Monday, May 4, 2009

You're shopping on a fine May day a century ago in Ypsilanti. What's on your list?

How about a 3-piece Bicycle Suit?

Though an avid bicyclist, Dusty D has never seen fit to purchase a 3-piece suit for her aluminum steed. Heck, it's lucky if the tires get periodic pump-ups. But the early 21st century is not the bicycle-mad era of the late 19th century, when bicycles frightened horses, offered women a means of independence, and became a general nuisance in the streets of Ypsilanti.

This ad for the 3-piece Bicycle Suit comes from a May, 1897 edition of the Ypsilanti Daily Press. There's still time this afternoon to hie yourself down to W. H. Sweet, downtown, to get yourself one. Turn heads on your new, modern velocipede with Sweet's stylish yet tasteful 3-Piece Bicycle Suit.

4 comments :

Bike Ypsi said...

What a great find! I wish that I had a 3-piece bicycle suit!!!
Are you on the bikeypsi google group? I think you should send that photo or link out! (or I can). :)
Kristen, from Bike Ypsi
www.bikeypsi.org

Dusty D said...

Hello Kristen,

Thank you for visiting. Dusty Diary is not at present on the bikeypsi google group. If you would be so kind as to spread the photo/link out to fellow bike enthusiasts, in the hopes that they'd find it interesting, DD would be very grateful to you.

There's a lot of old bike-related newspaper stories in the Dusty Diary files, to be published pretty soon. As you know, biking was quite the fad a century ago, and the old papers reflect that, with bike stories highlighted by one Rabelaisian tale of a Detroit-Ypsi epic trip currently in DD's hot little clutches--stay tuned!

Thanks again for stopping by!

James said...

I think I would like to order a3 piece bike suit. Do they have one in my size?

Dusty D said...

This is W. H. Sweet, sir!--of COURSE this estimable Ypsi business has one in your size! In a nice yellow and pink plaid--you'll look smashing. Perhaps even MORE lovely ladies will be asking you out to breakfast (elbow nudge).