No abstract

mericans did not make an abrupt switch from using horses to driving automobiles for personalized transport. Between the late 1880's and early 1900, the United States experienced a bicycle craze with millions of Americans buying and riding two-wheelers. This boom had many dimensions. While bicycle enthusiasts awakened a national interest in good roads,' they also attended racing events in "crowds comparable to present-day b a~e b a l l . "~ Women's dress fashions and leisure activities changed d r a m a t i~a l l y .~ Contemporary observers also linked the bicycle to changing consumption patterns and social activities: dropping church attendance, new courting standards for the young, and even a decline in piano. playing were all attributed to the bicycle.'Although the bicycle had existed in one form or another since the beginning of the nineteenth century, a long series of technological improvements were made before it could meet the needs of a mass market.' The "safety," a bicycle with equal sized wheels, was introduced in 1886. Two years later a rubber tire filled with air appeared on the market? With these two innovations, producers provided a machine that was safe, comfortable, and easy to ride. Steady improvements were made in the bicycle's construction in the 1890s. But by 1895, Outing Magazine reported that "the limit of the bicycle has practically been r e a~h e d . "~ Once the bicycle was safe and comfortable, the riding fad erupted, Women, children and old people were able to mount, pedal, and dismount the safety with the skill and ease that once was possible for only young, athletic men.8 It seemed to the bicycle enthusiast that a bicycle "fever" had infected the n a t i~n .~ Clubs, parties, clothes, and language all had cycle origins.After the fad was dying in 1901, one observer described the extent of the bicycle's influence in the 1890s:

No abstract

Donors assent to fundraising requests and change their minds. Donors decline well‐thought‐out and clearly articulated requests. It is useful to follow some of the internal emotional and intellectual processes that underlie donors' reactions to fundraisers' behaviors.

No abstract