This bicycle is a 'Kildare' safety bicycle made in England, by Sydney Lee of Chancery Lane, London, in the late 1880s. It is a rare and good original example of a very early safety bicycle. The term safety bicycle defines the modern bicycle, with two equal-sized wheels, the rear one of which is driven by a chain and sprocket. Safety bicycles were much easier to mount and ride than the high wheel penny farthings and considerably safer, hence the name.
The first bicycle to be called a safety cycle was patented by H.J. Lawson in 1876. In 1879 Lawson introduced the bicyclette which replaced an earlier lever drive with a chain drive but it still had a large front wheel and smaller rear one. In January 1885, J.K. Starley (1854-1901), the nephew of the important bicycle pioneer James Starley, introduced the Rover safety bicycle. It was made by Sutton and Starley, and was the first real safety bicycle. The Rover set a new hundred mile (160 km) record and sales soared. Throughout the late 1880s more safety bicycles appeared with a variety of frame designs including the cross-frame.
The solid rubber tyres on the early safety bicycles gave riders a much more uncomfortable ride than the penny farthing bicycles which provided greater shock absorption. Some early safety models, such as the 'Whippet' made by Linely & Biggs of London, added springs in about 1887 to help absorb the vibrations. The ride problem was solved in 1888 when John Boyd Dunlop patented his air filled pneumatic tyre. Air in the inner tube cushioned most of the bumps giving greater comfort.
The significance of this early safety bicycle is that the design illustrates the transitional stage between the cross-frame and the diamond frame. It can best be described as a semi cross-frame. During the late 1880s the cross-frame was popular, especially with racing cyclists, but the diamond frame, which was lighter and stronger, went into widespread use. The cross-frame design was only used for a few years before manufactures abandoned it in favour of the more conventional diamond frame. Nevertheless this semi cross-frame was at the forefront of safety bicycle design and cycling popularity. Mass production brought the price of bicycles down and a cycling boom occurred in the 1890s which for the first time gave personal mobility to millions of people around the world.
Beeley, Serena, "A History of Bicycles", Wellfleet Press, New Jersey, USA, 1992.
Caunter, C.F., "The History and Development of Cycles", Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London, 1955.
Clayton, Nick, "Early Bicycles", Shire Album 173, Shire Publications Ltd, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England, 1986.
Information provided by Paul & Charlie Farren.
Margaret Simpson
Assistant Curator, Science & Industry
January 2009
Nothing is known about the manufacturers of this bicycle other than that it was called a 'Kildare' Roadster No.1 safety bicycle made by Sydney Lee, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, between 1886 and 1890. It was named the 'Kildare' after the London cycle club, the Kildare Bicycle and Tricycle Club of which the inventor was apparently a prominent member. The bicycle retailed for 19 British pounds and was described as "strong, light, rigid and fast". It was originally enamelled and part plated.
The 'cross-frame' design was used by a number of English bicycle manufactures including Hillman, Herbert and Cooper who inspired Dan Albone (1860-1906) of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, to apply it to a safety bicycle in 1886 which he called the 'Ivel'. Albone was a champion cyclist who established his own cycle works and went on to manufacture and produce the first small efficient agricultural tractor in Britain also called the 'Ivel'.
The cross-frame was also taken up by at least two other cycle makers, Dan Rudge, and Starley with the 'Psycho', both in 1887.
The bicycle was purchased by the Museum in 1954. It was one of nine bicycles and tricycles from the collection of Richard G.J. Nash of Weybridge, Surrey, England. Richard Grainger Jeune Nash (1910-1966) was born in Ireland but grew up in Weybridge, Surrey. During the 1920s he became an automobile engineer at the famous Brooklands racetrack nearby. Brooklands was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit and opened in 1907. It was also the venue for early bicycle racing and soon attracted pioneering aviation manufacturing companies as well. In 1932 Nash established a hill climb record in his Frazer Nash, "The Terror", up Brooklands Test Hill. During the 1930s he was actively building up a collection of old aircraft, automobiles and bicycles which was known as the International Horseless Carriage Corporation. In 1939 motor racing ceased at Brooklands and during the Second World War the site was taken over for military aircraft production. The collection was even bombed during 1940.
In 1952 Nash offered to sell his entire collection of some 23 veteran cars, 46 pre-1900 bicycles and seven pre-1918 aircraft to the Museum for the "interest and education of future generation(s)" … "the Empire or Commonwealth". At that time his address was noted as The Beeches, Hangar Hill, Weybridge, Surrey. Nash had family members in Australia and apparently felt his collection would be of value to show the history of technology in the colonies. Because of the prohibitive transport costs from England to Australia, the Museum was only in a position to purchase 9 bicycles from the Nash collection. The Museum's Director, A.R. Penfold, inspected the bicycles in a hangar/store at Brooklands while visiting England in 1953. The bicycles were subsequently shipped to Australia on board the "SS Orion". Unfortunately, the bicycles came with no provenance. Much of the remainder of the Nash collection appears to have been dispersed to museums throughout Britain.
After the War civilian aviation continued at Brooklands with several Concordes later being built on the site. After the British Aerospace factory closed in 1986 the Brooklands Museum Trust was formed and a museum of the site opened in 1991.
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