1 8 2 0 s . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁John ▁May all , ▁Charles ▁Sp encer ▁and ▁Row ley ▁Turner ▁rode ▁from ▁T raf al gar ▁Square , ▁London , ▁to ▁Bright on ▁in ▁ 1 5 ▁hours ▁for ▁ 5 3 ▁miles . ▁The ▁Times , ▁which ▁had ▁sent ▁a ▁rep orter ▁to ▁follow ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁coach ▁and ▁pair , ▁reported ▁an ▁" Extra ordinary ▁V elo cip ede ▁Fe at ." ▁Three ▁rid ers ▁set ▁off ▁from ▁Liverpool ▁to ▁London , ▁a ▁journey ▁of ▁three ▁days ▁and ▁so ▁more ▁a kin ▁to ▁modern ▁cycle - t our ing , ▁in ▁March ▁that ▁same ▁year . ▁A ▁newspaper ▁report ▁said : ▁Their ▁b icy cles ▁caused ▁no ▁little ▁aston ishment ▁on ▁the ▁way , ▁and ▁the ▁remarks ▁passed ▁by ▁the ▁n atives ▁were ▁almost ▁am using . ▁At ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁villages ▁the ▁boys ▁cluster ed ▁round ▁the ▁machines , ▁and , ▁where ▁they ▁could , ▁caught ▁hold ▁of ▁them ▁and ▁ran ▁behind ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁tired ▁out . ▁Many ▁en qui ries ▁were ▁made ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁' th em ▁que er ▁horses ', ▁some ▁called ▁them ▁' wh ir lig igs ', ▁' men ager ies ' ▁and ▁' val par ais ons '. ▁Between ▁Wol ver ham pton ▁and ▁B irmingham , ▁attempts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁ups et ▁the ▁rid ers ▁by ▁throwing ▁stones . ▁ ▁En th us ias m ▁extended ▁to ▁other ▁countries . ▁The ▁New ▁York