From the May 4, 2014, Chicago Tribune "Chicago, cycling capital" by Robert Loerzel.
"Chicago's fastest, rudest bicyclists were called 'scorchers.' They hunched over their handlebars as they raced in the streets. They were 'selfish, reckless, impudent transgressors of the law and trespassers upon the rights of others,' said the Tribune back then." Scorchers were the forerunners of some of the more aggressive auto drivers on the city's expressways today.
By 1897, about 300,000 people -- 1 of every 5 Chicagoans-- rode bikes according to the city.
1986 was the pinnacle of America's first cycling craze and Chicago was right at the forefront.
"Scorchers" weren't the only "wheelmen" as cyclists were called. Upper-class citizens took leisurely rides along the city boulevards. Even some laborers who could afford bikes, rode them to work.
Women and girls were also riding, but with difficulty with the cumbersome ankle-length dresses they had to wear. According to a Tribune story, Lucy Porter was the first female to ride a bicycle in baggy trousers called bloomers. Lucy and other "Bloomer Gals" took grief on occasion for dressing like a man.
Don't be a Scorcers!" --Cooter
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