The Lost Cyclist: The epic tale of an American adventurer and his mysterious disappearance

by David V. Herlihy

In the late 1880s, Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh, a renowned high-wheel racer and long-distance tourist, dreamed of cycling around the world. He finally got his chance by recasting himself as a champion of the downsized “safety-bicycle” with inflatable tires, the forerunner of the modern road bike that was about to become wildly popular. In the spring of 1892 he quit his accounting job and gamely set out west to cover twenty thousand miles over three continents as a correspondent for Outing magazine. Two years later, after having survived countless near disasters and unimaginable hardships, he approached Europe for the final leg. 

 

He never made it. His mysterious disappearance in eastern Turkey sparked an international outcry and compelled Outing to send William Sachtleben, another larger-than-life cyclist, on Lenz’s trail. Bringing to light a wealth of information, Herlihy’s gripping narrative captures the soaring joys and constant dangers accompanying the bicycle adventurer in the days before paved roads and automobiles. This untold story culminates with Sachtleben’s heroic effort to bring Lenz’s accused murderers to justice, even as troubled Turkey teetered on the edge of collapse.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Adventure, Cycling, Biography, Sports

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

David V. Herlihy (born July 30, 1958) is an author and historian. He is notable for writing Bicycle: The History, published by Yale University Press, and Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance. He has also presented at the International Cycling History Conference and has published an opinion piece on cycling in The New York Times. He graduated from Harvard University in 1980 and is an alumnus of the Harvard Cycling Club. He is the son of noted historians David and Patricia Herlihy.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Social networks collate travel photos, Lonely Planet and its competitors find hotels, and travelogues have become so numerous that we can spend months exploring them before going to the airport. Perhaps the best way to find the unknown is to read a travelogue from the 19th century. David V. Herilhy, author of Bicycle: The History, offers a two-for-one deal: a travelogue and an epic tale of adventure and mystery.

Back in the 1890s, Frank Lenz set out from Pittsburgh to cycle around the world alone. He would be one of the first travelers to use the "safety" model -- a bicycle with two tires of equal size! Before this, Thomas Stevens of England had circled the globe on his high wheel. How old school.

Lenz' route was perhaps unusual in that he chose to head west from Pittsburgh. He crossed America, the Pacific, and Japan before entering Shanghai and heading south. From here, Lenz' troubles began. He survived the Far East only to be murdered shortly after entering Turkey. The second half The Lost Cyclist depicts William Sachtleben's attempt to find Lenz' murderers.

Although the bicycles were certainly different at this time, other aspects of Lenz' journey are surprisingly familiar. Even at this time, there was commentary about whether China would supplant the West as the next global empire and General Li is curious to know how travelers find China's roads (FYI - China has recently invested a great deal in its highways). Many of Lenz' observations about chopsticks and ordering food can still be found in many a travel blog. Sadly, the blanket assumptions about the Orient are still combated in today's travelogues.

Of course, some things were different.

There was no Internet, for one, and although photography had been invented, it wasn't as though Lenz grew up with photos and videos of Chinese New Year celebrations.

However, the British Empire at this point had set up telegraphs. Lenz was also able to mail spare parts -- extra tires, for example -- before he began his journey. After leaving the docks, most of the Westerners that could be found in Asia were either missionaries or diplomats. Interestingly, when the Hamidian Massacres began in Turkey, it was the job of the diplomat to protect the missionaries.

Although Herlihy has done his homework on bicycles and he has obviously spent considerable time with travel diaries from this period, he offers very little explanation about what's going on in China and Turkey. For example, Lenz is often attacked while in China, but there is no explanation as to why. There is a great deal of unrest in Turkey, but Herlihy assumes that his audience is familiar with this stage of the Ottoman Empire's decline. The British Empire has done a lot of work to make the planet a smaller, simpler place, but Herilhy declines to consider its impact on Lenz' journey -- even though Lenz relies on the empire's infrastructure to communicate with his home and his sponsors. I found these gaps frustrating and sometimes wondered if they weren't irresponsible as well.

The Lost Cyclist is interesting for its history of the bicycle as well as for comparison to other travelogues of the period -- Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World comes to mind -- but I found it a disappointment.

