The Reno Wheelmen » Legacy

The Trophies

Pete Rissler — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:15:05 +0000

With tremendous gratitude to the Nevada Historical Society, and especially the Curator for the
Museum Artifact Collection Ms. Sherlyn Hayes-Zorn. The Reno Wheelmen were granted access to
the trophy collection and provided a photo studio to document the trophies held at the museum.

Not all trophies were photographed, but those below form as thorough a cataloging as could be
accomplished. A full race schedule between 1900 and 1905 follows.

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Legacy – Trophy Gallery

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The Competition

Pete Rissler — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:39:22 +0000

Just who was the competition, anyway?
Clubs from Oakland, Sacramento, San
Francisco and San Jose all took turns trying
their luck against the Reno Wheelmen
(RW). Make no mistake. These clubs were
loaded with great riders.

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Family Connections

Pete Rissler — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:24:54 +0000

Early Reno Wheelmen members came from all walks of life.
Some were born into prominance, others would make their
own mark, and still others would live out ordinary, mundane,
or even tragic lives. Aside from racing, their stories give life to
the Wheelmen as people, and to the city and region they
called home.

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Miscellany and Side Bars

Pete Rissler — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:30:17 +0000

Research for The Legacy continues to turn up interesting tidbits and sidebars. Here’s some Reno Wheelmen trivia you won’t ever see on Jeopardy.

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Yester-Year Tech Talk

Pete Rissler — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:59:58 +0000

The Machines They Rode. In an era when there were nearly 3,100 different bike brands in the U.S.(www.thewheelmen.org) the c. 1900 Reno Wheelmen rode Racycle brand racing bikes nearly exclusively, made by the Miami Cycle & Mfg. Company of Middletown, OH. Racycle was also the choice of noted racers around the country.

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RW Trainer King Ryan – the Man Behind the Success

Pete Rissler — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:18:23 +0000

Behind every great team or champion there is a great Directeur Sportif—as Bruyneel is to Armstrong, or Guimard was to Hinault. King Ryan filled that bill for the early Reno Wheelmen. Today, Ryan would likely be called a Directeur Sportif, DS, manager, or coach, but in his day he was simply the “trainer.”

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Art Keddie

Pete Rissler — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:51:05 +0000

July, 109 years ago, a couple dozen Reno Wheelmen packed up their bikes and together with 150 faithful supporters set off over the Sierra. Destination, Sacramento, to take on powerhouse Capital City Wheelmen for the Pacific Coast Championships. The format was simple. A 50-mile relay race. One rider at a time from each team, each doing five miles. Ten different riders on a team. Drafting your opponent allowed. Tactics and power on full display. First team to 50 miles wins. Race day July 4, 1900. Game on.

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About the Legacy

Pete Rissler — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:18:12 +0000

Welcome to The Legacy—the page that chronicles the history of the Reno Wheelmen. In

The Legacy we will document the origins of the club, highlight key achievements, and

introduce you to key figures in our past.

While many know the exploits of some of our most famous members—Greg LeMond and

Inga Thompson, for example—did you know the club was founded in 1896? As the 19th

century gave way to the 20th, the Reno Wheelmen boasted over 400 members, and that at a

time when the city’s population was only about 4,000. Today, we have 120 members. We

have some catching up to do! The RW was the sporting and social center of the community.

At that glorious moment in the club’s history the RW even had it’s own clubhouse—Wheelmen

Hall—with weight room, swimming pool, social hall and more. It held concerts, dances and

even plays at the clubhouse. Did you know, the club even had its own band! Yes, like in

concert band with tubas and everything! Anybody have a middle-school trombone to dust

off?!

Now, the Legacy of the Reno Wheelmen. I hope you enjoy the coming series.