Summary
Safety bicycle made by the Dux Bicycle Co. for Timothy Downey of the Kew Cycle Club in about 1890. Features rim brake for wooden rim wheels. Downey worked as a warder at the Kew Lunatic Asylum and rode this bicycle from Melbourne to Sydney in the early 1890s with fellow warder M Coghlin. In 1896 the Dux Cycle Co. had an office and factory at 516 Little Collins Street and a showroom at 245 Elizabeth Street and was possibly the first Melbourne bicycle maker to produce the chain-driven 'safety' bicycle which soon became the most-popular bicycle for racing, transport and recreational use. The use of the Dunlop pneumatic tyre on the Dux machine made cycling much more comfortable and faster than had been possible with the older high-wheel or 'ordinary' bicycles fitted with solid rubber tyres. Like many early bicycle makers, the firm later sold 'Dux' motor cycles with Minerva engines in the early 1900s from new premises at 300 Little Collins Street.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from J. Downey, 29 Aug 1972
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Manufacturer
Dux Cycle Co, South Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1890
For photograph of Kew Cycle Club and owner see ST 38450. -
User
Mr Timothy Downey, Ivanhoe, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1890
For photograph of Kew Cycle Club and owner see ST 38450. -
Other Association (See Comments)
Kew Cycle Club, Kew, Victoria, Australia, circa 1890
For photograph of Kew Cycle Club and owner see ST 38450. -
Brand Names
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
1730 mm (Length), 440 mm (Width), 1040 mm (Height)
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Keywords