[Lydia Presley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was mildly disappointed by this book. The story, in the summary, seemed like an incredible one and I couldn't wait to get started.

The book is broken up into manageable parts each covering a country traveled. It's a fascinating story, once you actually dig through the somewhat dry text to get to it and I'm glad I pushed my way through the book, but.. yes, it was dry reading.

I think one of my favorite parts of the book was in the beginning. Up until reading this book I'd never considered how different it would have been to ride bikes back in the late 1800's. My imagination was caught up in what it would have been like to travel across the countryside, pushing through bogs of mud, filthy and tired but enjoying the incredible scenery afforded by the trip. And then I started thinking of the stamina that such a trip would have taken and I was awed by it all.

One thing I did learn in reading this book was that, when traveling through a place in upheaval (like Turkey) it's never a good idea to show off your coins.

According to the summary I'd read, this was a story about Frank Lenz, the cyclist who disappeared and William Sachtleben, the man sent on his trail to find out what happened. The book was definitely skewed more toward Sachtleben and less toward Lenz, but that was fine - it just took me a bit by surprise since I was expecting more on Lenz.

This book definitely proves that happy endings are not commonplace in real life stories that have tragedy involved. If you are into the history of the bicycle and historic events, then I recommend this novel. If you are looking for a satisfactory mystery in the form of a non-fiction novel I can't say I'd steer you toward this one.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume covers three connected events: the nineteenth century circling of the globe on bicycle by Americans Sachtleben and Allen, a similar attempt by Frank Lenz that ends in the cyclist's disappearance, and Sachtleben's attempt to find Lenz. The begining of the book offers a glimpse into early American cycling, the middle reads much like a travelogue, and the end dips into geopolitics. The result is a strange and sometimes dissonant mix.

This is one of those nonfiction works where you can tell that all the research made it on the page (and not necessarily in a good way). Herlihy writes in a dense style with anecdote following anecdote, but without much of the way of introduction. As an example, the early chapters are full of cycling terms (boneshakers, safeties, wheelmen, the "ordinary", etc...) that the reader just needs to absorb and try to parse --- if you don't know the early history of the bicycle, you may feel lost. There is a similar approach with the "globe girdling" of the cyclists; Herlihy appears to tell you every city each of the cyclists travels through.

In some places, this level of detail works well. Towards the middle of the book, Herlihy focuses on Lenz's travels through Asia. (Lenz, unlike Sachtleben and Allen, tried the trip moving westward.) Herlihy clearly captures how foreign China appears to Lenz, and you can feel the sense of dislocation that gradually diminishes, but never disappears.

[Warning: spoilers from here on out....] Lenz makes it across much of Asia, but vanishes in Turkey, at which point Sachtleben travels to find the cyclist (or, as is much believed, evidence of his murder). The narrative again is chock full of detail, but it is here that a wider perspective is greatly needed. As it turns out, Lenz was murdered by Kurd brigands protected by Turks who end up framing Armenians for the death. Sachtleben's investigation is taking place during the Hamadian massacres of 1894-1896, and Sachtleben himself photographs images of the deaths.

At this point, I was yearning for context --- there is a much larger story taking place, but Herlihy's narrow focus does not introduce it. In some sense, the author's viewpoint mirrors that of Sachtleben's. The cyclist's insistence on American involvement to bring Lenz's killers to justice appears naive, and he makes promises of American protection to Armenians that he cannot fulfill. (To his credit, Sachtleben lectured on the Armenian massacres when he returned to the US.)

The result --- coupled with an epilogue that attempts to second guess most of the protagonists' actions --- ignores the large issues for the small personal details. I'm guessing this is a great work for those who love cycling history, but much of the work was a miss for me.

[Joemmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1890's bicyclists were called wheelmen. The were transitioning from the high wheeled boneshakers to what was called a safety bike, similar to the bikes we ride today.

Frank Lenz was a wheelman, he participated in racing, and long distance rides, hoping to escape his boring life as an accountant. His goal was to ride around the world on a bicycle by himself.

He had watched as William Sachtleben and a partner, traveled around the world, and he felt he would succeed solo.

