"150,000 members"

I saw this article at this blog after doing google searches for bicycle worker stuff.

"Getting back to the late 19th century, workers began to use this new tool for political purposes as well as transportation. Activists pedaled to workers who lived further away from town centers, allowing for greater inclusion in union meetings and other worker organizations. The Workers Cycling Federation was a political organization that distributed flyers and literature at public events. With over 150,000 members by 1913, the Federation “had a chain of bicycle shops, a bicycle factory, and a bi-weekly newspaper called The Worker-Cyclists, all owned collectively and run co-operatively.” The Socialist Wheelmen’s Club joined the fight for workers’ rights by distributing political literature between Boston and New York.

Thus, the bicycle had a prominent place in workers’ lives both then and now. Class issues still divide bicyclists, with “lycras” and racers sometimes pitted against messengers and commuters. Bicycling is still often thought of as transportation for the poor, and it often is! Cars are very expensive to own and maintain, putting them out of reach for many low-income folks. I’ve heard of die-hard bike commuters renting cars to go to job interviews because they were worried about the negative image of bicycle commuting.

Being poor in America (or anywhere) is tough, but the bicycle has definitely helped to make transportation more affordable for the working classes throughout the past century."

source: Biketivism and Technology: Historical Reflections and Appropriations. Zack Furness.

interesting stuff.