Encyclopedia Dubuque
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SNOW BICYCLES
SNOW BICYCLES. In 1896 Albert Krueger and Mr. Genzler, a machinist, announced their invention of a bicycle that operated on snow. Prior attempts had involved removing the front wheel and replacing it with a sleigh runner and the rear wheel with an iron band with steel pegs. This required carrying the bicycle over ground.
The Krueger-Genzler machine was constructed so that the runner was half-inch steel, slightly concave to prevent slipping and shaped as a half circle to fit the wheel. The runner was attached to the wheel with a rod that fastened to the handle bar with a set screw. The rod had another brace fastened to it that clamped on the lower part of the fork. The runner had two braces brazed to it that fastened to the axle of the wheel. When the attachment was not used on the snow, these joints doubled up and the runner was raised to the top of the wheel so the tire ran on the ground.
The rear wheel had a spring steel band with raised projections like a rasp. This was fastened together with screws so that it was not necessary to take off the rear wheel when the band was attached.
The invention would work on any bicycle.
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Source:
"Bicycles on Snow," Dubuque Herald, December 10, 1896 p. 8