Hardship was part of the travel package. He took his camera to record his travels, and sent articles about what he saw back to the cycling magazine, Outing. He endured heat, mud, dogs, crowds of astounded onlookers, unwanted escorts, staying in everything from hovels to palaces.

Frank Lenz loved riding bicycles, he was enthusiastic and headstrong. Frank wrote to his mother and reported back faithfully, but suddenly his letters and reports stopped. First weeks, then months went by with no word.

Headlines shouted "Frank Lenz is Lost", sending shivers through the cycling community, and forcing a rescue mission, headed by William Sachtleben, travelling to the last places Lenz was seen.

What he found was chilling, and disappointing. He discovered what most likely happened, but never found Lenz.

This book was extremely good! Even if you do not ride, it is a fascinating story, a mystery, and a travelogue of sorts, that makes it sound like a good idea to ride around your own neighborhood!

I received this book from Net Galley and read it on my new e-reader, Melville for review.

[Christina Fierro · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story should have been fascinating and thrilling. A lone man in the early days of the bicycle, attempting to travel the world by himself, disappears in a dangerous part of Turkey.

Why, then, was it so boring? The story of the titular lost cyclist was interspersed with the story of two other world travelers. Then his story ends and the book spends quite a lot of time detailing the agonizingly slow debate over whether he even disappeared at all. Maybe he's in Russia. Maybe it's a hoax. Maybe he's ill. Maybe he's dead. Maybe he's in a very remote area. Just get on with it already!

The book then chronicles the investigation being undertaken by a man who is presented as so boorish and culturally clueless. I know this is another time, but a foreigner demanding to search the homes of locals and wanting the authority to arrest suspects? At the same time he is naive enough to believe that he can guarantee protection for a class of citizens that, in 20 years' time, be subject to a genocide committed by their own government. By the way, the genocide is not mentioned anywhere in the book. I would have thought that the Repercussions or Reflections chapter might have been an appropriate place to write about it. It adds another dimension to the circumstances of the disappearance and investigation.

All in all, I didn't hate this book. I enjoyed a glimpse into the beginnings of the bicycle. If nothing else, it's made me eager to go out and ride my bike.

[phil breidenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written tale about a Pittsburgher who attempted to cycle around the world in the late 1800's. He made great progress until he reached Turkey where he stopped sending letters back home. After nothing was heard from him, people tried finding him from home, eventually sending someone to search for him, or his remains, in person. The local governments weren't very helpful.

The author did a great job at researching a man who has just about faded from view. He told about the new history of bicycling and how people were using it to explore the land around their cities and at times, even further. He gave a good description of how the foreign officials attempted to "pass the buck" and how difficult it was for searchers to find anything after months had gone by.

[Tucker Jaroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was very good! The second half, after Lenz goes missing, was a snooze fest

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but a little bit of a slog.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful story on the adventures of a cyclist attempting to ride around the globe. A must read for anyone who enjoys riding bikes and learning about the beginnings of what we now call a bicycle.

[Bob Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book interesting reading if you like the history of the bicycle and the development of the bike. And the travels of the first Cyclists to explore the world from the seat of a bicycle. In the early 1890s.

[Brad Dickter · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the surface, this story is an intriguing mystery alongside a fun history of early bicycle culture. But then the story runs into the Armenian Genocide. The book never addresses how the death (likely murder) of one privileged white American male compares to the atrocities resulting in thousands of innocent Armenian deaths. Why should the reader care about justice for Lenz when the story raises the lack of justice for thousands of other innocents?

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In short, this was a good story that fell a little flat in the telling.

The most interesting parts of this book were pretty much all in the first half, as Herlihy brings us through the early days of the bicycle, with bicycle clubs popping up all over the nation and cyclists debating the merits of the newer "safety" bicycle (with its two equally sized wheels) versus the "high wheeler." By the time the book ends, the glory days of cycling are past, with the automobile supplanting the bicycle as the touring vehicle of choice and bicycle manufacturers going belly-up. This should be a dramatic moment in the tale, but it ends up being treated as little more than a footnote.

