Can We Ride And Survive A Stage Of The 1903 Tour de France?
May 27, 2020 2:02 PM Subscribe
In its early years, the Tour was conceptually very different from its current form, with stages of such enormous distances, and an emphasis on self-reliance. This was so strict that in 1913, a racer was penalized and denied a victory because, after having his forks break, and carrying his bike to a nearby village, and re-forging the forks himself, it was found that the blacksmith's son had worked the bellows on the forge to assist him.
This philosophy of racing—long stages and extreme self-reliance—has had a bit of a resurgence over the past 10 or so years, with races such as the Transcontinental Race, the Trans America Bike Race, etc.
posted by adamrice at 2:57 PM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]
This philosophy of racing—long stages and extreme self-reliance—has had a bit of a resurgence over the past 10 or so years, with races such as the Transcontinental Race, the Trans America Bike Race, etc.
posted by adamrice at 2:57 PM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]
... doing that on 1900s vintage bikes? Wearing 1900s bike gear? That is bonkers.
Maybe wearing 1900s vintage mustaches helps.
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:42 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Maybe wearing 1900s vintage mustaches helps.
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:42 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
This was insane and wonderful. And I really shouldn't have been surprised at the 'so...we don't have brakes?' bit, probably.
posted by kalimac at 4:00 PM on May 27, 2020
posted by kalimac at 4:00 PM on May 27, 2020
> I was ready to be mildly impressed, but... doing that on 1900s vintage bikes? Wearing 1900s bike gear?
...on 1900s roads, which in terms of ridability were probably closer to well-groomed dirt trails than to modern asphalt.
posted by ardgedee at 4:14 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
...on 1900s roads, which in terms of ridability were probably closer to well-groomed dirt trails than to modern asphalt.
posted by ardgedee at 4:14 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Something cycling advocates like to remind motorists is that cycling is one of the main reasons we got modern paved roads in the first place. Thanks for sharing!
posted by CostcoCultist at 6:39 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by CostcoCultist at 6:39 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Besides a modern hard surface road they were also using modern tires, the 1903 riders would have had natural rubber tires. And the grades were evened out, The 1903 route probably had a lot more elevation variation. Plus the advantage of modern training and conditioning. It is completely bonkers to think what this must have been like in 1903.
posted by Mitheral at 7:05 PM on May 27, 2020
posted by Mitheral at 7:05 PM on May 27, 2020
I stumbled on GCN's look at Keirin racing in Japan a few months ago which is equally fascinating.
posted by PenDevil at 2:47 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by PenDevil at 2:47 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was ready to be mildly impressed, but... doing that on 1900s vintage bikes? Wearing 1900s bike gear?
And while smoking for relief
posted by glasseyes at 3:14 AM on May 28, 2020
And while smoking for relief
posted by glasseyes at 3:14 AM on May 28, 2020
It is completely bonkers to think what this must have been like in 1903.
Early bike racing was completely bonkers. The 1891 Paris-Brest-Paris race was 1200 km long and it was won by Charles Terront in 71 hours, riding non-stop. He was using prototype pneumatic tyres by Michelin.
The 1903 Tour was relatively peaceful but the 1904 Tour had riots, beatings, nails and broken glass on the road, and various forms of cheating.
posted by elgilito at 3:35 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Early bike racing was completely bonkers. The 1891 Paris-Brest-Paris race was 1200 km long and it was won by Charles Terront in 71 hours, riding non-stop. He was using prototype pneumatic tyres by Michelin.
The 1903 Tour was relatively peaceful but the 1904 Tour had riots, beatings, nails and broken glass on the road, and various forms of cheating.
posted by elgilito at 3:35 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Riding dirt tracks is fairly comfortable on a bike. The part that was/is considered the worst of the TdF or the PBP races are the cobblestones.
