Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Designed in Orillia, this could be one of the earliest exercise bikes made in Canada or elsewhere.
This photo, found in another community, is from a Stewart Studio cabinet card and written on the back is: Boyle's Home Trainer, 1900.
Only one Boyle is listed in the 1900 to 1910 Orillia Directory and that is John Boyle, an insurance agent, so we can assume it was John who invented this contraption and had it photographed in Frank Stewart's Studio.
The bicycle is mounted on a wooden base made out of spools much like the furniture spools made at the Canada Wood plant on Front Street. The wheel hubs have been extended to rest on four spools to keep the tires off the floor and two other longer spools support a smaller wheel with two fan blades attached.
The smaller wheel is made out of metal with a hard rubber tire concaved to rest on the bike tire and it’s held in place with two cast iron “C” clamps.
The clamped wheel with its fan blades would provide resistance when peddling this bike and the fans would seem to have the added benefit of cooling the rider’s backside.
Sporting events and bicycle clubs were an important part of everyday life 110 years ago and keeping in shape during the long winters was a challenge. Having the Boyle's Home Trainer professionally photographed indicates that several may have been made and used by the athletes in Orillia.