The focus of the book is, ostensibly, Frank Lenz, an early adopter of the bicycle who vanished while on his solo round-the-world bike trip. The focus of book really is William Sachtleban, one of a pair of cyclists whose own round-the-world trip was wrapping up as Lenz's was beginning, and the man who was eventually tasked with travelling overseas to track down the truth of what happened to Lenz.

But the focus of the book should have been the glory days of cycling. The emergence of cycling clubs, the abundance of cycling magazines, and the seemingly inexhaustible supply of funding for cycling globe-trotters paint a vivid portrait of a fascinating moment in history. These cyclists -- none of them the first to pedal around the world -- were feted at just about every city and town they entered, followed by parades of local cyclists and honored with great feasts.

The story of Lenz's trip wants to be more interesting than it is. It sounds good on paper, but the problem is that the final act -- the search for Lenz, which should be full if intrigue and adventure -- is comparatively dull. It mostly consists of a petulant Sachtleban whining his way through a morass of bureaucracy and logistics. What should have been dispatched in a chapter instead filled half of the book. And it's a shame, because to that point the book was telling a pretty great story; only, not on purpose.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much until the last couple of chapters. The majority is an interesting history of the development of bicycles, primarily in the U.S., but also in Europe, told through the eyes of three men. Two go around the world together one way (East to West), and the solo cyclist goes the other way (West to East). For the most part, the descriptions of their early years cycling in the U.S., coupled with time spent in Europe and cycling through Asia, were quite interesting for anyone interested in cultural history. It's fascinating to think that more than 100 years ago, people were cycling around the world - a feat that is still difficult to do today.

Unfortunately, when the search begins for the lost cyclist, the story takes a very different turn. Suddenly the reader is muddled in the politics of 1890s Turkey and the U.S. It was difficult to navigate the incredibly detailed play-by-play without any previous understanding of the politics at the time, and the author offers no helpful hints (like, "this role is in charge of this and answers to this person" or something like that). It's a painfully slow section to read because of the incredible detailed description of events, leading to a very unsatisfying conclusion.

I actually would have felt better about this if the epilogue had provided a nice after-summary, but the epilogue was really just another super-detailed chapter! That's not what an epilogue is supposed to be at all. I read through one chapter of the "epilogue" and gave up on the rest.

The other thing missing from the book? Maps! Why in the world isn't there a map showing the routes of the two journeys? And of the towns in Turkey? It would have been incredibly helpful and interesting to be able to visualize these journeys.

[Robert Isenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable histories I've ever read -- largely because of the subject, but also because Herlihy tells such a gripping, romantic, mysterious story. His research is impeccable, and the narrative pedals along as steadily as a bike on rough roads. Although his story is tragic, Frank Lenz has become a new hero of mine, for his humble Pittsburgh origins, his tenacious "globe-girdling" venture, and his martyrdom in the name of anthropology of adventure. I wanted to begrudge his rivals (old-money New Yorkers who never had to raise a nickel for their three-year trek), but they were also a delight to read about. It's heartening to know that, even during the Victorian age, a clique of young men could travel the world and embrace its diversities.

Should you have a similar fetish for history, photography, long-distance cycling, early journalism and adventure travel, "The Lost Cyclist" absolutely must be found.

[Adrian]

This book is set in the 1890s when cycling was new and hot. A few young guys took the craze to the limit by attempting to cycle around the world. William Sachtleben completed the feat with his partner Allen (500 miles of it by ship) and later Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh tried to do it solo going west rather than east. He made it all the way to Turkey (carried his bicycle thru most of western China and Burma) where he disappeared. His sponsor, a cycling magazine, sent Sachtleben out to find him. Unfortunately this is the weakest part of the book since it descends into diplomatic bungling and Turkish foot dragging. It's likely Lenz was killed but we can't even be sure of that. The cycling adventures are entertaining but the search for Lenz is a bog.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

For bicycling fans this is a great read....who would have thought these fearless young men would attempt to ride around the world on their bicycles in the late 1800! The photos alone are worth picking up the book and the story is unbelievable! Sometimes truth is better than fiction. I would have enjoyed the book more if he had not overlapped the two stories as it was hard to stay with both of them. If you are a biker, pick it up and enjoy!

