Real Old School

     My friend Ryan is going old school.  He bought a high wheel bicycle.  It's a reproduction of the style of bikes that were first produced about 1870.  The high wheelers were almost gone by 1890, when they were replaced by the modern style bicycle, called the Safety Bicycle. 

     The photos show Ryan riding the high wheeler.  Many of our common phrases come from the nineteenth century and the phrase associated with the high wheel bike is "taking a header." During the heyday of these bikes many people died taking a header.

     So the bikes were almost gone by 1890, but "almost gone" is not gone.  And certainly not forgotten.  High wheelers are still made, and still ridden, real old school.