Personally, i prefer a good dirt trail to asphalt even on a road bike, as long as it's not muddy.
posted by bonehead at 5:18 AM on May 28, 2020
Personally, i prefer a good dirt trail to asphalt even on a road bike, as long as it's not muddy.
posted by bonehead at 5:18 AM on May 28, 2020
If you love historic bike racing things, New Zealander (and TV host) Phil Keoghan made an immersive documentary about the 1928 Tour -- the first to include a rider from New Zealand, Harry Watson -- by acquiring two period-correct bikes and riding the whole 3,300 mile course as scheduled in 1928. It's called Le Ride, and it's worth your time.
The race back then was BRUTAL, just like this one.
posted by uberchet at 7:38 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
The race back then was BRUTAL, just like this one.
- The length alone was ridiculous. Last year's Tour was, by comparison, "only" 2,091 miles.
- They spread this distance over 22 stages, vs 21 for 2019, which means every day was longer; average stage length was about 150 miles vs. just under a hundred for the modern Tour.
- This delta is only slightly softened by a longer actual duration: almost a month in 1928 vs. 3 weeks in 2019.
- The longest day in 2019 was 134 miles. In 1928, though, they maxed out at 240 miles -- on a mountain stage.
- To make matters worse, that 240 miler in 1928 was the first of SIX BACK TO BACK 200+ mile stages. Yes, there was a rest day after each one, but even so that's insane.
- Especially on a bike like they were riding.
posted by uberchet at 7:38 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
glasseyes, when I sent the link to my Dad, he immediately responded with that exact picture. I did wonder if they were smoking asthma cigarettes, or just simply being extremely French.
posted by kalimac at 8:24 AM on May 28, 2020
posted by kalimac at 8:24 AM on May 28, 2020
Riding dirt tracks is fairly comfortable on a bike.
Now I really wonder what the average and worst tour road was like in 1903. I would have guessed they were using roads designed for wagons rather than dirt tracks.
Some poking around on google images reveals this night image (probably from 1903-1914) showing a moderately rough but dry road apparently free from excrement (and pre wide spread adoption of automobiles excrement was everywhere on roads). Interestingly they are using a car for illumination. The rider has 4 tubes/tires slung over his shoulders (that's 110 year old tires for you). Also there are what appear to be spectators even at night.
This one nominally from the 1903 tour shows a town road that is fairly smooth but also apparently with at least a thin soft layer that shows tire track imprints and what appears to be standing water.
This one looks like hard packed dirt with embedded stones.
This one, apparently at a start, is poor quality so the road surface is hard to dis-concern but the side of the road is stacked with stones. From the surrounding fields or from the road?
This one shows the road in front of the cafe at the start point. One can see that even in a place built up enough for curbs the road undulates.
This one show a pretty smooth road but one can see darker spots that I'm guessing are either dryish mud holes or fresh manure. Also some of the riders are wearing brimmed hats. Which I can't imagine.
This one shows shows a rider pushing his bike on a rutted thick mud road. His pants show evidence of him having knelt at least once.
Three riders dodging livestock. Again with slung tires/tubes.
Paving stone or brick intersection with dirt side roads from 1906.
This one is from 1926 but shows a rider pushing his bike up what appears to be a shale road in the mountains. This one from 1934 shows a road in not much better shape.
1913 Tour de France, stage 7: Petit-Breton climbs the Puymorens in the Pyrenees. Muddy road.
Ever wondered if the dress of the stereotypical cartoon french man had any basis in fact? Hippolyte Aucouturier is here to prove it true.
Léon Georget at the last stage velodrome in 1909.
Looks like a lot of the roads we would be embarrassed by today in BC if they were mainline forest service roads which are no picnic to ride on with a narrow tired bike.
The 1903 Tour was relatively peaceful but the 1904 Tour had riots, beatings, nails and broken glass on the road, and various forms of cheating.
