What is the cut-off date for “official” Wheelmen tours and centuries?
The Wheelmen concentrate on bicycles built through 1918 and restrict their “official” interest to the periods from 1817 through 1918. These periods include the Draisienne or “hobby-horse”, the boneshaker, the high wheel (the Ordinary bicycle), the hard tired safety, and the pneumatic tired safety, including variations thereof like tricycles and tandems. So to be “official”, a machine must have been built in or before 1918. Back to Questions • Why 1918? The end of World War I saw a major change in the way the bicycle fit into American society. With the growing popularity of the automobile, the bicycle assumed a less important role. Back to Questions • What is an OHWT or an OAST? OHWT stands for “Official High Wheel Tour” and OAST stands for “Official Antique Safety Tour”. Both of them are the means by which Wheelmen members acquire the right to vote on Wheelmen issues. We are an active organization, so we want every voting member to have the “feel” of what we stand for. By “Official” we
