt

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:42:25 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Automatic learning facility at the velodrome in the Palace of Industry (Paleis voor Volksvlijt) Amsterdam.

Magazine clipping

0409

Vive St Eloi!

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:08:26 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

Card send to a 'Monsieur Philippe Depreux, Cyclist' living in Sémeries, a village in the Departement du Nord, in the North of France with the message: 'Bonne fete de St Eloi, Gilberte'.
As that feast is on December 1, this card will be send around that date.

St. Eloi is also the patronage of craftsmen of all kind. So I suppose also of cyclists and bicycle makers.

Just a nice card.

Looking at his make up, his clean cloths and his clean hands the man in this picture is a model.
There are flowers on the work bench.
On the tire I can read COU???E and the size: 28''.

A French Photo card.
'Vive St Eloi!' is embossed en painted with ink and glitter.
Postally used.

0247

Fritz Wiersma Retired 1968

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:30:04 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

In 1968 Frits Wiersma ended his career as a pacer. Primarily because he knew that he was getting old. And also because he felt strongly about the growing practize of buying and selling titles and races in the mid 1960s.

'Killing' he thought it was. The public could not be fooled. The stayers no longer motivated. Talented youngsters choose an other sport. A bit more about this.

This photo was published in quite a lot of Dutch newspapers. In a way it is a funny photo. The capture suggested that Frits was still cycling every day and making kilometers . But the truth is that he was only sitting on a bike borrowed from one of his sons for this occasion.

0242

EC Viets - Wageningen 1900s

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:23:20 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

A Must-Have-Seen ad when you are interested in Dutch bicycle history!

The bicycle maker E.C. Viets
Eli Cornelis Viets (1847-1921) made (wooden) bicycles since 1880.
He established his enterprise on the old main road between Utrecht and Arnhem just across the road of Hotel 'De Wereld' (= 'The World').
So the hotel quests could easily rent or buy a bicycle at Viets. Smart!

He also advertised with an 'Automatic Cycle Teacher', "An apparatus with whom everybody can learn cycling in some hours, and inside". "No fear of falling down." "No people thinking they never will learn it."

About this nice advertisement
Top left and right:
"Federation-Approved Bike Repair, 1rd Grade"
Below the line:
"Trading and Renting Bicycles
Educational Institute for Bicycling
Blacksmith and Stove Warehouse, Prams, Racing Bikes etc."

'Bondsrijwielhersteller' refers to his recognition as a bike repairer by the ANWB. At that time ANWB stands for Algemene Nederlandse WielrijdersBond (General Dutch Bicyclists Federation).
Today the ANWB calls itself a 'Tourist Club' (= 'Toeristenbond') and acts primarily as an Automobile Association. Since 1975 the interests of Dutch cyclists are promoted by the 'Fietsersbond' (= 'Cyclists' Union'), 'For safe, fast and fun biking'.

Wageningen is a then village / now town in the Dutch province of Gelderland.

Nice to know
On May 6, 1945, the German general Blaskowitz surrendered to the Canadian general Charles Foulkes, which ended the Second World War in the Netherlands. The detailed terms of the capitulation were signed in a farmhouse in the village of Nude, just outside Wageningen.
The Generals had negotiated the terms of surrender in the Hotel 'De Wereld' on May 5, 1945 in the presence of Prince Bernhard (commander of the Dutch Home Forces).

The 'Fiets' controversy
Today, there are over 12 million bicycles in The Netherlands, and we call them simply 'fiets'. Nobody knows why. And no word has fascinated etymologists more.

In 1919 and again in 1948 the Dictionary of Dutch Language (Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal) stated that the word 'fiets' originated of Viets, the surname of the Dutch bike maker in Wageningen.
But it turned out that it could not be true, because the word 'fiets' was already in use in 1870.

There are some other explanations, or stories if you like, about the origin of the word fiets. To name the three most important:

- Degeneration of the French word vélocipède.
So: vélocipède > vielesepee > vietsen > viets > fiets?
(Suggestion done in an Dutch etymological dictionary of 1936.)

- Sound-imitation to show speed: ffts.

- Coming from the Southern dialect word 'vietsen', meaning fast moving.

Velocipede, rijwiel, fiets
The Dutch lawyers, doctors, manufacturers, etc.; the elite which began bicycling, used the French word 'velocipede' (but without the accent marks). Bikes were expensive in the beginning, so a chic word was preferred.
But as more people took the bike, grew the need for a better Dutch word. That word was rijwiel. Rijwiel + wielrijden became the legal terms for the bicycle and riding a bicycle.
Only in the 1960s in the Dutch legislation the term 'rijwiel' has been replaced by 'fiets'. It had to be because since the beginning of the century 'fiets' was already the normal word.

