Rudge High Wheel Cycle (Manufactured 1870-1888). High wheel cycles were popular with young, middle-class men of the late 19th century for their speed- the bigger the wheel, the faster the cycle could go. A high wheel of this size could reach a speed of nearly 30 mph! This particular cycle was a gift from Amherst mechanic Edward Thompson to his son Herbert in 1881. High wheels were considered hazardous to the health of their riders- both because their instability (even a small rock or bump could cause the rider to fly over the handlebars and suffer a ‘header’) and physicians worry that the jarring of the hard rubber tires on unpaved roads would damage male organs.
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