I was thinking the beatings were at stops or something. Nope: Maurice Garin and Lucien Pothier rode away from the others. They were attacked by four masked men in a car
During this [2nd] stage, Antoine Fauré lead close to his hometown, and 200 fans tried to stop the rest of the cyclists from following him. Garin hurt his hand during the incident, and Giovanni Gerbi was knocked unconscious, and had to give up with broken fingers.
In the last part, they had been stopped by a large group of cyclists. Maurice Garin had been attacked, and his arm had been injured: he finished the stage steering with only one hand.
Holy crap.
posted by Mitheral at 11:01 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
Now I really wonder what the average and worst tour road was like in 1903. I would have guessed they were using roads designed for wagons rather than dirt tracks.
Some poking around on google images reveals this night image (probably from 1903-1914) showing a moderately rough but dry road apparently free from excrement (and pre wide spread adoption of automobiles excrement was everywhere on roads). Interestingly they are using a car for illumination. The rider has 4 tubes/tires slung over his shoulders (that's 110 year old tires for you). Also there are what appear to be spectators even at night.
This one nominally from the 1903 tour shows a town road that is fairly smooth but also apparently with at least a thin soft layer that shows tire track imprints and what appears to be standing water.
This one looks like hard packed dirt with embedded stones.
This one, apparently at a start, is poor quality so the road surface is hard to dis-concern but the side of the road is stacked with stones. From the surrounding fields or from the road?
This one shows the road in front of the cafe at the start point. One can see that even in a place built up enough for curbs the road undulates.
This one show a pretty smooth road but one can see darker spots that I'm guessing are either dryish mud holes or fresh manure. Also some of the riders are wearing brimmed hats. Which I can't imagine.
This one shows shows a rider pushing his bike on a rutted thick mud road. His pants show evidence of him having knelt at least once.
Three riders dodging livestock. Again with slung tires/tubes.
Paving stone or brick intersection with dirt side roads from 1906.
This one is from 1926 but shows a rider pushing his bike up what appears to be a shale road in the mountains. This one from 1934 shows a road in not much better shape.
1913 Tour de France, stage 7: Petit-Breton climbs the Puymorens in the Pyrenees. Muddy road.
Ever wondered if the dress of the stereotypical cartoon french man had any basis in fact? Hippolyte Aucouturier is here to prove it true.
Léon Georget at the last stage velodrome in 1909.
Looks like a lot of the roads we would be embarrassed by today in BC if they were mainline forest service roads which are no picnic to ride on with a narrow tired bike.
The 1903 Tour was relatively peaceful but the 1904 Tour had riots, beatings, nails and broken glass on the road, and various forms of cheating.
I was thinking the beatings were at stops or something. Nope: Maurice Garin and Lucien Pothier rode away from the others. They were attacked by four masked men in a car
During this [2nd] stage, Antoine Fauré lead close to his hometown, and 200 fans tried to stop the rest of the cyclists from following him. Garin hurt his hand during the incident, and Giovanni Gerbi was knocked unconscious, and had to give up with broken fingers.
In the last part, they had been stopped by a large group of cyclists. Maurice Garin had been attacked, and his arm had been injured: he finished the stage steering with only one hand.
Holy crap.
posted by Mitheral at 11:01 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
> no picnic to ride on with a narrow tired bike.
Road racing tires of the day were wider than they are these days, 35-40mm back then compared to 19-25mm now. And head tube angles were also considerably more relaxed, which combined with a longer front trail meant the fork did a lot more shock absorption. It would have been a little like riding a fixed gear cyclocross/cruiser hybrid.
This is kind of what I do -- riding a fixed gear with 35mm tires with a bike frame based on early-20th century French designs -- now and again on the mixed-use trails where I live (which are partly paved, partly dirt). I'm well off my peak physical condition but a 30 mile round trip is still perfectly manageable; a day ride on a fixed gear are easy as long as you're properly setting up your bike for the road rather than a closed track. The real difference is that they continued on for considerably farther than I can, while tackling hills that are a lot steeper and taller than I could do on any kind of bike.
posted by ardgedee at 1:21 PM on May 28, 2020
Road racing tires of the day were wider than they are these days, 35-40mm back then compared to 19-25mm now. And head tube angles were also considerably more relaxed, which combined with a longer front trail meant the fork did a lot more shock absorption. It would have been a little like riding a fixed gear cyclocross/cruiser hybrid.
