▁Times ▁spoke ▁of ▁" quant ities ▁of ▁vel o cip edes ▁flying ▁like ▁sh utt les ▁h ither ▁and ▁th ither ". ▁But ▁while ▁British ▁interest ▁had ▁less ▁f ren zy ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁it ▁last ed ▁longer . ▁ ▁The ▁expansion ▁from ▁a ▁machine ▁that ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁pushed ▁to ▁prop elled ▁through ▁ped als ▁on ▁a ▁front ▁wheel ▁made ▁longer ▁distances ▁feas ible . ▁A ▁r ider ▁calling ▁himself ▁" A ▁Light ▁Drag oon " ▁told ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁or ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁of ▁a ▁ride ▁from ▁Lew es ▁to ▁Sal is bury , ▁across ▁southern ▁England . ▁The ▁title ▁of ▁his ▁book , ▁Whe els ▁and ▁Wo es , ▁suggests ▁a ▁less ▁than ▁event - free ▁ride ▁but ▁McG urn ▁says ▁" it ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁delight ful ▁advent ure , ▁despite ▁bad ▁road ▁surfaces , ▁dust ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁sign posts . ▁▁ ▁J our ne ys ▁grew ▁more ▁advent ur ous . ▁Thomas ▁Stevens , ▁a ▁writer ▁for ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle , ▁set ▁off ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁April ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁on ▁a ▁ 5 0 - inch ▁Columbia ▁with ▁a ▁money ▁bel t , ▁a ▁revol ver , ▁two ▁sh ir ts ▁and ▁a ▁rain ▁c ape , ▁sp ending ▁two ▁years ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁and ▁writing ▁articles ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁two - volume ▁ 1 , 0 2 1 - page ▁book . ▁The ▁femin ist ▁An nie