[Elizabeth]

We wanted to read this. But the writing is a little too reminiscent of Franklin W. Dixon's The Hardy Boys.

What a shame because it is a fascinating subject.

Because we didn't get past the first few pages of the 2nd chapter, after reading only about half of the 1st chapter, it's completely unfair to rate this book. However, if I were going to rate it, I'd give it 4.5 stars for the photos (there are several wonderful photographs from the late 19th century, many taken with the then new Kodak point and shoot camera "You press the button - we do the rest"), 3 stars for the content, but 1 star for the writing.

What a shame. A juxtaposition of today's normally far less florid writing style with that of late 19th century newspaper reporting and the cyclists' journal entries would be so much more interesting.

This is why we stopped:

Paul Cousley looked up from behind his crowded desk and stared incredulously as an elderly man strolled into the pressroom of the Alton Evening Telegraph Moments later, the veteran editor bounded toward the stranger with an outstretched hand. "Will Sachtleben?" he blurted. "Well, I'll be!" The visitor beamed
[...]
"I have often thought of Alton," the eighty-six-year-old confided to Cousley. "Of my loving mother, [...] and of my self-sacrificing father who said to me as we walked down the hill to the Chicago & Alton railroad station the day after my graduation from Washington College: 'Well, son, stay away until you get your fill.'" Added the aged adventurer with a sly smile: "I reckon I did just that." [Prologue ALTON, ILLINOIS | October 28, 1952]
~ ~ ~ ~
"He rides with a dash and daring that can almost be called recklessness." So marveled the Bulletin's sports columnist [...] Young Lenz in fact cut a dashing figure on or off his wheel, with his sandy blond hair, boyishly handsome face, piercing blue eyes, and muscular five-foot-seven frame. His ever-flashing grin, easy-going manner, and cheerful company quickly made him as popular with the public as he was with his peers. [1 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA | May 30, 1887]
~ ~ ~ ~
On a bright but cool Sunday morning, two young Americans hastened up the interminable stony steps to the Propylaea, the crumbling gateway to the acropolis. [...] "Here are the soul-inspiring monuments of the fist Republic that breathe freedom," Sachtleben effused in his diary that evening. [...] Reaching the hallowed grounds, the awestruck pair stopped to gape at the Parthenon's gigantic marble columns rising gracefully into the radiant sky.
~ ~ ~ ~
They began their erudite exchanges
~ ~ ~ ~
Although they traveled in tandem, there was no mistaking the architect of the madcap scheme. At twenty-five years of age, the dark and dashing Sachtleben was a good two years older than his cohort. [...] Allen was a determined trooper willing to follow his charismatic leader to the ends of the earth.
    Sachtleben [...] had long enjoyed a reputation in his hometown as a feisty fighter and a free spirit prone to energetic excesses. As a boy, he exceeded at baseball and marbles.
~ ~ ~ ~
After a week long romp over the verdant hills of Normandy, they reached Paris. They spent ten days in the capital city, exploring its sites and cavorting with members of a cycling club. [...] The day of their departure, their French friends escorted them south
~ ~ ~ ~
Over the next few weeks, the cyclists collected a host of pleasant memories
~ ~ ~ ~
"It seems as if we can never finish writing," Sachtleben groused. [2. ATHENS, GREECE | January 4, 1891]

And that's only a very few of the colourful quotes that appear from page 1 to 35 (of 302 pages). We were a little surprised that there was no mention of "chums" before we aborted....

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 1880s were an important period in the history of bicycling. Bicycles were effectively new as far as most people were concerned. The dominant design - the "standard" a.k.a. Penny farthing with its huge front wheel with pedals fixed to the hub and small rear wheel - ruled the world until the early 1880s when the "safety bicycle" - with two equally sized wheels and (eventually) chain drive rear wheel -began to take over the market. The early cycles, Penny farthings, were popular with wealthy men of a certain athletic bent.

This was also the era of exploration. It didn't take long for men to start riding Penny farthings across continents and, before long, around the world. What today remains quite an accomplishment was, at the time, a near miracle. The first men (I keep using "men" because women, for the most part, weren't allowed to ride) to circumnavigate the planet became internationally renowned, heroes of the first order for their plucky deeds of derring-do.

