Bicycles became popular in the early 1800's. They were invented in Europe. There were 1.4 billion bicycles in use by 1900. People used bicycles around the world and still use them, even today. The first pedal bicycle was made in 1839; it didn't have a name. Bicycles with two equal-sized wheels, like the ones we use today, were developed in the late 19th century. They quickly became popular.

Some types of transportation that people used on PEI in the late 1800's and early 1900's were horses and buggies, carriages, sleighs, trains, ice boats, horses, walking on foot, and bicycles. Some methods of transportation, like ice boats and sleighs, were only used in the winter. Others, like horses and buggies, bicycles and carriages, were only used in the summer. Still others were used in both winter and summer, such as trains and horses.

This picture is an ad about bicycles from the Agriculturist newspaper. $48.00 would be a very low price today, but back then it was a lot of money. We have similar bikes today, but they are a little different.

W. P. Doull of Kent Street in Charlottetown fixed a lot of bikes for people. They would go to him all the time back then.

Mr. Doull would fix at least 15 bikes a day. It might take him five minutes to fix one bike, and it might cost $3.00 to get a bike fixed.

This is an old ad that appeared in The Guardian on June 1st, 1895. This bicycle was pretty expensive at the time, but The Comet, (that I have in another etext) was $100 dollars. The bicycle that is displayed is $85 dollars.