Sports and Leisure

Bicycles have moved a long way from the "velocopedes" of the 1770s and the "hobbyhorses" of the 1820s, both basically propelled by the rider pushing on the ground with his feet. The modern "safety bicycle" arrived in 1888 when J B Dunlop invented the first pneumatic tyre, and from then on, men and women took up the sport with great enthusiasm. Men's clothes for cycling at this time very much mirrored ordinary country or outdoor outfits: Norfolk jackets in checked wool, waistcoats, breeches and flat cloth caps.

Today, professional or serious cyclists wear streamlined tops and shorts in brightly coloured lycra, often emblazoned with the name of a fashionable sportswear firm or a sponsor. With this clothing, they are aiming to be both highly visible, for safety, and also aerodynamic, for speed. Unlike the nineteenth century, the distinction between ordinary clothing and specialist sporting dress is dramatic, and enthusiasts make clear their commitment to the sport by wearing the appropriate (and eye-catching) outfits. This late 1990s cycling outfit in blue, yellow and black is typically striking and is also printed with the manufacturer's name: "Seamons".

Full item descriptions:

"cycling outfit" [2004.106], Seamons Cycling Club