As you saw with a saw and drill with a drill, you can also viets with a viets. In this way around 1870 very probably the word "viets" or "fiets" arises from the Brabant dialect word "vietse" which means "quickly moving forward".
It could also explain why "fiets" was originally written with a v. And why the word has long had a low status. It was a 'folk word' the ANWB wrote. A word used by the workers.

Source: Ewoud Sander, "Fiets! The history of a vulgar word for boys', The Hague 1996.

0206

Who of the three?

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:25:53 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

Postcard addressed to Miss Renée Ferrier in Rennes. (A city in the east of Brittany in north western France)

The author reports "My dearest Renée" that the contest (= Concours) has been postponed for eight hours. For that reason they do not come to her today but tomorrow. "We are with you at three o'clock in the afternoon."

Is the author one of the three cyclists? It seems likely to me.

I'm also curious about the city where this card was posted. Therefore I put the postmark on the back also on the front.
I hope someone knows where it is, this - looks more or less like - 'Rue de Ache Bretagne'??

I expect that there was a railway connection between Rennes and this city. Compare: iIf they do not travel by train: how does the sender know what time they arrive?

Postcard, cleaned and exposed again.

0563

1926 Tandem Match for professional riders at Amsterdam.

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:08:01 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

The pair Jan Tulleken - Piet Kossen, the later winners, driving the lead.

Another clipping from 'The Katholieke Illustratie'. A magazine which - especially in those days - made lots of errors in the photo captions.

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1910s Cycles Groote Leeuw (Big Lion)

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:07:25 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

In 1903 Camiel Schotte (Steenhuyze 1854 - Sottegem 1922) founded a "Magazine of Iron and Steel 'on the Markt in Sottegem. In that shop you could buy 'all kinds of innovations for professionals'. But also 'agricultural products, guns & accessories, beautiful American pine, English iron beds, safes and vaults, sewing, washing and squeezing machines (All accessories wholesale and retail.)'

There he sold also bicycles of the brand "La Petite Reine".
Because of its success, he founded his own bicycle factory: "Usines des Vélos De Groote Leeuw et Delta".
Delta was in fact his second bike brand. There was even one third brand: G.L.S.

- Groote Leeuw: racing bicycles
- Delta: normal (good) bicycles
- G.L.S.: normal (less) bicycles

Slogan of Groote Leeuw bicycles: 'They will not tame him'
(Cf. the first line of "The Flemish Lion")

Oh yeah, he sold also 'motocycletten'.

0550

1920s World Champion again! Piet Moeskops in Amsterdam

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:08:51 -0800

letterlust posted a photo:

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1939 "On the boulevard a bathrobe is mandatory."

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:15:38 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Modesty and decency are highly valued by the Dutch authorities (civil and ecclesiastical), and local committees to combat the moral decline.

In some places - not everywhere - this leads to measures such as a ban on mixed swimming, the obligation to wear a shirt at the beach, or a prohibition on changing clothes without formally rented tent.

A year later it is war, and the beach is forbidden.

Clipping from 'Het Leven Geïllustreerd' ('The Illustrated Life'), 1939.
I think: taken at Zandvoort.

0526

“Anyone Can Ride!” Kuala Lumpur

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:58:49 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Photo made in KL during a trip to Malaysia this summer.

I have had a look at their website. It is a cycling event for the whole family with 3 types of non-competitive rides plus a challenge, also a ride not a race.

I aspecially like the thought of a 100m Tricycle Ride (for children between the ages two (2) and five (5)).

Incidentally, I have seen very little cyclists in Malaysia. Not one in the cities, few beyond. En route in Borneo, there were some villagers cycling. Plus a few tourists on mountain bikes.

515

09 Public bikes - Leipzig

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:52:25 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Bike-related holiday pictures from Saxony and Thuringia.

(I'm very busy lately, that's why I post this, as a movie break.)

0497

Off topic: Modern 'Delft Blue' Bicycle

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:13:32 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Modern 'Delft Blue' Bike. Amid images of traditional wooden shoes, tulips, windmills, etc. Super Kitsch.
At the outside of a snacks and drinks stand near Amsterdam Central Station.

Postscript August 2011
I did not know, I accidentally walked along. But for the fans. At Schiphol Airport are now many more of these 'modern' tiles to be seen. Near the museum.
You find it on Holland Boulevard, in the area behind the passport control between the E and F Pier.

0487

Ladies Riding School Amsterdam

nobody@flickr.com (letterlust) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:03:31 -0700

letterlust posted a photo:

Ad from a Privat Ladies Bicycle Riding School in the Plantage in Amsterdam.

I assume that the teacher 'M. Schakel' is a daughter or an unmaried sister of the owner Cornelis Schakel.