Safety bicycles, new to the scene, became the next big thing for such exploits. And, as often happens with such things, it didn't take long for the shine to wear off. One or two world-girding expeditions gained attention. Not so much for the third and later such deeds. Still, young men with an urge for a challenge and the hope of worldwide fame continued to undertake the challenge.

Frank Lenz was one such late comer. Granted, his world travel, begun in 1892, wasn't exactly common but it wasn't exactly novel either. Still, he garnered more praise than condemnation when he announced his plans and set off from New York City to ride to California where he would take a steamship to Japan then on to China.

Unfortunately, Lenz disappeared somewhere in eastern Turkey nearly two years later. It was a time of upheaval in that area with Kurds, Turks, and Armenians fighting each other in a complex pattern resulting in the genocide of ethnic Armenians in eastern Turkey. Lenz rode into this maelstrom and never rode out.

This book is an account of his ride and the efforts made to ascertain his whereabouts and to prove whether or not he had been killed. Neither objective was obtained with any degree of certainty. Lenz effectively disappeared, though his death was almost certain if unproven.

It's a great story and a real look into a very different era of truly epic feats.

For some reason, there is a quality to Herlihy's writing that rubs me the wrong way. I can't define what it is, I just know I feel it. Don't let that be the reason you decide to read or skip over this work.

The thing I can define and really don't like is the way Herlihy decided to speculate on what what would have happened had Lenz not disappeared. For me, there is no good reason to enter into speculative fiction in a story like this one. Fortunately, doing so doesn't completely ruin the book even if it does detract from it.

If you enjoy the history of bicycling, exploration, personal challenges, or just like an interesting tale of personal ambition, this is a good book to read.

[Amory Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Being a cyclist, I was curious about the accomplishments that happened in the first half of last century. It is a time that will never be replicated. Major barriers were broken, and one of them was the attempt of riding a bike around the world.

From 1890 to 1950 (we'll just lop it off there) consider the amount of barriers that fell: man's first flight, the 100-mile-per-hour barrier, first solo flight across the Atlantic, breaking the sound barrier, etc. To say this was the time of human propulsion would be an egregious understatement. Enter the men who wanted to ride around the world.

Frank Lenz was looking to join the ranks of historical people who broke down major barriers. His attempt was full of optimism at its outset and slowly became a difficult journey. The story is much like a bike ride itself: It starts out nice and relaxing, but the return leg can be difficult. And much like a cyclist, one finds himself egging on the effort by saying, "Surely there's a point to all of this just behind the next gigantic hill." Frank Lenz goes missing as he entered one of the most unstable areas of the world. It is there that the book probably could have ended. No new information was truly offered afterwards except Lenz's friends go looking for him. One could just be grateful that the term "globe girdler" was coming to an end. (It felt like it was in every paragraph.)

As we're expecting to get some resolve as to the clues about Lenz, we get none. It is a bit of a let-down. It could have been half the length, for sure.

What did make this book interesting (in the beginning at least) was the recording of the evolution of the bicycle. Gone were the days of the Penny Farthing. The Safety Bike was advancing as a better option for those who didn't want to "take a header." The fact that the Pennsylvania/ New York state area played a role in cycling's early years was fascinating. What also was fascinating was the example of how unstable the Persian area was twenty years before World War I began. It also catalogs the atrocities committed by the Turks toward the Armenians. In the middle was Frank Lenz who paid the ultimate price.

If you're a cyclist, it might be worth reading. Mr. Herlihy put the time and effort into bringing this chronicle, so for cyclists, it may be a worth-while time. Otherwise, gauging by the reception of motorists toward cyclists on any given road in America, the remaining audience might want to move along.

[Shalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never considered that, in the early days of bicycles, people would race those "high wheel" bicycles, also known as "penny farthings," or use them to travel any great distance. While fascinating to watch, I've always thought just simply mounting and dismounting those things must be dangerous enough. Apparently, the bicycle as we know it today, was first known as the "safety bicycle" -- something I learned reading this book. Compared to the penny farthing, and even the "bone shaker" bicycle, which was similar in shape to today's bikes but built with the technology, if it can be called that, of the penny farthing, the safety bicycle had to seem like a crazy contraption -- the pedals being attached to a set of geers and a chain that turns the rear wheel instead of directly turning the front -- and the introduction of pneumatic tires (rubber tires filled with air) for a softer ride must have made it seem like engineering for those who just weren't "tough enough." Nevertheless, a handful of people made names for themselves back in the late 1800s by riding these crazy new contraptions around the world, traveling by boat or train as needed, but generally riding these new safety bicycles across land.

This book tells the story of one such man, who having made a name for himself in competitive, high wheeling circles, decided to circle the globe on a new kind of bike. He was also a photographer, and wrote a series of articles with photos he took himself, for 'Outing' magazine, back in his native Pittsburgh. He started out heading west across the U.S., then Hawaii, Japan, China, & Persia, but when he got to Turkey, communication stopped. Fearing the worst, another cyclist who had already completed a world tour went in search of him. This is the story of Frank G. Lenz, the cyclist who went missing, and William Sachtelben, who went in search of him.

The best part of the book is the bit of cycling history. The sad part is that it shows all too clearly how little we've progressed as a species, because even in the late 1800s, humans so easily turned to religion and race as reasons for hate, to greed as a reason for violence, and to intimidation and fear as a means of covering up the wrongs for which they are guilty.

[Belinda Earl Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the latter part of the 19th century a new invention grabbed the American public’s attention, and caused the creation of both clubs and races for its enthusiasts. That invention was the bicycle, invented in the 1860’s. The early versions had one small wheel and one large wheel. Sometimes the rims were made of wood, and at first the tires were solid rubber. These were the normals.
The due to bone cracking tumbles off the high wheeled normal, the safety bicycle was created with two wheels the same size as one another and metal rims.
As time went along young men weren’t content to just race their bicycles. They began to travel farther and farther distances in America at first. Then they began attempts to cycle around the world. One such pair were William Sachtleben and Thomas Allen who set off on their round the world trip in 1892, and completed.
Then a young man named Frank Lenz set of on his solo trip around the world just a few months later. This well researched book is the story of his trip and that of Sachtleben and Allen. It is astounding the trials which the cyclists faced, and the illnesses they endured on their trips. This book is fascinating reading, I think!
❤️✝️✡️❤️

[Ahw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me when I was on my own cross country bicycle ride.
I was hoping for more of a travelogue details on the bikes and the luggage and the costs an distances and roads.
I think I would have liked more illustrations.
It was too much of a history book .... and not enough of a history book. When I would have liked history it presented too much story and personality and when I wanted personality it told me seemingly endless details that I didn't care about.
I didn't like it switching between viewpoints. It made it harder to follow.
I think I would have liked a single story but there were two stories. .... maybe there were 3.
About Lenz's life and his trip. About Sachtleben and his trip and about Sachtleben and his investigation.

I would have preferred the book focused on one of those areas.
And in the end they don't really know what happened to Lenz .... that was disappointing. So instead of a story about what happened to him. Or even theories about what happened to him.... it just laid out the history of Shackle trying to find out what happened to Lenz.

I read it. It is quite an impressive assembly of the historical record. Excellent work.... Just not that entertaining.

[Billy Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction read has met the criteria for advanced research. Author Herlihy is a journalist and historian extraordinaire. My observations are that he composes three different narratives in one single volume.
1] We have an adventuresome young man that takes off on a trip around the world on a bicycle 2] A planned search-team to discover his whereabouts 3] A brief history entailing the development of bicycles during the turn of the century.
The young cyclist Frank Lenz can be interpreted as resourceful, bold, informative, and even crazy! His letters home, correspondence with others along the route, and general finagling for housing are most entertaining.
It is helpful to have a world atlas along side as your “ride” with Lenz during experiences of different countries and their cultures. At the turn of the century, many folks in these foreign lands have never seen a bicycle. A truly unique story to enjoy. The investigation near the conclusion is a bit drawn out, yet worth the wait as you discover the true outcome.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fascinating story. Part travelogue, part mystery, part history of the bicycle. The history and the travelogue were so interesting that despite being somewhat well versed in bicycles and having a rudimentary understanding of this time period I found myself learning a great deal in the opening sections of the book. The "mystery" element was very frustrating and felt like it just highlighted the bumbling mishaps of self-important bureaucrats. That portion of the book was decidedly less enjoyable to read but I would highly recommend the first half.