This is kind of what I do -- riding a fixed gear with 35mm tires with a bike frame based on early-20th century French designs -- now and again on the mixed-use trails where I live (which are partly paved, partly dirt). I'm well off my peak physical condition but a 30 mile round trip is still perfectly manageable; a day ride on a fixed gear are easy as long as you're properly setting up your bike for the road rather than a closed track. The real difference is that they continued on for considerably farther than I can, while tackling hills that are a lot steeper and taller than I could do on any kind of bike.
posted by ardgedee at 1:21 PM on May 28, 2020
The vintage TdF's were certainly an inspiration when I started riding bikes for fun, and then finding what I loved to do was riding bikes all day long (then for weeks/months at a time). The closest to the OG TdF we have now is most likely the Tour Divide, which is a one-stage, 2700'+ mile race N->S, starting Banff Al and ending on the Mexico/New Mexico border. It also has a feeling of self-reliance. Fun times on my single speed.
posted by alex_skazat at 1:46 PM on May 28, 2020
posted by alex_skazat at 1:46 PM on May 28, 2020
Holy crap.
There 's also a story about Garin (allegedly) trampling the bike of Augereau and then preventing other riders from helping him by giving them money.
Another often reported tidbit about early Tour riders is that they drank a lot of wine to keep going, but not just your regular Bordeaux: Vin Mariani, then a highly popular beverage and cure-all made of Bordeaux wine mixed with coca leaves, with a cocaine content estimated to be > 200 mg/L. The Vin Mariani benefited from the largest endorsement campaign ever, with about 4000 celebrities including two Popes, Thomas Edison and anarchist Louise Michel writing testimonials. I haven't been able to find evidence that it was used in the Tour, but it was heavily advertised to athletes and there's at least a mention that bottles were offered as prizes to riders. In any case, cocaine was certainly something that riders used, among other substances: in 1894, Henri Desgrange, a former rider turned journalist and the main creator of the Tour de France, wrote a guide for young riders (in epistolary form!) titled La Tête et les Jambes, where he explicity forbids his fictional friend to use coca (and kola) (p. 181). The book give a lot of information about how riders managed these races.
posted by elgilito at 3:50 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
There 's also a story about Garin (allegedly) trampling the bike of Augereau and then preventing other riders from helping him by giving them money.
Another often reported tidbit about early Tour riders is that they drank a lot of wine to keep going, but not just your regular Bordeaux: Vin Mariani, then a highly popular beverage and cure-all made of Bordeaux wine mixed with coca leaves, with a cocaine content estimated to be > 200 mg/L. The Vin Mariani benefited from the largest endorsement campaign ever, with about 4000 celebrities including two Popes, Thomas Edison and anarchist Louise Michel writing testimonials. I haven't been able to find evidence that it was used in the Tour, but it was heavily advertised to athletes and there's at least a mention that bottles were offered as prizes to riders. In any case, cocaine was certainly something that riders used, among other substances: in 1894, Henri Desgrange, a former rider turned journalist and the main creator of the Tour de France, wrote a guide for young riders (in epistolary form!) titled La Tête et les Jambes, where he explicity forbids his fictional friend to use coca (and kola) (p. 181). The book give a lot of information about how riders managed these races.
posted by elgilito at 3:50 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you like this, check out Tim Moore's funny and informative book Gironimo where he built up a period bike and retraced the 1914 Giro d'Italia course.
posted by remo at 7:43 AM on May 29, 2020
posted by remo at 7:43 AM on May 29, 2020
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