George Wyman left San Francisco in 1903 to set off on his journey to cross the U.S. aboard his California motorised bike (arguably, more of a moped).
George was a keen cyclist and had already become the first American to circumnavigate Australia on a bicycle. In 1902, he returned to California as a top-ranked cyclist, pedaling his way to stardom for various Bay Area bicycle clubs. It was during this time that he discovered motorised bicycles.
Back at his home in Oakland, an idea came to him - ride a motorised bike across the United States! What could possibly go wrong?! After a long conversation with a fellow cyclist, George purchased a 1902 California machine for his 3500+ mile journey.
The California had a 200cc, 1.5 hp four-stroke engine bolted to a standard steel bicycle frame. t was equipped with 28" x 1.5" tyres, wooden rims, a leading-link front suspension fork, a springed seat, a Duck Brake Company front roller brake and an Atherton rear coaster brake. A leather belt-drive with a spring-loaded idler pulley directly connected the engine output shaft to the rear wheel.
The bike weighed roughly 70-80 pounds (32-36kg) without the rider and was capable of approximately 25mph (with the rider, presumably). The throttle control was not yet perfected in 1903; engine revolutions were mainly controlled by means of a spark timing mechanism. The wick-type carburetor consisted of a metal box with internal baffles stuffed with cotton batting. With no float chamber, the rider had to open the gasoline tap periodically to admit fuel into the carburettor.
25 year-old Wyman departed from Lotta’s Fountain at the corner of Market and Kearny Street in San Francisco at 2:30pm on 16th May, 1903.
He agreed to keep a diary of his journey for later publication in The Motorcycle magazine. Not wanting carry excess weight, George only packed a change of clothing, a water bottle, various small tools, 1 can for spare oil, 1 can for reserve gas, a Kodak Vest Pocket camera, a cyclometer and a .38 Smith & Wesson.
The first leg of his trip took him across the spectacular Sierra Nevada, through the Nevada desert, he drifted across the High Plains, then on through the Corn Belt of the Midwest.
As the dirt trails and wagon tracks of the day were often impassible, George rode the railroad tracks for over half of his journey. During the first part of his trip, he frequently slept in railroad company housing or at hobo camps.
The California’s engine suffered several breakdowns along the way, forcing Wyman to make improvised repairs until he could get to a larger town to obtain new parts. As he neared Aurora, Illinois, the motor’s crankshaft snapped, and after pedaling his way to Chicago, he was forced to wait there five days for a new crank to arrive by train.
After leaving Chicago, Wyman cruised through Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before entering New York state. Outside of Albany the bike’s engine packed up completely, requiring him to pedal the remaining 150 miles to New York City.
On 6th July, 1903, a battered and bandaged George A.Wyman arrived in New York City, completing his transcontinental crossing and becoming the first person to cross the North American continent aboard a motor vehicle. His journey took a total of 51 days to cover some 3,800 miles. Afterwards, Wyman’s bike was placed on display at the New York Motorcycle Club while George recovered from his grueling journey with a well deserved pint or two.