As someone who enjoys bikepacking and is curious about the experience of doing so in rather remote corners of the globe, this was such an interesting peek into some of the original "bikepackers." So cool that they got their hands on some of the original Kodak cameras to document their journeys too. It's convinced me that I needn't be so shy about lugging my hasselblad along on my next bike adventure.

[John_g · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long-winded reporting on 2 round-the-world bicycle trips. The viewpoint from 1890s is interesting Bbut the stories sound like disconnected letters: lifted from diaries and interviews, including some detailed events. But the writing is less dramatic than the otherwise good story, especially the slow sections trying to guess if and how Lenz has disappeared (spoiler: Lenz is the titled lost cyclist).
Maybe could've been improved by expanding on technical progress of bicycle : what were all those tire types? how'd the pumps work?
Compare Lenz to Magellan who likewise died halfway through his trip around the world.
Compare this book to L.Bergreeen's Over the Edge of the World about Magellan, which is stunning in drama on most pages.
Didn't measure up to other great travel stories: TR in C.Millard's River of Doubt, or even the undramatic but witty P.Theroux and B.Bryson.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on an unknown (at least to me) part of American bicycling history. I found the descriptions of this golden age of cycling to be wonderful. The only things missing in the book were the lack of a diagram or a close up picture to help support the author's notes on how the big wheels worked and the absence of maps. There was at least one place when the author was describing Lenz's journey through the western US when it appeared that the chronology must be wrong as the story depicted the rider zigzagging where there seemed to be no reason and in a way that would add hundreds of miles back and forth across the Rockies. Because there aren't any maps to show the actual route, I don't know if the chronology is in error or if Lenz actually rode such a path. Despite that, it was a fascinating glimpse into bicycling and its characters in the late 1800s. Recommended.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Footnotes would have made a better book

Very interesting and well researched book. As a cyclist and one who lived and taught in eastern Turkey (1964-1966), I found much to like in the descriptions of that area. However, the accounts of Armenian/Turkish conflicts certainly showed a pronounced bias in reporting of events. That said, atrocities on both sides were surely abundant. Footnotes citing sources would have helped clarify his conclusions.

As a cyclist I was amazed at how one could ride a bicycle on train rail beds. Also sometimes the mileage ridden in a day, carrying heavy packs, made the cyclists appear quite strong. Doubtful there are any cyclists today that could accomplish their rides today.

Enjoyable book.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this book was kinda boring. While the stories of men trying to ride around the book on a bicycle were interesting, I had a hard time keeping the different expeditions straight, and wasn’t sure why the story wasn’t just about Lens. (Some if that may have been the product of reading it on a tiny cel phone screen without the ability to quickly flip back and forth to reorient myself when the storylines changed.) I found the story as a whole a little flat. There wasn’t really any mystery around Lena’ disappearance and death - it was obvious he was probably killed for his money from the start, and the story doesn’t even definitively determine the details. Best I can say is that the book passed the time (and reminded me just how openly racist the late 19th century was).

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rich with the history of the early days of bicycles, and the latter days of the era of great white adventures. The center of the story does not come off as a very sympathetic character, but he and many of those around him are well drawn and interesting as people of that time. The conflict between advocates of the large wheeled bikes and of the two-wheeled "safety" models that would replace them was fascinating, and makes me curious to try one of the old style bikes. The book could easily have been 50 pages shorter without losing much, but it was still a pretty good read, especially if you have any interest in bicycles.

[Jeff Sovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of two independent attempts to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle in the 1890s, and the valiant efforts by William Sachtleben (who along with Thomas Allen formed the expedition that set out to the east from London) to investigate the disappearance in eastern Turkey of Frank Lenz (who was attempting the journey solo, having set out to the west from New York). Herlihy's narrative is well-crafted and brings this long-lost story and its central figures to life, to a degree that many fictional works fail to achieve.